Looks like they found the loophole
I just got this email this morning…
Hey Garrett!I hope you’re having an amazing day! I know you’re going to get
several emails about this, but today (Feb. 27) and tomorrow (Feb. 28)
are Student Government Elections! There are a bunch of super amazing
candidates running I was hoping you would take a moment to vote for.
It takes less than a minute to vote.Vote Online Now - http://www.pcyd.us/
President - Tommy Bruce
Executive VP - Michael Slugocki
Admin VP - Jen Dang
Senate
- Mark Copoulos
- Dustin Cox
- Amy C. Drapkin
- Jason Brian Ernst
- Brent Hanson
- Seema Patel
- James Pennington-McQueenVote Online Now - http://www.pcyd.us/
These candidates are running on lots of different "tickets", but I
know each and everyone of them will be amazing in office. I’m not
working on any of their campaigns, I just think they would do a great
job and that’s why I’m sharing this with you. While student
government might seem distant, they have over a $1 million budget
offering services like SafeRide and impacting Tuition, Class
Availability, and Textbook Prices. The people in office really can
make a difference! Feel free to forward this email and encourage
others to vote.Smile if you made it all the way down here! It’s a beautiful day!
Thanks!
Steven Gerner
[email address removed]
Following the link leads to a frameset where the candidate names — hosted on pcyd.us — are on the left with the polling website — hosted on UA servers — on the right. There is no insinuation that any of the candidates explicitly authorized the webpage.
Nonetheless, you may recall my previous investigation of the "Steven ‘Red’ Gerner" dealings. All candidates on the "Team Red" ticket are present on the emailed list. New to "Team Red" since that time is Executive VP candidate Michael Slugocki.
Last year’s elections code to my remembrance prohibited candidates from establishing their own polling stations (which only requires a couple of laptops with wireless Internet access); I don’t see it in this one. Steven has every right to set this up as should any candidate, but I doubt the elections commission likes the looks of this.
Meanwhile if you are voting, my primary elections endorsements are Alaina Glatting for Admin VP and Ry Ellison for Senate, neither of whom appear in the email. Vote at this link, not at that other one.
I think you should publicly speak out against what Gerner has been doing. Fifteen people have already files a complaint against him because this was not approved by the Commission.
Such “mirrored” websites are not to be used, as they violate the privacy of the individual users, can be easily manipulated (e.g. a candidate can vote for Stuart, but they can record it as otherwise).
There are numerous candidates, myself included, who have successfully conducted campaigns with integrity and ethics, and I’m sorry to say, Gerner seriously overstepped not only regulations, but a moral and ethical foundation.
Thanks
A.S.
Comment by Anthony Stuart — February 27, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
Thank you for your input, Anthony, but I’m not sure what you mean by “mirrored” here. The email was sent from smtpgate.email.arizona.edu according to the email headers I have, and the website itself is a frameset, not a mirror. I also don’t see any code in either the main page or the left frame that indicates any sort of malicious code to steal votes, either.
I’m skeptical of the motives here, but it’s not enough to really accuse him of anything with substantiation. If you don’t mind my asking, what are these complaints specifically for, and how exactly are complaints against a non-candidate supposed to work?
Comment by Garrett P. O'Hara — February 27, 2007 @ 3:49 pm