The outcome of the ASUA presidential election now rests in the hands of the student government’s Supreme Court.
Both Daniel Hernandez and James Allen, candidates for president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, were disqualified from the race due to an excess of campaign violations. Both have stated their intention to appeal the violations, handed down by ASUA Elections Commissioner Michael Colletti, to the ASUA Supreme Court.
Each candidate is allowed no more than nine violations during the election cycle and ASUA officials have declined to comment on the number or nature of the violations.
Colletti said both candidates had already built their cases and presented them to the court before departing for spring break.
ASUA Clerk of the Court Rebecca Hull said that the official written reports detailing both candidates’ statements disputing the violations will be delivered to the court on next Monday.
Both ASUA President Emily Fritze and Colletti confirmed that a special election would be triggered automatically if Allen were to remain disqualified, as per the ASUA Elections Code. Hernandez cannot be declared the winner of the election unless he prevails in a subsequent special election.
If Allen is able to successfully appeal enough of his violations to get below the threshold of 10, he will be declared the winner as the top vote recipient from the general election.
Colletti said ASUA is preparing for both possible outcomes by assembling candidate packets in case a special election becomes necessary.
A special election would require a total reboot of the election process, giving potential candidates time to collect signatures to be on the ballot and campaign, leading up to a few days of campus-wide voting.
“”The entire process for a special election will take about 3 to 4 weeks after the hearing,”” Colletti said.
Both Hernandez and Allen are eligible to run again if there is a special election.
Colletti said that, as far as he was aware, the Supreme Court hearing is scheduled for March 30, and would be held in the James E. Rogers College of Law. This hearing would be open to the public, according to Colletti.
Allen and Hernandez have the option of being represented by council at the hearing, though only current UA law students are allowed to serve as council. The candidates will be notified of the court’s decision within 24 hours of the hearing and the decision will be published within 10 days.
The ASUA Supreme Court is made up of five students from the College of Law. The body serves as the sole interpreter of student government Rules of Procedure.
