Student Government Association Elections Committee v. Ritchie-Latham

Facts of the case:

Election season began on March 1, 2023. Informational session occurred prior on 3 dates listed as February 20th, 2023, and 6PM in Powell 201, February 21st, 2023, at 6PM in Powell 203 and February 23rd at 6PM in Powell 229. Informational Sessions detail what each candidate must do to be eligible to run on the executive slate once election season begins. It is noted that you must fill out your packet in its entirety and detail as to whether you will be spending the allotted $750.

On March 1st, 2023, a case was filed by the Elections Committee Chair, Jayna Singleton, for immediate review by the Student Court on the grounds that the Ritchie-Latham campaign had neglected to complete the packet as required by the bylaws and informational sessions. Ritchie-Latham neglected to report whether they would be spending the $750 as prescribed in the bylaws and as such, they did not complete the packet.

Question:

Are candidates eligible to run if they did not complete the packet, specifically pertaining to spending money?

Answer:

In a unanimous decision the Student Court determined that yes, although the candidates did not complete the packet, the incompletion was a minor error that could be easily remedied. However, The Ritchie-Latham campaign indicated that though they did not fill out this portion of the packet, that they did intend to use funds. The Court determined that the candidates would receive the penalty of a 25% deduction to their funds for failure to indicate whether they’d be spending those funds.