2008 Woodie Awards
Brown guilty of election fraud
SG presidential candidate raffles off cell phone in order to attract more voters
Brad Maxwell
News Editor
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: News
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The Elections Commission deemed Brown's presidential campaign's raffle of a cell phone election fraud, and has restricted her from campaigning from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Greene Street, anywhere around the Russell House and in residence halls. She was also assessed four infraction points. A candidate receiving five infraction points is disqualified from the race.
Amanda Byrum, elections commissioner and a second-year English student, said the commission felt that restricting Brown's campaign tomorrow would allow the other candidates to "catch up to what may have given her an unfair advantage" on Monday.
"It would allow other candidates a chance to also be recognized by students," Byrum said.
David Ensor, a third-year political science and math student, said Brown committed election fraud by "procuring, by the payment, delivery, or promise of money or other article of value, another to vote for or against any particular candidate or measure at any election..." by raffling off a cell phone.
The phone was raffled off using "Vote Brown for President" stickers, with the raffle number written on the back. Brown said that about 500 of 654 tickets made were given out.
Ensor said he filed the violation after receiving a call from a friend.
"I went in objectively, rather than take someone's word for it. I saw it did seem to violate the codes in my opinion," Ensor said. He said he wanted to maintain the integrity of the elections.
Byrum said that evidence was what made this case a clear one.
"So far we've not had to give out large infractions or warnings. We definitely considered the severity of the offense, the first fraud violation we had heard," Byrum said. She said in previous hearings, either sufficient evidence was not shown or the complainant was not present.
Both Ensor and Brown appeared before the Elections Commission to present their cases.
Brown, a third-year political science student, emphasized that raffling was something she and other candidates had done before and that you didn't have to "promise to vote Alesha Brown to win a cell phone."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 54
Guido
posted 2/19/08 @ 1:52 AM EST
More drama from the SGA?! Does anything worthwhile happen in Columbia anymore or are the only newsworthy items SGA scandal and football players being arrested?! Come to think of it, things really haven't changed much in the last 15 years. (Continued…)
Kimberly
posted 2/19/08 @ 3:08 AM EST
Yeah. It's pretty sad when our student government representatives are such bad examples. First our president at the Cup last year, then our Vice in Five Points this year and now a top-contender for the President position? Are we scraping the bottom of the barrel?
Brown says they've done it before and thought it was legal because you didn't have to pledge your vote to Brown? Is she serious? What OTHER outcome was she proposing? Surely it wasn't purely for the spirit of giving. (Continued…)
Alphie
posted 2/19/08 @ 3:33 AM EST
It wasn't our 'Vice' Kimberly...it was our president. Where have you been?
carolina88
posted 2/19/08 @ 5:23 AM EST
Uh....it's a student newspaper? Coverage of student government seems kind of relevant to me, especially since these are the people we elected. Or are you one of those special people that doesn't vote or "care" about student government, then complain when these people are elected and screw up?
People don't pay attention to the candidate; they pay attention to the campaign. (Continued…)
GamecockDymond
posted 2/19/08 @ 8:16 AM EST
This is some good ole BS....if they told Alesha that it was legal for her to use a raffle....why the HELL didnt they let them know that it wasnt going to be allowed any longer. (Continued…)
GamecockDymond
posted 2/19/08 @ 8:19 AM EST
And its interesting how this newspaper endorsed Gaeckle....
And has the story about Alesha on the FRONT PAGE...
so predictable....
No F'in Good.
Ray Ray
posted 2/19/08 @ 8:48 AM EST
Doesn't surprise me, Brown was also busted last year for committing election violations. This year i think she actually started campaigning earlier than is allowed by giving talks to classes in the BA. (Continued…)
Figure out the Facts
posted 2/19/08 @ 9:19 AM EST
Kimberly
posted 2/19/08 @ 3:08 AM EST
Yeah. It's pretty sad when our student government representatives are such bad examples. First our president at the Cup last year, then our Vice in Five Points this year and now a top-contender for the President position? Are we scraping the bottom of the barrel?
If you don't know what your talking about don't write anything, your just trying to act like you know whats going on
"clean & fair"
posted 2/19/08 @ 10:47 AM EST
What happened to the "clean & fair" elecions Alesha wanted to have? I do not want my student boby president, who cheated last year to win her position, to once again cheat. (Continued…)
Jennifer McGregor
posted 2/19/08 @ 12:12 PM EST
WOW!! The notorious David Ensor, once again! So David, did you receive a raffle ticket? Man are you becoming infamous!!! Really though, the gamecock said that this would give the other candidates time to present themselves to the student body. (Continued…)
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