After Tuesday’s vote failed to produce a decisive victor, the Student Government presidential election will move into a runoff next week between Cassie Alsfeld of Moving Forward and Paul Dietzel’s controversial Campaign for Change. Alsfeld received the plurality of the vote, and Dietzel finished second despite a week of election code hearings. “I am overwhelmed and overjoyed right now,” said Alsfeld, who received 46 percent of the vote to Dietzel’s 24 percent. “We’re ready to move forward.” Dietzel was provisionally placed on the ballot Monday through an injunction from the University Court after he was taken off the ballot over the weekend for improperly filing campaign spending reports. UCourt will meet Sunday night to hear two complaints and to determine whether Dietzel was on the ballot legitimately or if he should be retroactively disqualified. “We still maintain we have not broken any rules,” Dietzel said. “We can only expect the complaints to begin. We’re prepared.” UCourt officials were unable to say at press time whether Dietzel’s possible removal from the ballot would result in Alsfeld being declared the winner or if a new election would have to be held without Dietzel’s name on the ballot. The runoff for president and vice president, along with several College Council positions, Senate and UCourt seats will be held Tuesday. Voting will take place on PAWS between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. “It’s the same kind of thing, but there are some certain rule differences as far as spending,” said Commissioner of Elections Eric St. Pierre. St. Pierre said he was unsure how UCourt’s upcoming decision would affect the runoff ballot should Dietzel be disqualified. “They don’t have any provisions for that in there. I would say if Paul is disqualified it would make sense to have Calder jump up into that second spot,” he said. “That might actually be something the court would decide.” Donald Hodge, former graduate school senator, said Tuesday’s election would remain valid. “I think that it will stand up,” said Hodge, who is serving as Dietzel’s council. “If they don’t, there will have to be another election like today, and I think that would be a disservice to students.” Calder Lynch of the Contract with LSU ticket received 21 percent of the vote – three percent less than Dietzel. “Of course I’m disappointed with the results,” Lynch said. “We will do what we can for the student body as always.”
Independent candidate Jacob Gower received the remaining nine percent of the vote. “I don’t think anything in Student Government is ever going to change,” Gower said. “Students demand change. I offered it, and it was rejected.” The LSU Union and Theater Fee Referendum was voted down by a slim majority, with 50.99 percent rejecting the proposed $34 student fee to raise money to renovate the Union theater. Hodge, who was critical of the fee, said he hoped the University would stand by the results of the vote and not enforce a fee on students through the LSU System or the state legislature. Sen. Elizabeth Dunn, E.J. Ourso College of Business who was a proponent of the Union fee increase, said the close vote reflected the controversy behind the referendum. “I feel that a margin that small clearly proves that half of the students see the importance of investing in the future,” Dunn said. According to SG officials, 6,821 students voted in the presidential election – twice as many as the 2006 presidential election. “They usually gauge voter turnout by how many people vote for president,” said St. Pierre. “It was right at about 7,000 [students]. That’s really, really, low population-wise – right about 20 percent that voted for president and vice-president.” Some candidates said a runoff would have a decreased voter turnout. “It’s hard enough motivating people to vote one time much less a second or third time,” Gower said. Current SG President Chris Odinet said the runoff and UCourt proceedings surrounding the 2007 election were unusual. “I’ve never seen an election quite like this [in my time at LSU],” Odinet said. “Runoffs used to be the norm four years ago. This is just part of the cycle.” According to the SG Election Code, the runoff election will follow the same rules as the general election except for a few provisions: the expenditure limit for the runoff election of any candidate or ticket must be one-half of the limit for the general elections, and candidates will appear in reverse alphabetical order on the runoff ballot instead of alphabetically as on the general election The SG Election Code also states the winner of the runoff will be determined by a plurality, unlike in the general election which is decided by a simple majority of 50 percent. In the case of a tie, another runoff will be held.
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