Editorial: Election Board should uphold Soto’s victory

Rudy Soto won the Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU) election by 89 votes over Patrick Beisell. Now the Elections Board must do the right thing and uphold Soto’s victory, or risk silencing the 1,000 students who voted for him.

Last Thursday, a Judicial Board ruling invalidated the election results because Soto was one credit short of the ASPSU enrollment requirement. Beisell has seized this opportunity in a misguided grab for power.

While the Judicial Board’s ruling is disappointing, in no way is this issue close to being over.

The Elections Board needs to know that their job is not done yet. They still have a chance this Thursday to make the right call and validate Soto, the winner of the popular vote by a healthy margin.

These elections have been largely based on whether ASPSU intends to follow the letter of the law or the intent of the law.

In March, when ASPSU decided to cancel elections so all of the candidates could be eligible for them, ASPSU followed the intent of the law.

On Thursday, when the Judicial Board ruled that Rudy Soto was invalid as a candidate because he dropped below the six-credit requirement, ASPSU chose to follow the letter of the law.

Soto was adding and dropping classes during the third week of spring term, just like thousands of other PSU students. But because he was in the process of dropping and adding classes during elections, the Judicial Board says he is ineligible as a candidate.

This wouldn’t have happened if elections had taken place in the ninth week of winter term as outlined in the ASPSU constitution. But the Elections Board did not keep proper records, and ASPSU decided to postpone elections because multiple candidates would have been ineligible.

ASPSU broke the constitution to move elections from the ninth week of winter term to the third week of spring term. It was a tough but necessary choice, ASPSU told the students of Portland State.

Now that Rudy Soto is ineligible, many in student government are more concerned with following a strict interpretation of the constitution, which has never been one of ASPSU’s strengths.

It’s not Rudy Soto’s fault that the Elections Board didn’t keep records and moved the elections. More importantly, it’s not the fault of the students of Portland State University who voted for Soto. Soto was a victim of circumstance and incompetence. He should not be punished.

It’s not too late for Beisell to save face, either. He should do what he knows is just and drop his pursuit of the presidency or face a year in which he will be a lame duck at best. Beisell risks destroying ASPSU’s reputation permanently.

The students of Portland State, especially the 1000 students who voted for Soto, should not be punished because of a hectic and confusing election season that was handled with neither grace nor skill.

Disqualifying Soto as a candidate is a disinvestment in Portland State. It tells students that their votes don’t matter–which many students already believe.