24 of 30 Senators in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate voted online last week in a hotly contested re-election for interior Senate positions: Speaker, Vice-Speaker, and chairs of the Campus and Community Affairs (CCA) Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, and the Student Events and Organizations Committee (SEOC).

According to a memorandum released by Chief Justice Sonia Wahome of the USG Judicial Branch at 8 p.m. on June 4, the results of the re-election were as follows:

Speaker: Tied 12/24 per nominee 

Vice Speaker: Yen Phan per majority vote 

Budget and Finance Committee Chair: Ranner Faugus 

Campus and Community Affairs Committee Chair: Tied 12/24 per nominee 

Student Events and Organizations Committee Chair: Cheidy Meneide per majority vote

It is not clear if as many Senators voted in the online re-election as in the original election that took place during a May 8 General Assembly. So far, the re-vote has not resulted in the election of any Senator who lost in the original vote. 

The memorandum also quoted Robert’s Rules of Order, which the USG uses as a guide for all Senate procedures. “If no one is elected, it is necessary to ballot again, and to continue balloting until there is an election.” The new vote will take place online between June 5 at 2 p.m. and June 12 at 2 p.m.

Wahome added, “Standing Chair, Kayla Worthey must be included in the second round of voting.” According to an anonymous letter received by the Mass Media on Monday, Worthey broke the tie for the Senate Speaker position in favor of José Martinez during the original General Assembly vote. Worthey herself has not confirmed that she chose Martinez or that there was a tie during the first round of votes.

In the course of deliberations surrounding the re-election, all original sworn oaths on the part of Senators-elect were declared invalid. The oath was then administered online when Senators-elect signed in to vote.

In the memorandum, Wahome wrote that because not all Senators-elect signed on for the re-vote “only 24 Senators have officially received the Oath of Office.” 

“Anyone who has not taken the Oath of Office will not be allowed to participate in the second round of voting,” Wahome wrote. It is unclear if there is a mechanism for people who did not take part in the first round of online voting to take the oath and then vote in this round, or if only those who have already voted online will be able to do so again.

As of press time, Wahome has not responded to emails asking her whether or not those who have not taken the oath yet will vote in this election.

UPDATE: 6/5/2013 1:29 p.m.

Wahome has explained that senators-elect who have not been sworn in may contact her at sonia(dot)wahome(at)gmail.com if they wish to vote in the second online election. 

Email Cady Vishniac.