Matt Vitart qualifies as a candidate for Student Association treasurer, the Election Court decided unanimously in a hearing Wednesday evening.
Vitart, who is interning at the White House in Washington, D.C., this semester, was declared ineligible to run because the Student Association did not receive his form of intent by the deadline at 5 p.m. Friday, elections commissioner Mary Brown said.
“The issue at hand was that his form of intent was due Friday at 5 p.m. and he faxed it in and the fax did not come through,” Brown said. “I was under the impression that he was not running.”
Brown said her decision to disqualify Vitart was not based on whether she wanted him to run but on precedent.
Vitart said he faxed the form to the Student Association office at 4:14 p.m. CST Friday and received a receipt telling him his fax was successfully transmitted.
Amanda Bousson, the Student Association’s representative on the Elections Court, said the members talked about the issue for a while but did not debate a lot. “We decided after looking at his proof from his fax from the White House that he tried to get it in on time.”
Michael Martin, a member of Vitart’s campaign staff, said he was happy with the decision of the Elections Court. “The elections commissioner, who’s Mary Brown, I don’t think she was comfortable with making the decision on her own,” he said.
Vitart said questions were previously raised about his eligibility because he did not attend a mandatory candidates’ meeting Thursday. He said the meeting was unconstitutional because the constitution said the candidates’ meeting should be held within two school days after the deadline for turning in the forms of intent.
Brown said her copy of the constitution did not contain the word “after.” “My copy of the constitution that I had was outdated,” she said.
She also said the Constitution did not specify that the two days were school days. She said she planned the meeting for Thursday because it was within two days of the deadline and she did not want to hold the meeting on a Sunday, which would be two days after the deadline.
The rule, contained in chapter 403.3 of the SA Constitution, reads, “The Elections Commissioner shall hold a mandatory candidates’ meeting to explain the rules and regulations of campaigning within two (2) school days after the deadline for turning in forms of intent.”
Vitart said he meets enrollment requirements for candidates for treasurer because he is currently enrolled in 12 credit hours at MSU, eight in the Honors program and four in the economics department.
Neither Vitart’s absence from the meeting nor his enrollment status were subjects of Wednesday’s hearing.
Vitart, who was co-director of the Campus Outreach committee last semester, said he does not believe that being away from the university on an internship makes him less qualified to run. “I think it makes me more qualified because working at the White House I put in at least 10 hours a day,” he said. He added that his work at the White House involves economic policy.
Spencer Broocks, Vitart’s opponent in the race for treasurer, said he respects the decision made by the committee.
The Student Association will hold debates between candidates March 28 from noon until 1:30 p.m. The election will take place March 29.