After hearing Student Government Association President Brendan Hawkins’ challenge of the validity of votes that led to his loss in the recent election to Ali Khatib, the Judicial Board of SGA has ruled in his favor for amendments to the constitution.
Chief Justice Piper McClain said it is necessary that the results for these positions be vacated as there is a grey area in what defines an eligible voter in the SGA Constitution.
This ruling came after several hours of litigation in the Curris Center Ballroom, including multiple witnesses discussing the constitution and bylaws, the ethics of law and the defense disproving fabricated claims and documents from the plaintiff.
This means SGA will be conducting a runoff election, dissolving Khatib’s victory. The new election will be for the entire executive board, consisting of president/student regent, executive vice president, vice president of administration and vice president of finance.
Khatib said he’s shocked by the ruling and is not ready for a new campaign, but intends to press forward and keep working.
“But, hard work always outweighs anything else,” Khatib said. “And that’s all that I really got.”
Hawkins said he thinks the SGA Constitution was upheld after the ruling.
“We got what we were seeking for and I’m excited to see what the students of Murray State decide,” Hawkins said.
The candidates met on April 2 to discuss the new regulations for the upcoming election. New regulations will affect who is eligable to vote in SGA elections, based on the judicial ruling from the Judicial Board.
Students will be able to vote in the upcoming election in mid-April after the candidates have campaigned.
