Two student government slates are looking to appeal penalties after they were fined for campaigning early, according to WCRD News.
The elections board met late Thursday night, the same night as the vice presidential debate, to discuss code violations.
Atlas and Cardinal Direction each violated Article 6, Section 2, Part D which states: “Candidates may begin campaigning upon the close of the Nomination Convention and shall end upon the conclusion of the election.”
Atlas’ Facebook profile and cover photos were posted before the end of the convention, according to WCRD.
"We have always been extremely cautious and will continue to do so," Atlas Campaign Manager Chloe Anagnos said. "Human error happens."
Cardinal Direction had their Facebook page created in 2014 but there was no content until the convention, said Election Board Chair Zach Huffman.
Article 7, Section 1, Part E states: “Candidates may appeal any penalty imposed by the Board to the Judicial Court."
Anagnos said the slate is appealing the amount of the fine.
“Our social media manager put the picture up before the close of nomination convention," Anagnos said to WCRD. “Even though no one could see it, the board decided to fine us.”
D'Marcus Pulce, Cardinal Direction's campaign manager, said the page was created last year to reserve the name.
“We are going to make sure we stay focused,” he said. “We tried our best to follow the election code and we still broke it.”
Cardinal Direction also violated Section 4, Article 6, Part A-2 which states that no posters larger than 14 inches by 22 inches will be allowed in classrooms and hallways. They are permitted only on available bulletin boards.
Pulce said there were three posters hung up on bulletin boards in the Robert Bell Building.
Cardinal Direction was fined a total of $100 and Atlas $50, according to a press release.
“No one enjoys calling each slate and letting them know they have a fine, but at the end of the day we must uphold the elections code,” Zach Huffman said in the press release.
SGA Adviser Jennifer Jones-Hall said the hectic campaigning process can sometimes cause slates to overlook some details.
“I honestly do not think people go out with the intent to break policies and procedures,” she said.
When Anagnos was SGA president, she and Jones-Hall spent time reviewing the election code.
"I think that there probably should be extreme clarification when it comes to social media," Anagnos said. "It seems like there is always confusion with it."
The last two SGA elections have seen maximum fines and election code loopholes. SGA amended the elections code last spring and this past fall.
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