Voting in the VUWSA by-election last week was closed for almost an hour and a half after one candidate was left off the ballot paper.
Voting at polling booths and via the VUWSA website was closed shortly after opening on Tuesday morning, when it was discovered one candidate for the International Students’ Officer position, Shijun Li, was not listed on the ballot paper.
Once Returning Officer Andrew Wilford was made aware of the problem, voting was immediately closed and the company responsible for the electronic ballot paper, iVision, was contacted. By around 11.30 voting was back up and running with a corrected ballot paper.
VUWSA President Nick Kelly says it was unclear whether VUWSA or iVision were at fault. However, Wilford says the problems were a “poor reflection on [iVision’s] business and by proxy on VUWSA as a whole.”
Kelly says VUWSA will be “reviewing how [voting] operates … and how we run online elections.” Although former Returning Officers have had few problems with iVision in the past, Kelly says this year VUWSA has had “considerable trouble getting in touch with the IT people.”
Salient also had problems contacting iVision for comment.
Li says that although he may have lost some votes, “it happens” and would not make a complaint if he lost.
Voting for the three by-election positions of International Students’ Officer, Queer Officer and Environmental Officer continues, with polls closing on
Tuesday. You can vote at polling stations around the University or online at www.vuwsa.org.nz.
Recent Comments