In the University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union’s elections this month, each member of One UTM received five demerit points for an “unintentional abuse” of stats.
The posting for the demerit points stated that the points were awarded due to the slate’s campaign manager discussing UTMSU matters with a student, despite taking a leave of absence from the union. The post did not name the campaign manager.
The infraction occurred on March 6th with the posting of the demerit points being posted on March 19th.
The candidate for vice-president internal Yan Li was awarded five additional points for conducting an interview with UTM TV, even though Li is a club member. All candidates are required to take a leave of absence from all clubs and committees in order to avoid a conflict of interest. The points were posted on the wall of transparency on March 16th.
If a candidate reaches or exceeds 35 demerit points, they become disqualified from the campaign race.
The election period for the UTMSU elections concluded on March 22nd, with the unofficial results expected to be announced this week.
