The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, December 6, 1989 - Page 5

MSA delays new election for publications board

by Karen Akerlof
Daily Staff Writer
Following Monday night's invalidation
of elections for student positions on the
Board for Student Publications, Michigan
Student Assembly general counsel John
Coleman announced yesterday new elections
for the Board probably will not be held until
March.
Late Monday night, the Central Student
Judiciary's Election Court decided to invali-
,date the elections of student representatives
to the Board due to cross voting by graduate
and undergraduate students during the elec-
tions.
Student representatives to the Board are
supposed to be elected separately by their
own constituencies according to section
13.11 of the University's Regental bylaws.
First-year Law student Peter Mooney, a
graduate student candidate for the Board, was

upset with the delay in the announcement.
"It is like getting Christmas delayed four
days, not knowing if there will be coal in
your stocking," Mooney said.
Coleman said last night the regents, not
MSA, would have to decide upon an inter-
pretation of the bylaws and instruct the
assembly as to how they would like the elec-
tion process to continue.
Regent Philip Power had not heard of the
election invalidation when contacted earlier
in the day, but he said the matter was en-
tirely up to MSA.
Coleman said Power typically responded
to student matters with a "hands-off policy,"
and added that he thought the regents would
very likely let MSA decide what to do with
the elections to the Board.
University President James Duderstadt
and presidential assistant Shirley Clarkson

were also among those Coleman named to
be consulted in the decision process. Duder-
stadt was in California until late last night
and could not be contacted. Clarkson said she
had "no reaction" to the invalidation of the
election.
"The likelihood of an election (before the
spring) is small," Coleman said, attributing
the reasons to "cost, time constraints, and
probably candidates not being willing (go
through the process again)." However, he
would not speculate on who would make the
decision to hold another election and at what
time.
Coleman said the issue was further com-
plicated by the question of whether MSA
Election Director Michelle Putnam would
continue to run the elections. If she didn't
run the new election, there would be no one
to do it.

Coleman did say he thought MSA would
most likely appoint student representatives
after interviewing the current slate, for terms
to last until elections can be held in the
spring.

tion was botched," said undergraduate candi-
date Cale Southworth, an LSA senior.
Undergraduate candidate Elizabeth Wil-
son, an LSA junior, said she was concerned
that any election before the spring would not

First-year Law student Peter Mooney, a graduate student
candidate for the Board, was upset with the delay in the
announcement. "It is like getting Christmas delayed four
days, not knowing if there will be coal in your stocking,"
Mooney said.
Other Board candidates were disappointed have a large turnout. "I don't know how thiy
with the delay, but satisfied with CSJ's deci- are going to get voter turnout again," she
sion to invalidate the elections. "The elec- said.

ELECTIONS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the Coalition candidates, Dufrane,
was dropped from ballots.
CSJ Chief Justice Laura Miller
announced the decision to validate
the LSA elections at 11:45 p.m.
Monday, after deliberating for more
than an hour with the Election
Court. She said the decision was
based on figures from Putnam which
showed only 19 inaccurate ballots.
Four of the 19 ballots were
straight votes for the Conservative
Coalition. Miller said the other 15
ballots probably would not have af-
fected the outcome of the election.
LSA voters could select up to
nine candidates, preferentially rank-
ing them 1-9. A 1 ranking was
worth nine points, a 2 was worth
eight, etc.
Van Valey came in 10th place
with 1,844 points, trailing ninth
place winner Joe Sciarrotta by 135
points. She could have tied Sciar-
rotta if 15 of the invalid ballots

listed her as first choice.
Krumholtz said he did not believe
that only 19 ballots were invalid,
and did not trust Putnam to provide
the correct numbers.
"The person who is counting and
the person who is delineating is the
person who messed up in the first
place," said Krumholtz about Put-
nam. "I bet you if we went through
the ballots we would find more like
30-50 (invalid ballots)."
Putnam, who was serving for the
third time as election director, said
people get upset in every election.
"Either they are going to trust us as
election directors, or they are not,"
she said. "We are not partisan; I
didn't even vote."
"I don't trust her (Putnam's) cred-
ibility," said Fey. "The errors are
blatantly against the Choice Party. I
don't consider the election legiti-
mate."
Van Valey said she didn't think
contesting the election would be
productive, but said, "If I am going

to lose I want to lose honestly. I
would not want to lose this way; I
would not want to win this way."
She said she knew of at least 10
people who contacted her and the
Choice party after voting on ballots
with missing Choice candidates. As
a result, she questioned the total
number of incorrect ballots listed by
Putnam. r
Krumholtz and Fey said they also
knew of other students who voted on
incorrect ballots. During the Elec-
tion Court hearing, Krumholtz and
Van Valey told the court 19 could
not be the right number of incorrect
ballots given the amount of com-
plaints their party alone had received
about incorrect ballots.
Miller called the accusations of
Choice candidates "hearsay." She
said that unless more incorrect bal-
lots were produced, the court would
continue to disregard the accusations.

ANALYSIS
Continued from Page 1
votes.
This fall, the Choice party - a
consolidation of progressive candi-
dates - formed in response to the
Coalition's ascendancy and threat-
ened to unify those votes.
But the conservatives prevailed,
virtually sweeping LSA seats that
were key to their victory. In addition
to winning eight of the nine seats,
the party defeated three strong
Choice incumbents who ran on their
experience as assembly chairs.
While Choice relied heavily on
past experience of their leaders rather
than identifying specific issues, the
Conservative Coalition emphasized
campus issues that directly affected

they think of issuesthey face every
day like the Diag shanties, meal card
credit and teaching assistants.
In addition, virtually everyone at-
tributed the Conservative Coalition's
success to a more effectively run
campaign. The coalition had a supe-
rior organization and got its message
out, said party coordinator Jeff John-
son.
LSA rep. Susan Langnas said
Choice's decision to stress their ex-
perience and not concentrate on cam-
paigning was a bad election strategy.
"That's not how you win elections,"
she said. "Our student body is pretty
apathetic and the best way to get
votes is through name recognition."
Coalition member Bryan Mistele

said he thought the fact that toe
partyhhadhbeen using the name fir
three terms gave them an edge n
name recognition. He explained titUt
voters could associate issues with
the coalition, whereas not as maty
voters knew what Choice stood for,
Their bloc strengthened, it is eV$-
dent the tide has shifted in favor f
the conservatives, and they will st
the agenda for the next semester.
And they are saying things wil
change within the assembly.
With a working majority "of
coalition members on the assembly,
Mistele predicted many changes
within the first few weeks of next
semester's term.


-r-


students.
MSA General Counsel
Coleman said when students

John
vote,

r _.u


1989 December

week 51


ore

Than

C0pies

Mon 11
.....X -M A BREKAK S31Ai
...... S Y . .............................
....NE6b 10 CRN $US"
.....9:00 appt . to register
as a temp for immedi
.work at exciting down
.CH IC AGO locations !!.....
..Tbey need college ....
-educated temps to
as word processors
receptionists and
general office be/ p.
CALL TOOAY FOR M(
...INFORMAT ION! .
................3 12-372-11500 ......

0
R I3
ate
town
work
...........
- a rke
cries

GLiHiJT
2.:'

I
r

& SULLIVAN'S;

~I

6

6

r

+b*
1:
* 4
* 4
.0:

* Floppy Disks
* FAX Service
e Resumes
" Collating & Binding

* Laser Typesetting
* Instant Passport Photos
* Stationery &
Office Supplies

Mendelssohn Theatre
December 7, 8, 9 at 8 pm
December 9 * at 2 pm
Wickets $7.50, $8.50, $9, and $10;
student seating $5 with ID.
for informatior call 761-7855 -
after December 3 call 763-1085 or visit
the Mendelssohn Theatre Box Office
presented by
the University of MichiganF
Gilbert and Sullivan Society

kinko's
the copy center

I

We Work
OPEN 24 HOURS
540 ELiberty
761-4539

as Late as You

Do!

The Cbo ice

for Tempor

I.

OPEN 7 DAYS
Michigan Union
662-1222

OPEN 24 HOURS
1220 S. University
747-9070

Y

I U -

JOSTENS
GOLD RING SALE
IS COMING!
PET

Trade in your
milk crates

You've
suffered
through dorm
life and milk
crate furniture.
You've
survived
macaroni and
cheese and
turkey pot
pies. Soon,
however, it will
be time to go
home.
But 'home"
does not have
to be back to
Mom & Dad's
(and their
rules).

f Q -,

GREAT HAIR
CC
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY!
* 621 E. Williams"
Above Steve's Ice Cream
663-7012
.PERM PACK. $1.00 OFF . TEN

"Come home to Village

Green"

Village Green means apartment living that sets the
standard in Michigan. We offer more choice and more
comfort. " Communities in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Down-
town Detroit nd throughout i

Order your college ring NOW.
Stop by and see a Jostens representative,
Wednesday, Dec. 6 thru Friday, Dec. 8,
11:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.,
fn e - --t r m n rn rI +i re r1:- - 4f IA ..:---