VALLEY COLLEGE : Hernandez Elected in 2nd Vote

After a series of snafus that caused the initial balloting for student body officers to be declared invalid, Jesse Hernandez has emerged as the winner in the race for student president at Valley College.

The first vote was deemed invalid because of “irregularities in the election process,” said Erika Hauck, current student body president.

Hauck said illegal campaigning was one of the main reasons the election was rescheduled.

Some candidates allegedly were campaigning within 50 feet of the voting box, a violation of the campus Election Code, she said.

Presidential candidate Tom Jugueta said candidates were handing out literature to passersby and even encouraging students to vote for them.

“All the activity was like a circus atmosphere right next to the voting place,” he said.

Chief Justice Ethan Revivo received complaints about a name being left off the ballot. She said that this apparently was an oversight and was not done intentionally.

Revivo also said that the commissioner of elections, Sean Imler, wasn’t present at the polling place at the time of the elections.

According to the Elections Code, four student body officers, the student government adviser and the elections commissioner must be present.

“I understand that we all have commitments, but the fact remains that when you hold an office, you should know what goes with the territory,” Revivo said.

Imler agreed but said that there was no correspondence to look to for guidance from the past election commissioner nor did anybody give him guidance.

“The information I did receive was so nonchalantly given that that was the attitude I took,” Imler said.

Imler said he plans to leave the next commissioner of elections a guideline on what to do and what to expect.

“It was a big campaigning lesson for everyone to learn,” he added.

The new elections were held May 20 and 21.

Hernandez, the new president, wants to teach Spanish at the high school or college level. Ben Padua was elected vice president.