Council Prohibits Absentee Ballots

The Undergraduate Council last night voted to prohibit absentee balloting in its elections.

Responding to the dissent caused by last month's disputed vice-presidential election, the council amended its bylaws by declaring "there will be no absentee or proxy voting allowed in the election of officers."

Council Treasurer Rene Reyes '95 charged last month that he would have defeated Melissa Garza '94 for vice president had four absentee ballots, cast in his favor, been counted in the run-off election.

But last week, the council settled the dispute by voiding the absentee ballots cast in last month's elections.

Last night's bylaws amendment, introduced by Anjalee C. Davis '95, passed by a margin of 53-8. The council opted for Davis' suggestion, rejecting a proposal by campus life committee Co-chair Joshua D. Liston '95 to insert the change into the constitution instead of the suspendible bylaws.

"Since elections are conducted at the first full council meeting of the term, this [constitutional] amendment would effectively prohibit any deviation, regardless of extenuating circumstances," argued council Administrative Liaison Andrew J. Ehrlich '96 against the constitutional amendment.

But Liston contended that the council had no reason to ever admit absentee ballots. "Most organizations have explicit rules that they won't accept votes from people who don't show up to an election. The [council] needs to get with the times," he said.

The addition to the council's by-laws can be suspended at any time by a vote of 2/3 of council members present.

Best Behavior

In other business, council ParliamentarianDavid A. Smith '94 addressed the unruly conduct oflast week's meeting in his officer's report.

Smith advised council members on the etiquetteof question and answer periods and the form inwhich amendments must be presented to the chair.

"Hopefully we won't have as unfriendly meetingslike last week's," Smith said. "But even atfriendly meetings we should get into the habit ofbeing polite to one another and not talking out oforder."

The council's only item on the docket lastnight was the allocation of $1,520 to provide freeshuttle bus service to Logan Airport on the twodays preceding Thanksgiving break.

The shuttle service will provide 15 trips forstudents on November 23 and 24.

Christopher J. Garofalo '94, the Leverett Housedelegation chair, appointed Dimitra Koutsoukos '96to fill a vacancy in the six-person delegation.

Garofalo, the chair of the student affairscommittee, also reported that council membersbrought the issues of calendar, Core program andhousing lottery reform and the creation of aninterhouse facebook to the attention of variousfaculty standing committees.

Council President Carey W. Gabay '94 praisedthe finance committee's efficiency in interviewingstudent groups which applied for council grantslast month.

By next Sunday, close to 105 grant interviewswill have been conducted, with the first grantsbeing allocated next week, Gabay said.

Gabay also criticized a recent Crimsoneditorial which called for the dissolution of thecouncil.

"For one thing, [editorial writer] Brad EdwardWhite's facts were wrong," said Gabay, who citedthe percentages of students voting and running forcouncil as being erroneously represented.

"The Crimson said that the [council] didnothing to deal with the vice presidentialdispute," Gabay said. "We spent long hours meetingwith Dean Epps, parliamentarians, everyoneinvolved. We discussed the situation and came to adecision--is that doing nothing?"

Gabay advised the council members present to"keep up the good job--and don't let bad press getyou down--we have a lot of work to do.

Best Behavior

In other business, council ParliamentarianDavid A. Smith '94 addressed the unruly conduct oflast week's meeting in his officer's report.

Smith advised council members on the etiquetteof question and answer periods and the form inwhich amendments must be presented to the chair.

"Hopefully we won't have as unfriendly meetingslike last week's," Smith said. "But even atfriendly meetings we should get into the habit ofbeing polite to one another and not talking out oforder."

The council's only item on the docket lastnight was the allocation of $1,520 to provide freeshuttle bus service to Logan Airport on the twodays preceding Thanksgiving break.

The shuttle service will provide 15 trips forstudents on November 23 and 24.

Christopher J. Garofalo '94, the Leverett Housedelegation chair, appointed Dimitra Koutsoukos '96to fill a vacancy in the six-person delegation.

Garofalo, the chair of the student affairscommittee, also reported that council membersbrought the issues of calendar, Core program andhousing lottery reform and the creation of aninterhouse facebook to the attention of variousfaculty standing committees.

Council President Carey W. Gabay '94 praisedthe finance committee's efficiency in interviewingstudent groups which applied for council grantslast month.

By next Sunday, close to 105 grant interviewswill have been conducted, with the first grantsbeing allocated next week, Gabay said.

Gabay also criticized a recent Crimsoneditorial which called for the dissolution of thecouncil.

"For one thing, [editorial writer] Brad EdwardWhite's facts were wrong," said Gabay, who citedthe percentages of students voting and running forcouncil as being erroneously represented.

"The Crimson said that the [council] didnothing to deal with the vice presidentialdispute," Gabay said. "We spent long hours meetingwith Dean Epps, parliamentarians, everyoneinvolved. We discussed the situation and came to adecision--is that doing nothing?"

Gabay advised the council members present to"keep up the good job--and don't let bad press getyou down--we have a lot of work to do.