Back to TheU.ca
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Banned Users List
Usergroups
RSS Feeds
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log inTheU.ca Forum Index - General Discussion - Election Recall - Re Vote to take place next week - Reply to topic
|
I have been informed by a member of the Union that the election machine used to count and deliver the results has proven to be a house of cards and that it was incredibly flawed, there was a meeting held earlier tonight declaring the entire election invalid in line with some of your concerns about its legitimacy. This is a golden opportunity to go back and think over the choices you made earlier this week and whether or not they were in fact the right ones. I personally feel that this election not unlike many others was won out of pure popularity and flash in the pan tactics with colorful eye catching shirts and a generous amount of posters displayed throughout campus rather than who would be the best choice to lead the union next year. I implore you to take the weekend and next few days to think over the choices, re-examine the platforms and then go back to the polls hopefully with an untainted result. Thank you for your time |
|
maybe so, but lack of effort in your campaign posters may be a sign of things to come. |
|
there are no posters of my own to display, I have no personal stake in this election, I am however someone who is becoming increasingly paranoid over the way democracy is being implemented. My Prime-Minister put the country on hold for 2 months and now the fate of the Union next year is at the mercy of an electronic machine proven to be full of holes. Hence I think its worth it to think things over again and hopefully this time peoples votes will count for something rather than become part of an ensemble of juked stats and vote tallies. |
|
Apocalypse
The Director  Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 693 Location: [CLASSIFIED]    votes: 4 View user's profile |
OK... I was going to be nice about this, buuuut Sam Mason won Burke House President not because he had the most votes, because he got the opposing candidates kicked out of the election. At that point it's yes or no, and the other team said fuck this shit. If this is the way the union works, we don't want to work for them. The reason they were kicked out is because of "offensive" posters. The other candidates were apparently warned, warned again, forfeit, only the person who was suppose to warn them (and Sam Mason's neighbor at the time) didn't. Noone knew what was going on until the returning officer let them know they were out. Moral of the story: Sam can't win shit without corruption and cheating. To make matters worse, Mr. Mason had a few violations himself, which were documented, photographed, provided in person, both in writing and via email to the returning officer of the time, actually (by the same rules) disqualifying him, and not a god damned thing was done. In a massive "non coincidence" another of Sam Mason's neighbours (from the same year) happens to be the Chief returning officer. Polls get fucked. Sam Mason wins. Coincidence? unlikely, but possible. PROTIP: if you're gonna fudge stats, make them plausible. This is yet another example of the "Executive Society" of StFX. A group who is responsible to noone but themselves, who has decided long before elections who will be "elected" and appoint the rest from there. A fucking clique. Club. Frauds. Whatever you want to call it. Good try though Sam, you'll make an excellent cabinet minister at this rate. _________________ Man is the lowest-cost, 150-pound, nonlinear, all-purpose computer system which can be mass-produced by unskilled labor. |
|
Jimmy Big Ears
X-talk mobster  Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 3256 Location: St. Francis Xavier University  votes: 38 View user's profile |
Can you substantiate this? Right now you're alleging things - what were Sam Mason's violations of the rules? What were the offending posters? The only odd thing I see in the preliminary results is that several of the numbers end in 0, but while it could be from conveniently made up numbers it doesn't have to be by any means. Also it was the SU elections, not the Burke elections. Unofficial election results from 2010 StFX Students’ Union General Election Voter Turnout 46.5% President and Vice President 1000 Kyle MacDonald and Jamie Roberts 1770 Sam Mason and Alia Hack Board of Govenors 382 Daniel Hindmarsh 721 D’arcy MacDonell 840 Brian Park 1444 Sandy MacIntosh 930 Thomas Lattimer 0 Spoiled Senate Patrick Phillips 1904 – Yes , 299 – No Mariah Giberson 1981 - Yes, 262 – No 1 Spoiled Senior Class President and Vice President 259 Brianna Hunter and Katie Archibald 199 Muffy MacIntyre and Sarah Cavan 211 Joe de la Plante and Shannon Carrigan 0 Spoiled _________________ "Ah, sleek vigilant puma. Principal of the mountains." -Seymour Skinner. |
|
Apocalypse
The Director Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 693 Location: [CLASSIFIED] votes: 4 View user's profile |
Jimmy Big Ears wrote: Can you substantiate this? Right now you're alleging things - what were Sam Mason's violations of the rules?
Unfortunately, nothing was ever actioned and I am no longer a StFX student to get it from my outbox. So hard proof? I've got none. Keeping posters, advertisements, general campaign propaganda publicly viewable after the set date to take them down (check the union bylaws.. its there) Quote: What were the offending posters?
The offensive posters involved simulated public urination. The issue isn't that they were offensive, but that they were not told to take them down and penalized when they weren't Quote: The only odd thing I see in the preliminary results is that several of the numbers end in 0, but while it could be from conveniently made up numbers it doesn't have to be by any means.
Doesn't have to be... Statistical chances? about one in a thousand. Also, considering more than one person has publicly stated they spoiled a vote, and there is only one spoiled vote, it's pretty obvious. Quote: Also it was the SU elections, not the Burke elections.
Can I get a captain obvious award for Jimbo? Sam Mason has a history of fucking with elections. That was my point. Assuming 46.5% of students voted, HOW THE FUCK do these numbers even make sense:
Board of Governors 4317 Total, or 9284 Students eligible to vote Senate 3886 Total, or 8355 Students eligible to vote Up to 9284 Students at X? I call bullshit.The population of Antigonish is only 4,665. _________________ Man is the lowest-cost, 150-pound, nonlinear, all-purpose computer system which can be mass-produced by unskilled labor. |
|
Jimmy Big Ears wrote: The only odd thing I see in the preliminary results is that several of the numbers end in 0, but while it could be from conveniently made up numbers it doesn't have to be by any means.
Probably isn't. fivethirtyeight (a politics blog/statistics resource) tore up Strategic Visions (a polling company who didn't actually do any polling) becaue Strategic Vision used too few numbers like 0 as the last digit in their data. Apocalypse wrote: Doesn't have to be... Statistical chances? about one in a thousand.
What? Apocalypse wrote: Up to 9284 Students at X? I call bullshit.The population of Antigonish is only 4,665.
That's population not counting students, obviously, or Antigonish would have a summer population of 500 people. Not that the total student numbers make any sense, still. |
|
Senther
Xtalk Drifter  Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 2296 Location: The Deadlights  votes: 42 View user's profile |
As long as Brian Park doesn't win anything. Douchiest posters ever. _________________ To avoid complications, she never kept the same address In conversation, she spoke just like a baroness |
|
Why do seniors vote? It's like wiping before you shit, it doesn't make sense. |
|
Is this thread serious? I thought you x-talkers would pounce on any chance to criticize the Union... but to attack the candidates? That's low, and completely inaccurate. While I think the whole ordeal reflects poorly on the organization, I don't see how any blame should be cast on the candidates. On the contrary, I feel awful for them - to find out that they won or lost, and then have to go through it all over again? And even after a re-election, they'll always be left questioning the results. And on top of that, having to read the snide comments on this thread I'm sure just salts the wounds. Sam and Alia are fantastic leaders, and having known all of the candidates in both social and professional capacities, I think all of them are deserving of the positions, but none of them deserve to go through the election process twice. The spotlight should be cast on the leaders of the Union, as we wait for their response. Will they take responsibility? How will they ensure this doesn't happen again? These are my concerns, not about some bitter allegations concerning elections that took place years ago. |
|
Quote: Up to 9284 Students at X? I call bullshit.The population of Antigonish is only 4,665. - Side note, the number of votes for BOG and Senate would be doubled, bc each person could vote for two people. However, there would still end up being a few hundred extra votes as a result of the flawed system allowing some votes to go through twice |
|
Apocalypse
The Director Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 693 Location: [CLASSIFIED] votes: 4 View user's profile |
MarieAnne wrote: Is this thread serious? I thought you x-talkers would pounce on any chance to criticize the Union... but to attack the candidates? That's low, and completely inaccurate.
It's not an ad hominem argument. It's just a little "too" convenient when the same guy is involved in more than one election fuckup Quote: While I think the whole ordeal reflects poorly on the organization, I don't see how any blame should be cast on the candidates.
If by that you mean that the union has absolutely no say about who runs, and (apparently) who wins, then you're a little off base. It's just like any other governmental body, people have agendas. You don't see harper saying "I'm going to retire, so I don't care if the liberals run the country" Quote: On the contrary, I feel awful for them - to find out that they won or lost, and then have to go through it all over again? And even after a re-election, they'll always be left questioning the results.
True. But for a good reason. The best way to do it would have been to avoid a fuckup in the first place Quote: And on top of that, having to read the snide comments on this thread I'm sure just salts the wounds. I'm telling it like it is, without sthe ugar coating most people love
Quote: Sam and Alia are fantastic leaders, and having known all of the candidates in both social and professional capacities, I think all of them are deserving of the positions, but none of them deserve to go through the election process twice. That looks awfully like a rebuttal to an accused ad hominem argument. Ad hominem in itself? Fucking double standards.
Quote: The spotlight should be cast on the leaders of the Union, as we wait for their response. They (officially) have nothing to do with it
Quote: Will they take responsibility?
Nope. See above Quote: How will they ensure this doesn't happen again?
Nope. See above Quote: These are my concerns, not about some bitter allegations concerning elections that took place years ago. Histories written by the victors. And no, I'm not the guy that ran against him.
_________________ Man is the lowest-cost, 150-pound, nonlinear, all-purpose computer system which can be mass-produced by unskilled labor. |
|
My point, if you missed it, is that the STUDENTS UNION failed to operate the election system properly, not the candidates. None of the candidates had any control over the voting, so why criticize them? However, I can't refute you experience with either of the slates, and that's why you get to vote however you please. (Or in this election's case.. you can't vote however many times you please...) Quote: The best way to do it would have been to avoid a fuckup in the first place
This is one point I will wholeheartedly agree with. I think if the last thing the leaders of the Student Union should do is wash their hands clean of this, they need to take responsibility, show humility, and make provisions to ensure this doesn't happen again. |
|
Jimmy Big Ears
X-talk mobster Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 3256 Location: St. Francis Xavier University votes: 38 View user's profile |
Nitz wrote: Why do seniors vote? It's like wiping before you shit, it doesn't make sense. You magnificent bastard.
Let's look at this rationally. Apocalypse has a point; while the numbers are not off by as many as your above post, Apoc (Marie was right that there are two votes for BOG and Senate) the numbers for the students are still impossible since the totals are more than twice the size of StFX's student population. Not only that, they wildly disagree with each other, even where spoiling permitted. While it's perfectly possible that a lot more people spoiled for one position than the other, it seems odd that it should be so disproportionate even if the spoiled ballots weren't so small in number. I wonder; is it possible for someone to find out whether the totals really were caused by a glitch or manipulation? _________________ "Ah, sleek vigilant puma. Principal of the mountains." -Seymour Skinner. |
|
Apocalypse wrote: Histories written by the victors. And no, I'm not the guy that ran against him. That's what Jim MacAllister said. |
|
... It's already been confirmed that there was a big ass glitch in the system. They already apologized, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I enjoy critiquing about the Union in general but this isn't one of them. Technology is fickle, and they were trying to swap to an old system on the fly without any warning - If you guys experienced any of the massive banner issues of the past week, TSG tried the same thing with similar results because of a similar reason. Technology isn't human incompetence; this was an honest mistake and neither the Candidates nor the Union at this point needs to be smacked around for it. The Union already apologized, live and let live on this one. |
|
pedal2000 wrote: The Union already apologized, live and let live on this one.
Pedal.....conciliatory? Wait a minute. PEDAL RIGGED THE ELECTION AND IS TRYING TO DEFUSE AND DEFLECT! |
|
Jimmy Big Ears
X-talk mobster Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 3256 Location: St. Francis Xavier University votes: 38 View user's profile |
I'm looking out for the four horsemen. But yes, it could be a glitch. pedal, out of curiosity, is there a reason to assume it is a glitch? For all you computer and stats experts, is there anything to look for that would indicate a concerted effort or something random? _________________ "Ah, sleek vigilant puma. Principal of the mountains." -Seymour Skinner. |
TheU.ca Forum Index - General Discussion - Election Recall - Re Vote to take place next week - Reply to topic
