Two electoral violations were issued on the first voting day of the CUSA elections.
A violation of section 16.3v was issued against Ahmad Hashimi, Ravens United vice-president (internal) candidate, for damaging or defacing the online presence of another candidate, campaigner or CUSA member.
Students First candidate for vice-president (finance) Emily Buchkowsky was also issued an electoral offence Wednesday for violating section 16.3i of the electoral code.
This section of the electoral code outlines the offence as actions that “undermine the integrity, fairness and freedom of any [e]lectoral process governed.”
In an email to the Charlatan, Buchkowsky said she did not violate the electoral code intentionally.
“This truly was an honest mistake and I never meant to violate the integrity of the [e]lectoral code,” Buchkowsky said.
Chief electoral officer Alexa Camick said the electoral office would not disclose any specific information regarding the violation.
Camick, currently serving with Buchkowsky on the executive of the Sprott Business Students’ Society (SBSS), faced allegations of a conflict of interest brought up at the Jan. 28 CUSA council meeting.
Council voted against considering a motion to dismiss Camick from her role as chief electoral officer.
Camick is currently the vice-president (internal relations) of SBSS. Buchkowsky is SBSS president.
“This was not a conflict of interest,” Camick said at the Jan. 28 meeting. “We work together on professional means.”
In an email to the Charlatan after the meeting, Buchkowsky said she did not believe a conflict of interest was present.
“I must admit it is hard to be receiving so much hate and distaste for a situation I explicitly sought to keep removed from,” Buchkowsky said. “I seek to remain focused on my own campaign.”
The electoral office previously issued the first electoral violation of the campaign to Kareem AlWazir, independent vice-president (finance) candidate, for mass-messaging students.
According to the electoral code, a candidate who commits two electoral offences loses the right to obtain a refund of campaign expenses, which can be up to $400.
This was Buchkowsky and Hashimi’s first electoral violations and they will not face disciplinary action for the offences.
Candidates can be immediately disqualified from the election for attempting to use the help of the electoral office to “tamper with the ballots or electronic polling system.”
