Unlike Associated Students Inc. elections, there are no set regulations for online student fee referendums, including the recent Beach Legacy Referendum, campus officials said Wednesday.
When it comes to online voting, “you're going to find there's no way to get your arms around [the process],” said Doug Robinson, vice president of student services at Cal State Long Beach.
The two-day online vote that began Wednesday was run through a web-based platform called BigPulse, the same platform used in last spring's Associated Students Inc. elections.
“[ASI elections are] very, very different than the referendum,” Robinson said.
Jeane Caveness, the assistant dean of students, said that campaign regulations are the same as those used in last spring's ASI election.
“If they want to organize, that would be allowed,” Caveness said of anyone on campus wanting to schedule events, pass out fliers and campaign -- as long as they get approval from her or Robinson. “[The campaign rules are] very similar to AS elections.”
She said via e-mail, “There are no other campus regulations that specifically address elections. The ASI has an Election Handbook, which is updated annually by the ASI Board of Elections.”
But student referendums are not officially subject to these ASI regulations.
ASI's 2009 Election Handbook states that "On election day, candidates are permitted to continue campaigning. However, candidates may not campaign in the immediate vacinity of someone who may be voting or about to vote. This includes all campus computer labs."
According to Robinson, any student can vote on the referendum anywhere in the world, as long as they have Internet access and their student ID. Links to BigPulse were sent out to students' email accounts in the past few days.
The athletics department provided a place for students to vote on the BLR in the Ukleja Hall of Honor, located in the Walter Pyramid.
Wayne Stickney, the development coordinator for the athletics department, said that the area — which had 10 computers, free food, and students and athletics department employees sitting next to the computers — did not constitute an official polling place. He described it as “an unofficial place where we have computers set up.”
CSULB President F. King Alexander defined an online polling place as “wherever you have a computer.”
“[In online voting] there are no traditional polling places,” Robinson said.
Next to many of the computers in the Pyramid were fliers advertising a voting night party that had “Vote YES on BLR” printed on them.
Some students have expressed that the ongoing voting event in the Pyramid goes against ethical standards for student elections.
Marcos Lopez, a Chicano studies major and member of the Advocates for CSULB, said his group decided not to set up their own place for students to vote at.
“We think people will be able to make the right choice based on the facts,” Lopez said.
Lopez also said he still feels the athletics department shouldn't have a “biased” voting area for students.
Although there were posters inside and outside of the Pyramid encouraging students to vote “yes” on the BLR, Stickney said athletics officials were not trying to influence how students ultimately voted. Stickney said he saw a few students voting “no” as he looked on over their shoulders.
As of Wednesday night, Alexander said he was “not aware of any violations.”
“If coercion is used,” he said, “that's when we're worried.”
Alexander also said that he had heard of professors encouraging their students to vote “no,” and that there is no way to know how many other similar voting events have taken place.
“People don't have to vote [at the Pyramid],” he said.
ASI Treasurer Brian Troutner, a member of the Student Fee Advisory Committee, said setting online voting regulations are “difficult.”
“We had [regulations] in place [for ASI elections] that you couldn't have your own polling place,” he said, “it could be considered unfair.”
Troutner recommended students should go to “non-partisan” polling places, since students can vote from any computer with Internet access.
Troutner said he would bring up the issue of online voting regulations for future referendums in the next Student Fee Advisory Committee meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for April 10 at 8 a.m. in the USU.
Christopher Chavez, ASI vice president, also said he would bring up the issue at the next Student Advisory Committee meeting.
“It definitely is something that needs to be looked into,” Troutner said.
On regulating the athletics department's event, Robinson said, “The only reason for us to take exception is if people are being coerced into voting.”
Mike Plaza and Joanne Tucker contributed to this article.
Online referendum lacked regulation
Published: Thursday, March 12, 2009
Updated: Monday, March 16, 2009
 "Photo: Mike Plaza")
Mike Plaza
An athletics department employee helps a student vote on the Beach Legacy Referendum in the Walter Pyramid on Wednesday. The athletics department set up laptops in the Pyramid for students to vote on.
23 comments
Sat Mar 14 2009 19:16
I fail to see the difference between a lack of regulations for referendum voting and rules for online ASI elections in this article. It's all the same by your description. Can you please explain the differences?" The difference isn't quite clear. Doug Robinson says that the two elections are very different, but Jean Cavenes says there is no difference. From the Daily Forty Niner's understanding, the rules and regulations are different because ASI elections are official elections, majority rules. The referendum election is more of an advisory poll, to see how students feel about increasing fees for athletics. If you have any further questions, please e-mail eic49er@gmail.com.