The “A Better Rez” slate was disqualified March 15 in the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) elections after receiving two “serious” electoral violations, according to a ruling by chief electoral officer Manal Demaghlatrous.
The first electoral offence was issued because of the actions of scrutineer Anita Chowdhury, who went to the Russell/Grenville polling station and took an unsealed ballot box and voter list to the counting room, contrary to the electoral code, at approximately 9 p.m. March 14, Demaghlatrous wrote.
Chowdhury, “A Better Rez” team member and a first-year public affairs and policy management student, said she was a last-minute scrutineer and was unfamiliar with the election procedures.
“I picked up the box and had no knowledge that the box was supposed to be taped and initialled and I was not informed that the CEO or the DEO or the poll clerks were only supposed to touch the box,” Chowdhury said.
“I clearly stated and asked if I was allowed to pick up the box because both poll clerks picked up the cardboard shields, and one of the poll clerks took the voting list and various other papers and put them in their backpack,” Chowdhury said. “Their hands seemed full and it seemed to me that they wanted me to carry the box since they were carrying all the other items.”
Chowdhury said the box was closed and she did not touch anything in it as she carried it to the Frontenac counting room.
Chowdhury said she feels she has some responsibility in this issue.
“But to say it was entirely my fault is completely disrespectful,” she said.
The second electoral offence was issued for harassment Demaghlatrous said was directed at her after she announced the first infraction.
Demaghlatrous said Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president-elect Obed Okyere “harassed” her, telling Demaghlatrous “[she] was being unfair and [that she] doesn’t understand the electoral process and doesn’t know how to do [her job],” according to the ruling.
“I warned all the scrutineers before the counting that any kind of harassment will lead to a harassment infraction against the slate they represent and will lead to a possible disqualification of the slate. I made this point very, very clear,” Demaghlatrous said.
Okyere said he went to talk to Demaghlatrous after her decision because he thought it was “an excuse for her to call a re-election.”
“She said she doesn’t care, that’s her decision, that I should fuck off and stuck her middle finger at me and walked away,” Okyere said.
Okyere said “A Better Rez” won by 16 votes at the Glengarry polling station, and he thinks the next closest team was W.A.Y.
“I think it’s a very unwise position based on the fact that the box does not change the outcome of the election,” Okyere said. “If you take all the votes that were cast for “A Better Rez”
and give them zero votes for that box . . . they still win.”
Demaghlatrous said she would not comment on the election results since it was deemed “unconstitutional.”
The vote will occur again without “A Better Rez,” according to the official ruling.
–with files from Andrew Nguyen