Tradition and serious business.



Election Season Opens with Unprecedented Grievences


Traver Riggins
2/1/07
Hilltop




This year’s election season has followed true to tradition, starting with controversies before candidates have even been confirmed.

General Assembly Chairmwoman Tamia McClain unconstitutionally posted a notice informing students of an emergency change in procedure.

Only hours later, Norkia Baker, assistant director of student leadership and community service in the Office of Student Activites, began accepting candidate applications an hour and a half earlier than stated in the Election Code, according to Allen Haynes, General Elections Commissioner.

The code states that applications are to be accepted between 10 a.m and 5 p.m. on January 29.

Baker had no comment for the Hilltop regarding the matter.
“Some people raised concerns that maybe she shouldn’t take them that early,” Jarvis Seegars, a freshman pre-pharmacy major said.

Seegars said students felt that it was acceptable to submit the applications early at 8:30 a.m. and everyone followed suit.
Students have expressed to Haynes that they would like to file grievances for the issues.

According to Haynes, grievances are normally filed toward the candidates, but in this “unprecedented case”, there are not any official candidates as applicants for candidacy are not yet cleared, and a university official was involved.

Students were following a Howard tradition Tuesday of waiting overnight to submit their candidacy applications in below freezing weather when McClain decided to prevent them from health or safety harms.

After attempting to contact HUSA president, Jennifer Owens, McClain proceeded to take “Emergency Legislative Action” and informed students that names would be listed on the ballots in alphabetical order instead of the first come first served manner as specified in the Howard Election Code.

“She told me she was doing it for the safety of students,” Marcus Ware, School of Business president and former chair of the Policy Board, said.

Some students argued that McClain was acting out of personal interest and wanted her name to appear first but the case was untrue.

“She would have been put last on the ballot and not first,” Ware said sighting the alphabetical order of the other two potential candidates.

“I would like to personally express my gratitude for all of the student body’s support as I am confident that the truth regarding the matter will ultimately prevail,” McClain said.

The notice however, was issued outside of McClain’s jurisdiction and therefore held no authority because as stated in Section 1, under Article III of the HUSA Constitution, the executive branch has the authority to make executive orders that may be turned over by a two-thirds vote of the Policy Board. Nowhere does it give this authority to anyone on the legislative branch.

The Elections Commission is in the process of determining where and how to file the grievances but students can file them in the mean time.

“If any students choose to file, we [the General Elections Commission] will take them, no matter where they would go,” Haynes said.

Stephen Nichols, HUSA vice president, said that HUSA can act as a “central processing point for the grievances.”