by Lambda Staff
On February 12th, 2020, the Students’ General Association held a board meeting in which Eric Chappell was officially re-elected as president for the 2020-21 term.
Following the closing of polls on Tuesday, the SGA released election results saying candidate Darius Garneau received 447 votes, but was disqualified.
Chappell received 344 votes and Jacob Fielding, also disqualified, received 105 votes.
According to a statement on the SGA’s Facebook page, “Disqualified candidates were disqualified for reacted breaches of the Election Policy, notably being fined four or more times for electric campaigning not conforming with guidelines”.
Chappell re-elected as SGA president, 3 candidates disqualified
Approximately 50 students showed up to the Executive Learning Centre, where the board meeting was held, holding signs to protest the disqualification of three candidates, two of which were running for SGA president.
Some signs held by the protesters read, “Students’ General Autocracy”, “SGA didn’t approve this sign”, and “No SGA without students”.
One of the protesters, Evan Nosich, said, “We’re not here protesting the results of the election or any particular candidate. We’re protesting the method in which the election is held and the way the results were handled.”
The doors to the room were closed to the public until 7:09 pm, when Justin Pappano, Chairperson of the SGA called the meeting to order.
The SGA’s board voted 11-4 to ratify the election results.
Pappano adjourned the meeting at 7:33 pm, then shouts of “shame” and “boos” erupted within the room.
One member in the crowd said, “I want to be immediately removed from this association.”
Pappano said the SGA has sought “professional and legal advice” to ensure that proper rules were followed during the election process.
“The SGA is an organization for the students representing the students and we have rules,” Pappano said. “Sometimes we might not like the rules. Sometimes we might not like it, that a friend of ours was disadvantaged by breaking the rules. But there are rules.”