Ten dorm governors on the ballot for residential community election

Ten of the University’s 15 residential communities will hold elections for their governors today.

These communities failed to elect governors in April’s general election when no eligible students expressed interest in the job, a common result of the way these elections are organized.

Community governors are responsible for representing their residents in the Residence Hall Association. They organize dorm activities, maintain enhancements and deal with residents’ concerns.

Spring elections with a lack of candidates have become common in recent years, said Christina Fluet, RHA president.

“It’s been pretty consistent that not all are elected in the spring,” she said.

Fluet says RHA has more pressing priorities to deal with at the moment, like creating a new system of enhancement rentals, but would like to change the system and has discussed doing so in the past.

“Maybe it’s time for us to re-evaluate the process. I think that’s where we are headed,” she said.

The RHA constitution mandates that communities who do not elect governors in the spring hold a second election Sept. 1.

Because members of a community change between the spring and fall, the group of people eligible to vote in the two elections can be very different, Fluet said.

“That’s the inconsistency the RHA is facing right now,” Fluet said. “It’s definitely something we’re all trying to change.”

In order to alter the RHA constitution, three-fourths of the community governors would have to vote in support of the change. Two-thirds of residents would then have to approve the change as well.

A complicated election

Today’s election will allow the Kenan community to finally resolve a highly contested race that began in the spring.

Write-in candidate Mary La received more votes than official candidate Anna Jeffries in the first election.

La, who was unaware anyone was going to vote for her in the election and did not run a campaign, won by four votes.

Jeffries organized a petition with more than 130 signatures questioning the validity of the election, arguing that RHA and the community sent residents confusing e-mails and failed to appropriately publicize the election.

Only 38 votes were cast in the election for a community of about 430 residents.

La resigned from her position so the community could hold a second election. She will run against Jeffries today.

“There was a lot of misconstrued information,” Fluet said. “I just want everyone to know that the RHA ran the election fairly and acted in the best interest of the residents.”

Candidates running for community government had to declare their candidacy by Sunday at midnight. They had one day to campaign before today’s elections.

Fluet said candidates are allowed to place three posters in the community, form a Facebook group and contact residents on an individual basis in the campaigning process.

Voters will participate in elections for on-campus community governors today from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

To vote, go to rha.unc.edu and click on the “Voting Site” link for your respective community.


Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.