GSSC Elections Postponed as Debate Rages Over Write-ins

General Studies Student Council elections, originally scheduled to take place this week, have been postponed for a week while the Judicial Committee decides how to handle a rare write-in presidential candidate.

According to current Vice President of finance and write-in GSSC presidential hopeful Keith Hightower—and confirmed in an e-mail sent to candidates by Elections Commissioner and former GSSC president Susannah Karlsson—the newly appointed Judicial Committee has decided to postpone the elections “pending resolution of an outstanding candidate complaint,” as Karlsson put it.

Hightower said that he had been hoping to participate in a presidential debate, scheduled for Tuesday night, along with fellow presidential candidates Virdis Bala, VP of Communications Brody Berg, and Inter-school Representative Ishmael Osekre. The Elections Committee told Hightower that he would only be admitted to the debate with the unanimous consent of the three other candidates, but unanimous consent was not secured. Hightower appealed to the JC, who decided today that they would need more time to consider.

“It’s about freedom and fairness,” Hightower said. He later continued, “Of course we’re supposed to have free elections. How can I be barred just because I’m a write in-candidate? Democracy means every choice that is a choice should be heard.”

“He just wants equal time,” said Hightower’s campaign manager, GSSC finance committee member Aaron Lewis.

Neither Hightower nor Elections Commission member Ken Barnes said they could recall there ever previously being a write-in candidate for GSSC president.

Hightower argued that though the GSSC constitution says debates are for “official” candidates, write-in candidates should be considered “official” when they declare their own candidacy.

Meanwhile, Delegate-at-Large for Student Life Richard Adams, who was running a write-in campaign for VP of Student Life, resigned from the GSSC and dropped out of the race.

Other candidates have expressed dismay at the delay in the elections. Workers Representative and VP of Policy candidate Allen Settle said he was unsure as to the details of the delay, but was disappointed to see that elections would be pushed closer to exam season.

“I hope that ... the GS student body can have the elections that they deserve,” Settle said.

Berg said he was disappointed that he would be unable to debate until next week. “I was really looking forward to sharing my message with the student body, and tonight was my opportunity,” Berg said. He continued, “More than ever, I feel that my candidacy is incredibly relevant.”

In her e-mail, Karlsson said that she was unable to say exactly how this delay would effect campaigning, but promised that the EC would be meeting to “determine all the ripples that we can expect to see in the pond as a result of the JC’s directive.”

“We will do our best to keep things as on-track as possible so that you all are minimally-effected,” Karlsson said.

alix.pianin@columbiaspectator.com