Stolen Election?

Something looks bad at the WSA.

Nordstrand named WSA president

The Western Student Association inaugurated a new president and vice president in their last meeting of the year.

WSA senators elected Stacy Nordstrand and Courtney Dunsmore president and vice president April 15 during a special election by senators. The election was held because no party held the majority after the special election April 13.

Let's review. Knappen Putnam won the first election by a vote of 1200 to 800 (60% to 40%). The results of the election were thrown out on the highly dubious grounds that it was a major election crime to encourage people to vote and make it easy for them to do so. (Specifically, by providing a laptop to vote online.)

So there was a special election.

In the special election held April 13, Knappen-Putnam received 50 percent of the vote, 614 votes out of 1,225 votes total. Nordstrand-Dunsmore received 32 percent and Acker-Caloia received 17 percent.

For some reason, despite the results of the special election, in which Knappen/Putnam won a bare majority of 50.1%, the WSA Senate then voted on the issue.

WSA senators elected Stacy Nordstrand and Courtney Dunsmore president and vice president April 15 during a special election by senators. The election was held because no party held the majority after the special election April 13.

Nordstrand and Dunsmore defeated Nate Knappen and Janine Putnam by 21 votes to 15 out of the 36 votes from non-abstaining senators. Knappen-Putnam received more votes in the two previous WSA elections.

What was the point of having elections?

Based on the comments, it appears that the Judicial Council simply made up a wrong definition of 'majority', requiring 51% rather than >50%.

Even by the low standards of the WSA, this is bad.

Previous: WSA Follies