Sophomore Ryan Budmayr will be the next president of SGA after sophomore Marque Snow was removed from the ballot last night by the SGA Election Steering Committee in closed session.
Although he disagrees with the committee's decision, Snow said he will not appeal their ruling.
SGA Advisor Genevieve Evans Taylor e-mailed Snow and his running mate, senior Cody Banta, on Monday morning to inform them that Banta did not meet the GPA eligibility requirements.
Snow felt the matter was handled poorly by Evans Taylor and the steering committee.
"The timing of this was ridiculous," Snow said. "I found out yesterday at 1 p.m. that I couldn't run."
Snow added that earlier that same day, Evans Taylor told him he would be able to remain in the race.
Snow provided The Volante with another e-mail he received from Evans Taylor in which she apologized for the mistake.
"I deeply regret stating that you could run by yourself this morning, as this is incorrect according to SGA guidelines," Evans Taylor wrote.
Snow said that although he was disappointed by his running mate's ineligibility, he didn't bear him any ill will.
"I'm sorry for everything that happened to Banta. Everybody's going to know things he didn't want them to know," Snow said.
He added that he didn't believe that a candidate should be penalized because his or her running mate does not meet eligibility requirements.
Snow also made it clear that he will not seek involvement in any other campus organizations as a result of his experiences.
The steering committee deliberated for nearly an hour and a half before arriving at its final decision.
In a written statement provided to The Volante, the committee said that a detailed announcement explaining their ruling will be posted on the SGA Web site within 48 hours.
SGA senator Isaiah Howard did not feel that the committee was representative of the SGA as a whole.
"I don't like how the Election Steering Committee consists of senators who will not be running next year and probably don't care what happens to SGA in the future," Howard said.
The elections are scheduled to be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and tomorrow.
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