Lawsuit over Student Government secret ballots shot down

Wall hanging in the student government office bearing the organization's message. (Jake McLernon)

A lawsuit filed over secret ballot voting in Mason Student Senate appointments was shot down by a Fairfax County judge over an error in who the complaint was filed against, according to a recent Broadside report.

Sophomore Michael Jordan filed with the court after his appointment to the Student Senate was rejected by the Government and Academic Affairs Committee on Oct. 18, 2011. The lawsuit was filed against Matthew Short who serves as Chair of the Government and Academic Affairs Committee.

In the lawsuit, Jordan asserts that ballot voting can’t be utilized as a part of the Student Senate candidate selection process. He has asked that the ballots from that Oct. 18 vote be nullified and the election be re-done in a fair process, according to the student newspaper.

The lawsuit was shot down Jan. 30 because the lawsuit named Matthew Short, the individual, as the defendant. In order for the lawsuit to be valid it would need to name Short in his capacity as Chair of the Government and Academic Affairs Committee.

“We only used secret ballots for appointments because that’s a lot more personal than a bill,” said Matthew Short, chairman of the Government and Academic Affairs Committee.  “If it’s someone on the outside, they’re also out constituent and they’re sitting in front of us, so we want to keep that respect.”

Read the full piece by Broadside Editor-in-Chief Gregory Connolly on Broadside’s website.