Malfunction leads to hand count for AS election results

Friday count reveals increased voter turnout, Fagundes as winner of presidential race

By Rory Sa

Despite mechanical malfunctions and a seven-year high of 1,826 ballots to count by hand, Vice President of Associated Students Molly Fagundes emerged as the winner of the AS presidential election.

The unofficial total has Fagundes wining by a large margin with 830 votes. Business major and former Fresno city council candidate Michael Karbassi had 444 votes, and Sigma Chi president Frank Puccio had 420 votes.

“ I’m really looking forward to working with a new set of student senators serving Fresno State,” Fagundes said.

Election results were available by mid-afternoon Friday, well before the 5 p.m. deadline set by AS election code.

Official results will be issued no earlier than May 7, fourteen days after the election.

“ It's not that we have to certify them within those fourteen days but we have to wait until then,” AS advisor Conan Campbell said.

AS Arts and Humanities senator Jennifer Reimer received 895 votes to become next year’s vice president of finance. At-large senator Chris Rusca came in second with 466 votes. Both Reimer and Rusca are business majors. Sigma Nu chapter president Mason Morin received 254 votes.

Voter turnout increased by about 150 percent from last year, when 1,170 votes were cast.

Results were delayed when election commission members noticed discrepancies between a hand count and machine count Thursday night. Officials used a Scantron machine from campus testing services, the only machine on campus capable of reading the ballots.

Campbell said this was the first time in his six years as AS adviser that there has been a machine malfunction.

Campbell said anywhere from six to eight people were counting ballots from 10:30 a.m. until about 3 p.m. Ballot counters consisted of an election committee member and volunteers from the League of Women Voters.

Election results were certified by finance professor and League of Women Voters member Elizabeth Shields.

Karbassi said he was concerned about some aspects of the ballot count.

“ This isn’t about winning; this isn’t about losing,” Karbassi said. “It’s about the election process.”

Students and candidates have until 5 p.m. Monday to file any complaints. Campbell said there have been a handful of complaints so far. Some complaints revolve around students’ ID cards not being read by machines.

“ Every year folks have trouble reading their cards,” Campbell said.

He also said there were a few complaints about improper campaigning.