The Graduate Student Association elections committee has overturned the results of last year's election for the 2002 offices of president, vice-president and treasurer due to allegations of voter fraud.
Treasurer candidate Sanjeev Saha allegedly distributed sweatshirts to graduate students in exchange for votes or student identification numbers, which were then used to vote in April's online elections.
According to 2001-02 GSA President Janine Santiago, who is currently acting as president, this is the first time voter fraud has ever been detected in the history of the GSA.
The sweatshirts, which were from the department of economics, were allegedly purchased with GSA funds. The use of the funds was improperly documented to the GSA, but Saha later wrote a personal check for the sweatshirts, said John Menard, GSA communications officer.
Saha, who won last year's election by 113 votes, could not be reached for comment.
Several students complained to the GSA and the Student Wide Judiciary when election software used for the online ballots would not allow them to vote because computers indicated that their votes had already been cast, Santiago said.
Santiago called an emergency senate meeting, but due to her close involvement with the elections, she felt that she could not be involved in deciding the punishment of the accused individuals.
"If (the current officers) suddenly step in and say 'OK, we're going to start punishing people,' there's a chance it wouldn't be fair," said Menard.
The GSA hired a private lawyer to explain the group's options from a neutral standpoint, said Santiago.
However, the lawyer's fees and the costs of the new elections will be taken directly from the GSA budget, which is $500,000 per year.
"Thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses are incurred, and this is coming directly from (GSA) funds," said Kerry Grant, vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the graduate school. "Essentially, we are spending funds that this was never intended for."
Grant feels, however, that the GSA took swift and immediate action in the matter before it was referred to the SWJ.
"In my estimation, the board responded responsibly in an exemplary way to a situation which is most unfortunate and which is such a severe violation to the student code," said Grant.
A new election will be held Sept. 17, 18 and 19, and according to Santiago, the voting will probably be held online again, despite the criticisms of last year's system.
She points to the fact that Harvard University and the University of Michigan have used online elections successfully in recent years.
"I still believe in online elections," she said. "I believe that if other universities have proven to be successful, it should be something that should be approved."
The possibility of fraud in a paper ballot system is equal to that in an online system, Grant said.
"Voter fraud of one kind or another seems to be a part of every election," he said.
The new elections are open to any member of the graduate student body. Students interested in participating in the election can visit the GSA office in 310 Student Union.
