By Adrian Morrow
Associate News Editor
A recount that could change the results of the Ryerson Students’ Union’s recent elections is still underway, despite a long vote-counting session last week.
What’s more, an RSU executive alleges that the recount is fishy after an election candidate was allowed to scrutineer.
The original election results showed that Sid Naidu, of the Ryevolution slate, had won the election for VP Student Life and Events, beating out Mal Sampa, a race car driver and former varsity volleyball player.
Sources say the recount last week put Sampa ahead by 2 votes.
Another count had Naidu ahead by 6, meaning another will have to happen.
Sampa’s running mate, VP Finance and Services-elect Toby Whitfield, acted as a scrutineer and was in the room while the recount happened, raising the ire of Ibrahim (Abe) Snobar, VP Student Life and Events and the leader of the Ryevolution slate.
“He was hanging right over the ballots, over the counter,” said Snobar. “He was right in front of them.”
Snobar points out that candidates were barred from acting as scrutineers during the first round of vote-counting, so he doesn’t see why they’re allowed to be there for the second.
The issue is that the bylaws don’t specifically block candidates from acting as scrutineers during elections. “I’m questioning the ethics of the RSU and the integrity of the elections,” he says.
Whitfield maintains that nothing below-board happened. “I don’t think there’s a problem, especially given the fact that my own ballots weren’t being recounted,” he said.
As a scrutineer he never touched any ballots and the recount was supervised by the election appeals committee and RSU staff, he said.
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