IFC angry about absentee ballot denial

Karen C. Tully Arizona Daily Wildcat IFC Vice President of Public Relations Brian Szatkowski goes through his files regarding a conflict with absentee ballots. The controversy is between IFC and ASUA, with Szatowski complaining that ASUA denied his request for 1,500 absentee ballots.

IFC Public Relations Vice President Brian Szatkowski wanted to make absentee ballots available to any member of the UA Greek community who did not have the opportunity to vote at the four campus polling places.

The absentee ballot request was turned down by Associated Students Elections Commissioner Marcos Hernandez March 2, and Szatkowski said he is upset by the way he was treated.

"They were trying to disallow opportunities for off-campus students to vote," Szatkowski said.

Szatkowski even asked last year's elections commissioner, Anthony Hill, to chime in regarding the strife. Hill responded with a memorandum to both Szatkowski and Hernandez that states, "There must be severe criticism directed towards the ASUA elections commission for its lack of absentee ballot information."

Hill, who is Hernandez's roommate, said the memorandum's purpose was informational and designed to offer an opinion, not to change policy.

But Hill said Monday that he believes ASUA's elections code could stand some changes.

"Absentee ballots should be available to anyone who wants one," Hill said.

According to ASUA's current elections code, absentee voters must expect to be absent during the election, have a physical or visual disability or have religious tenets that prevent them from going to the polls during the two-day elections. The general election was March 3 and 4.

At the start of Szatkowski's interactions with the Elections Commission, he asked ASUA to put polling places in Greek houses.

After that request was denied, Szatkowski said Hernandez and the Elections Commission gave him the "run-around" by not returning phone calls and neglecting to thoroughly explain policy.

Hernandez said that on Feb. 27, four days before the start of the general election, he told Szatkowski over the telephone that the students Szatkowski represents do not qualify as absentee voters. Although Hernandez said he agreed to speak with officials in ASUA to explore other options, Szatkowski's request was officially denied.

Szatkowski said the telephone call never occurred and that he would not have proceeded with the proposal if it had.

ASUA Assistant Elections Commissioner Robert Sandoval said Szatkowski walked into ASUA's office at 4:50 p.m. March 2 - 10 minutes before the 5 p.m. absentee ballot request deadline - and slammed a roster filled with at least 1,500 names on his desk, then walked out.

At 5:15 p.m., after consulting advisers and officials, Hernandez formally denied Szatkowski's request because anyone requesting an absentee ballot must appear in person and complete forms documenting the circumstances.

ASUA Adviser Jim Drnek said the roster of names Szatkowski presented included social security and telephone numbers. He said ASUA called several individuals on the roster who had no knowledge of the ballot request.

"My opinion is that this is an inappropriate use of student information," Drnek said.

But Szatkowski defended his actions, saying that the information he received from the elections commission prompted him to compile the rosters.

Szatkowski can no longer take formal action in the matter because the deadline for election appeals passed last week.