Some people never learn. With the conclusion of another Student Government Association election has come another slew of cheating allegations. It’s a pattern that seems endless, even among returning members. Since voting ended last week, the Elections Board has heard multiple accusations of cheating, leaving serious questions about the validity of last week’s election results.
SGA incumbent President Steve Glickman and other members of his party have been exonerated of the charges against them.
But the prevalence of accusations — even among nonpartisans — has left little doubt that one of the dozens of candidates running in the elections violated the rules. And if one campaigner or candidate illegally solicited a vote in any way, even if the numbers did not sway the results, the election should be deemed invalid.
For most students who are not involved or do not follow the SGA, the election results seem meaningless. There is plenty of apathy and disregard for the organization, especially considering less than 20 percent of undergraduates bothered to vote. But such apathy ignores the true power that the SGA holds. When used wisely, the organization has the ability to put its weight behind initiatives that can change the lives of students for better or for worse. Although they have no direct power, administrators view their recommendations as those of the entire undergraduate student body.
Many in the SGA claim they want to give a voice to students, and they should. But that is not done by ignoring the true voice of students at the polls. Each time a candidate or party openly violates election rules in order to pursue their own ambitions, they are turning their backs on students and ignoring students’ true opinions.
The unfortunate truth is rules were probably violated in this election, much as they seem to be in every SGA election.
Last year, it was the Unite UMD party that faced $200 in fines for illegally soliciting votes by providing students with laptops to vote on and instructing them which candidates to vote for. The year before last, an independent presidential hopeful announced his candidacy early to try to get a leg up on the competition. This year, the Your Party, which will dominate the organization this fall, is facing cheating allegations.
Campaigners, and even Glickman, who just won re-election, have faced multiple allegations of election fraud. Thus far, the Elections Board — a group of students nominated by Glickman — has dismissed all charges against Your Party, but questions still remain how deep this problem goes.
Similar to last year, there is little evidence any suspected illegal activity swayed the election results.
But there is also little doubt that illegal campaigning is more prevalent than it appears. The Elections Board only investigates reports that are formally filed. If a student sees something fishy but doesn’t file a complaint, nothing will be done.
The apathy that leads students not to vote is the same apathy that leads students not to report corrupt behavior. Too many students, including a columnist for this paper, have expressed concerns over what they encountered at the polls, but for whatever reason will not go through the proper channels to have their observations investigated.
The Elections Board should pursue a more active and open role in the investigation of election fraud by SGA candidates, even if allegations are not formally filed. One invalid vote may not sway an election, but the means by which it was secured sets the tone for how elections are conducted in the future. This may mean more work for members of the board, but it will show a strong commitment to the rules they are trusted to enforce and uphold.
Regardless of who did or who didn’t break the rules, the results of this SGA election aren’t likely to change. But students who were in any way coerced or instructed how to vote should make the Elections Board listen. Nobody likes a cheater, and it’s time to finally hold their feet to the fire.
