Gator Having Some Trouble?
The almighty Gator Party is not doing such a great job of holding the line. In various spots throughout campus (namely Turlington Plaza) the machine seems somewhat weak. In a last hour gamble Gator members have tried to file complaints against PANTS use of I-Voted-Stickers with threats from the Elections Committee threatening disqualification of the entire PANTS Party slate. This coming from a board that barely has the symbolic (not even legal) power to enforce a $20 fine and has absolutely no power outside of UF, these folks are certainly taking a big risk in attempting to suppress PANTS. I myself would continue handing out stickers and campaigning, if PANTS wins, I would love to see that commission disqualify them...ah...it would bring back memories of the Gil Sanchez' lawsuit.
Meanwhile over at Levin, my good friend & original Access Party colleague Andrew Hoffman is running for Law College Council President. Andrew tirelessly worked on behalf of undergrads, serving as President of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Council & later as one of five senators representing the college. In campaign politics he was an integral force of the original Access Party and served on the Executive Committee of the ill-fated Impact Party.Despite being a first year law student, Andrew is poised to take on leadership positions and continue on with his career of public service. Though I could probably count the law students that visit TR with my two hands, I still think it's critical to mention Andrew b/c he's the best candidate, even if Tommy "The Turncoat" is supporting Andrew's rival. Good luck Andrew!
NINA
I also would like to thank Nina for a wonderful interview! We have a good chunk of material that didn't make it, so perhaps (with NINA's approval) we can re-release the interview in the coming months with about 15-25% more stuff! Def. worth the read!
32 comments:
BYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So some guy threatened to kick me in the nuts and then filed an elections complaint against me. I didn't know his real name until then.
How can you say Andrew is the best candidate? Do you even know Steve? I've watched Steve work tirelessly for the LCC over the past year, and I know his comitment to the council.
Andrew rules, he has already been a college council president.
How can Bruce complain about voter apathy when he and his party deliberately try and suppress voter turnout?
9:37: You use of voter suppression is a travesty. If you want to talk about voter suppression you can but voter suppression and voter abstention are two separate terms.
ok so what is the harm about passsing out voting stickers? They aren't the first campaign to do it. It is a trick that has been used for years. The only people who will take them are greeks who need to fill up there voting board spot. If the greeks don't want to vote, why should they be forced to vote by a house leader.
Why don't we see what the election commission decides tomorrow. If you believe you're right either way let the decision speak for you.
~Ryan Day
As someone out there campaigning today... I can testify that the stickers were NOT just being given out to Greeks. They were being marketed as tools to "get people not to bother you tomorrow". Many non-affillated students took them, and now thanks to Pants, those individuals will probably not vote.
Honestly, this is just sad.
how is giving out i-voted stickers illegal, like what role does the election commission even have in this. Its not like they were passing out fliers saying vote for so and so. Its not campaign material.
Damn should've gone to campus today. I don't want to stand on line to collect sticker for the house, which is precisely what I might have to do tomorrow.
11:24 - You are obviously a Pants Party member.
Everybody else: There are many valid arguments and interpretations on this. Anyone who can't see the other sides reasoning here has the partisan blinders on. I'm very interested to see which way it goes. This is a powerful precedent in SG elections at UF. There is a complaint before the Election Commission why not let it be resolved there without all the drama?
~Ryan Day
what are the arguments as to why they can't pass out i-voted stickers? Techincally it isn't campaign material.
sorry, beyond the uf election codes is a little thing called the first amendment!!
Technically it is campaign material. Have you read the 700 codes. The funny part is if they had followed the rules and registered it and put pd. pol. ad. on it they would have gotten away with it. You can't buy something for a campaign, distribute it to support a campaign, and not follow the campaign material rules. Regardless if it is or isn't campaign material, Pants completely gave the big FU to the Elections Commission by disobeying the cease and desist order. The Elections Commission is an adjudicatory body that has the power to reccomend disqualification. Not smart on Pants part and a clear sign they have given up trying to win any seats.
how is an i voted sticker designed to support your campaign?
now it is not clear that the UF election commission even had jurisdiction to issue a cease and desist order, remember first amendment :)
Let's all remember how great Pants party members have been with the 700 codes.
Filed complaints........0/4
Complaints against......2/2
So Pants has yet to file a successful complaint or stop one from Gator.
People who throw around the first amendment have no knowledge of the law. The first amendment protects you from government suppressing your speech. I'll turn the question back around at you anon legal scholar. How in the hell is an I Voted Sticker speech? It is designed to support the Pants Party by supressing voter turnout.
As to the Election Commissions jurisdiction to issue a cease and desist order, they can do that whenever they deem neccessary under 723.4. Everytime Pants goes in front of the Elections Commission their bumbling ignorance and disregard for the rules is exposed. Same thing will happen tomorrow.
I am 11:54, how do you know I have no knowledge of the law?
Passing something out is a type of speech.
"Passing something out is a type of speech."
No its not. Its passing something out. Douche.
12:23 you just proved you don't know the law.
I can't say I condone what Pants is doing, but to say that I Voted stickers support a party or candidate is kind of far fetched. They pass them out at the voting booths, are you saying that the poll workers are supporting pants? The 700 codes define campaign material as something that supports a party or candidate.
Going off of that, a cease and desist order seems like a huge abuse of power for something as inconclusive as that.
I agree with Ryan. Kill the drama.
Pants Party presidential candidate Bruce Haupt also tried to get his platform across to students.
"I think we're kicking ass," Haupt said.
Kickass
win or lose, the indies finally played hardball with the greeks, and they didn't like it. Maybe the greeks will start playing nice now!!
J Clay is my hero.
J Clay fucks goats.
The Independents finally have a real leader -- Bruce Haupt. :)
I'm confused... What do you mean the independents finally played hard ball? How have they not in the past? What do you mean maybe the Greeks will finally play nice?
Hoffman lost...way to go Steve!
It's Andrew, not Charles Manson. Why on Earth would be celebrating his defeat you troll? If you voted for "Steve" be happy but why knock Andrew?
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