LAST DAY TO VOTE STUDENT SENATE ELECTION Vote Thursday at Mrs. E's Dining Hall, Wescoe Beach and online at apps.ku.edu/~election/ THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2011 JAYPLAY INSIDE WWW.KANSAN.COM Stressed out? Need to get away for the day? Grab some friends, hop in the car and see what Kansas has to offer. From Lawrence to Kanopolis State Park: Discover Kansas WEATHER TODAY 73 48 Partly Cloudy VOLUME 123JSSUE 132 FRIDAY 55 37 SATURDAY 72 49 Rain Mostly Sunny STUDENT SENATE All contenta, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan Forecasts by University students. For a complete detailed forecast for the week see page 2A. Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 8A Crossword . . . . . . . . . 4A Cryptoquips . . . . . . . . 4A Opinion . . . . . . . . . 5A Sports . . . . . . . . . 10A Sudoku . . . . . . . . . 4A INDEX Revisions could mend reputation BY IAN CUMMINGS cummings@kansan.com The Student Senate elections commission has been the scene of controversy in recent years, but some new rules and procedures may help it govern more effectively. The commission, appointed by Student Senate, is responsible for organizing the elections process and enforcing its rules. A series of complains in the past three years led some to call for a revision of the senate elections code, and the 2009 suspension of a coalition candidate was appealed and later overturned when faculty became involved. "It's not a group that has the best reputation," said Michael Fee, current elections commission chair. He also said that one-year term limits on elections commissioners had, in the past, limited the commission's ability to draw on experience. track exactly when elections documents are turned in. This helps avoid disputes like the one that arose last year after the late filing of a petition that led to the disqualification of two candidates from the Envision coalition. "You need to have people that have been there," he said. This year, the term limits have been lifted, allowing Fee, a senior from Hiawatha, and two other members of the commission to serve for a second year. Fee said the commission ideally should include three returning members who could draw on their previous experience. Other changes include revised elections forms, which are available at the commission's website, an online payments system for fines collection and new office space in the administration offices at the Kansas Union. Fee said a revision of the elections code would also help the commission maintain order during elections. He said some of the language in the code was outdated and it lack- The office in the Kansas Union closes at 5 p.m. and now time stamps forms upon delivery, allowing the elections commission to It hasacked clear definitions of some terms. It also referred to some offices that no longer exist. In March, coalitions KUnited and Kyle Savage, outreach coordinator for the commission, said he would encourage students to apply for membership to the commission. RenewKU disputed the definition of the term "week" and whether or not it applied to spring break. After RenewKU filed four complaints, KUnited was fined $50 for early chalking and for a violation regarding handbill distribution. The two other complaints were dismissed or withdrawn. Fee said those four complaints were the only ones the commission received this year. He described them as moderate in severity compared with past years. Fee said he hoped the Student Senate could order a revision of the code and vote on it in the fall semester. Edited by Jacque Weber "It's a great way to get involved without the time commitment of "student Senate," he said. Savage, a senior from Clive, Iowa, said interested students could pick up an application for the commission at the administration offices in the Kansas Union. A brief history of recent election violations Like any election, KU Student Senate elections are subject to a book of rules and regulations that keep parties from using underhanded tactics to gain an unfair advantage. Here are the recent violations from senate elections over the last few years, the violations and the penalties.
Date issuedThe AccusedViolationPenalty
March 172005Student VoiceLibel and failure to submit campaign materials by the deadline$100 fine
April 192009United StudentsUse of academic Listserv to reach students; sending unsolicited email$350 fine
March 252010KUnitedProhibited canvassing in dormitory$25 fine
March 252010EnvisionLate filing of petitionPresidential and vice presidential candidates disqualified
April 232010KUnitedIneligible candidateSenator-elect removed from seat
April 72011KUnitedEarly chalking, unattended handbills$50 fine
For more coverage of this story, check out KUJH's newcast today at 4 p.m. on channel 31 for Knology subscribers. For more information about the elections commission, visit http://groups. ku.edu/~election/pages/ forms.shtml Editor's note: Yesterday's front-page story "Transitions for student transit," which examined the transportation platforms of Renew KU and KUnited, should have been printed as two separate and equal stories. We regret that the combined articles appeared to place more weight on Renew KU's platforms than KUnited's platforms. The Kansan is committed to covering each coalition and the election without preferential treatment. Nick Gerik, editor-in-chief, The University Daily Kansan POLITICS Head of Obama campaign talks politics Jim Margolis, campaign advisor for the president, provided government insight BY CHRIS HONG chong@kansan.com President Barack Obama needs to do his homework. At least that's what Jim Margolis, his senior campaign advisor, said about Obama's repeated college basketball bracket woes involving the University of Kansas perience on the president's 2008 campaign and discussed political ads from other campaigns he was involved with during the hourlong talk. Margolis, a smooth and confident speaker, had the audience laughing with his stories from the campaign trail and funnated political jokes. But he also got serious when talking about the current political climate, which he said he viewed as divided and unwilling to discuss problems. politics is. According to his biography, he has one of the best win/loss records of any political consultant in the nation. Not only did he lead Obama's historic campaign, he has also advised for numerous other politicians. Jim Margoliis, senior advisor for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, gives a presentation on political advising to guests at the Dole Institute of Politics Wednesday night. Margoliis has served for years in politics, advertising and advocacy on behalf of candidates, government and corporate agencies and foundations. While the president's March Madness record may not seem impressive, Margolis' record in including senate leader Harry Reid. Margolis spoke at the Dole Center for Politics on Wednesday night about his experience directing political campaigns. "We as Americans better start finding ways to talk to each other again or we're going to have a lot bigger problems." Margolis talked about his ex- JIM MARGOLIS Obama senior campaign advisor "I am really disappointed in what's happening right now in terms of the conversation," he said. "We as Americans better start finding ways to talk to each other again or we're going to have a lot bigger problems." Margolis, who will lead the President's reelection campaign, said he wanted to successfully reach out to younger voters like he did in 2008. He said the campaign experimented with online media to actively engage younger voters. One example: an advertisement inside an online game. "The reason President Obama is in office today is in large part because the youth decided to get involved." he said. "I just hope we can motivate them to come out." Edited by Corey Thibodeaux POLITICS | 6A The Obama youth movement The Obama campaign strategy proved effective among young voters age 18 to 29. Find graphics with more detailed information about the youth vote on 6A.