by Rivkela Brodsky
Daily Lobo
The GPSA election results were certified Monday night, making Buckner Creel the officially elected president.
The results had been uncertified since the April 7 election because a student group filed an appeal on April 6 contesting online voting.
Pavan Madhira, chairman of the election committee, said he certified the election results after he received an e-mail from the judiciary committee saying certification would not interfere with ruling on the appeal.
Matt Ray, chairman of the judicial committee, said the certification didn't affect the decision of the appeal filed by the Student Bar Association, because the appeal did not challenge the results of the election.
The appeal did not ask for the election results to be recounted or nullified.
Michael Neill, president of the Student Bar Association, said the group expected the committee to give the OK to certify the election results, because the association wasn't contesting the election.
The judiciary committee is supposed to have three members, according to the GPSA constitution, but Ray was the only student to decide to certify the election.
Ray and law student Koury Hicks are the only two members of the committee. Hicks recused himself from the committee because he is a law student.
Melanie Baise, an attorney with University Counsel, said she has been advising Ray since April 8.
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Debbie Morris, director of the Student Activities Center, said three members are supposed to be on the committee, but no one volunteers for the committee.
"It's not for lack of trying," she said, adding an announcement is made at almost every GPSA council meeting.
Morris said she can't recall the last time the committee had three members.
Ray said the people appealing may object to there being only one member on the committee, but he said it is not an issue.
Neill said it's fine with the association.
"We don't have any problems with that," he said. "He seems like a fair guy."
The decision on the appeal must be made by the next council meeting, which is on May 7.
Ray said he would have a report ready by the meeting.
Baise will continue to advise Ray about a ruling on the appeal, she said.
The report, along with an ad hoc committee put together by GPSA, will be used to determine if online voting will be used in future elections.
Editor's note: Madhira usually posts the Daily Lobo to the Web but did not post today's edition to avoid a conflict of interest.
