Maxwell Heroux, a candidate for the presidency of the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA), is facing disqualification after violating the association’s electoral code, according to two CUSA reports.
Heroux has been issued a total of 29 demerit points, according to two decisions by chief returning officer Basit Ur Rehman released on Wednesday. Under the association’s new electoral rules, a candidate will be disqualified if they received 10 or more demerit points, lowered from the previous threshold of 15 demerit points.
The decisions have been automatically sent to the association’s appeals committee for review, and Heroux confirmed he would be fighting the decisions.
Heroux was charged with 12 demerit points for “conditional inducement/coercion relating to executive participation,” improper voter influence and undermining the election’s integrity.
According to the report, Heroux had been accused of forming a slate — or coordinating a campaign for other members of CUSA council to get elected together.
While the CRO found that Heroux did not attempt to form a slate or coordinate campaigns, the decision said he engaged in “coercion, bribery or conditional offers.”
“Communications referencing future executive participation were framed in a manner that constituted conditional inducement tied to alignment or tolerance,” the decision charged.
“This conduct was inconsistent with the principles of free participation and independent candidacy under the Electoral Code.”
Heroux was also penalized for the “conduct of campaign team members and affiliates.”
“A registered campaign team member engaged in election-related discussions with an elector, questioned voting intentions regarding a competing candidate, commented on the feasibility of that candidate’s platform, and failed to clearly disclose campaign affiliation when asked,” the decision charged. “Responsibility for this conduct attaches to the candidate under the electoral code.”
In a statement to the Charlatan, Heroux said he did not engage in any actions relating to the formation of a slate.
“The CRO said there is no slate. He then penalized me on charges which were, in his original accusation, related to the formation of a slate,” Heroux said.
“It is changing the charges to fit the penalty he clearly already wanted to dole out.”
The CRO did not immediately reply to the Charlatan’s request for comment.
In the second electoral violation decision, Heroux was issued 17 demerit points for campaigning in the university’s library, interfering with free and fair elections, undermining the election and failing to “control or disclose campaign actors.”
According to a complaint and video evidence reported on Feb. 4, an individual was “soliciting votes in favour of the candidate” and approaching voters in a quiet study space. The person watched voters’ screens as they cast ballots and engaged in “conduct reasonably perceived as intimidating,” the report said.
“The MacOdrum Library is a strictly prohibited campaigning location under the Electoral Code and CRO-issued guidelines,” the report said.
Ur Rehman determined “beyond a reasonable doubt” that campaigning had happened in the library, voter independence was compromised and the conduct “interfered with the free and fair exercise of voting.”
While the individual was not linked to Heroux, Ur Rehman determined that the “conduct materially benefited the candidate.”
In a statement to the Charlatan, Heroux said he had “no knowledge of the individual” alleged to have campaigned for him.
“I nor any member of my campaign team recognized the person in the video,” he said. “I am appealing this inaccurate decision.”
Heroux was previously issued four demerit points for two minor electoral offences, including failure to obtain approval for certain campaign materials.
In an update posted to social media, CUSA said the announcement of the election results has been delayed “until all post-election appeal deadlines have passed and any required reviews have been completed.”
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi/the Charlatan
