Senate election declared invalid (1 Viewer)

[Rafy]

Anybody know what happened?


Dear Student,

I write in connection with the elections for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Fellow of Senate which were conducted recently.

I advise that over the past week I have received complaints from a number of students in connection with both elections. Considered together these complaints lead me to the view that there is a real risk that the integrity and fairness of the election process may have been compromised. Accordingly I have formed the opinion that I cannot safely declare a result for either election and thus I declare them to be invalid. As a consequence both elections will need to be conducted again in the near future.

I will advise you of the details of the new elections by email next week.

Yours sincerely

William Adams
Secretary to Senate and Returning Officer

 

[izzy88]

Honi made reference to candidates giving food or something in return for log in IDs. I also saw a candidate with laptops set up, offerring food/lollipops in return for voting for them right there. Not sure what else was occurring though- or if what I witnessed would be enough to invalidate the election. I'm also intrigued to know what happened- and if it will change how they do the election.

 

[stampede]

lol yeh i also saw ppl with laptops bribing students with food/lollies by simply loggin in and voting for them

fuck i was at scitech and this one postgraduate student, said he was the only 'christian' or 'catholic' in the union or wateva and he was offerin me chupa chups if i signed in and voted for him

is that illegal rafy? could that be it?

 

[Rafy]

Have confirmed that it was the lollipops for votes scandal that was the main reason for invalidation of the election.

 

[Aerath]

I thought it was sausages for votes. Another candidate was giving out sausages....

 

[funkshen]

i love sausages AND lollipops

and i got neither

 

[Rafy]

Apparently there's no regulations to deal with this kind of thing like there is for SRC and USU elections. In those elections there are clear guidelines about conduct and you'd just disqualify the candidates involved in any breach instead of having to rerun the whole thing.

 

[Aerath]

Probably because noone really takes Senate elections seriously.

Despite the fact that they probably get the most shit done at uni.

 

[izzy88]

Apparently there's no regulations to deal with this kind of thing like there is for SRC and USU elections. In those elections there are clear guidelines about conduct and you'd just disqualify the candidates involved in any breach instead of having to rerun the whole thing.

well i'll assume after this year they'll put more regulations in. It seems after last years union elections, any kind of election on campus is getting more attention regarding conduct etc.

 

[Aerath]

Yeah, and they had a lawyer be the returning officer for Union elections this year as well.

And she's doing it again next year.

 

[Triangulum]

It really puzzles me how these dickheads can come up with these vote-buying schemes and never hear a little voice in their heads saying it's unethical. But the senate elections have always been a massive rort, clearly the move to online voting hasn't fixed anything. Surprised this happened in the postgrad elections too though, since there were only two serious candidates anyway. I was just expecting the big-name Chaser guy to romp to victory.

 

[Shadowdude]

Lollipops for votes. LOL

Almost as ridiculous as Spain under Franco: "We'll buy your TV programs if you vote for us in Eurovision"!

 

[Aerath]

Senate elections are back up for voting.

 

[kaz1]

hahahaha lollipops for votes scandal

 

[Aerath]

lol


I would totally vote for someone if they weren't a terrible person+gave me a lollipop.
Smart person, whoever did it

The guy is a douche though. Career politician - and a career student politician as well. He's run for every electable office at USyd. (And pretty much failed left right and centre)

 

[Rafy]

New Fellows of Senate
UG: Benjamin Veness
PG: James Flynn