In addition to Student Government tallying votes Wednesday night for candidates, the Residence Hall Association elected Chris Broussard and Lauren Fontenot as president and vice president.
However, the results came with some controversy.
Current RHA President Michael Krom said the election between Broussard and Fontenot and candidates Nathan Boudreaux and Doug Fields resulted in a tie.
While RHA’s Statement of Justification for the final decision shows Broussard and Fontenot received 303 votes and Boudreaux and Fields received 312, a 10-ballot margin of error existed because only 609 residents voted in the election.
Krom said if the number of votes in error is larger than the difference between total votes, a tie occurs.
Broussard said when residents vote, they sign in on a voting roster and their names are highlighted as having voted.
Broussard said a margin of error involves stuffing ballots or not marking names off the voting roster.
According to RHA election guidelines, the eight-member RHA Presidential Assembly gives a tie-breaking vote to finalize the results.
The Statement of Justification said the Presidential Assembly gave a unanimous vote of 8-0, ultimately electing Broussard and Fontenot for 2003-2004 RHA president and vice president.
“The people who ended up making the decision are the people who are there every day and are capable of making that decision,” Krom said.
Krom said rumors exist that Boudreaux may appeal the Assembly’s final decision.
Boudreaux and Fields failed to return phone calls by press time.
“I’m not sure what he’s going to appeal to other than the tie,” Krom said. “[The election procedures] are pretty cut and dry.”
Broussard said all candidates agreed to the election rules when they filed candidacy paperwork.
Elections Commissioner Adam French said appeals must be received within two days following the election results.
Broussard said regardless of the controversy, he and Fontenot respect the Assembly’s final decision and are anxious to serve RHA in the next year.