According to TIDE A.S. Presidential Candidate Meggie Le, the Revelle election bylaws state that candidates cannot begin flyering until Sunday before spring quarter. Several members of TIDE running for office in Revelle College were unaware of this rule and began flyering on Thursday, March 8, immediately after the candidates were announced at the official elections meeting.

David Lee, who is running for Revelle A.S. Senator as an independent candidate, then filed a grievance against members of Revelle TIDE.

On March 12, the election committee, chaired by Revelle Election Manager Carlos Molina, reviewed the grievance and disqualified all members of the slate.

“We filed an appeal because we felt that the punishment didn’t fit the crime,” Le said. “Meena Kaushik [who had put up the offending posters] took full responsibility for the incident, and the guidelines say that disqualification is the last step possible, only in case of fair play, which was not evident here.”

Revelle J-Board reviewed the appeal over Spring Break and ruled to overturn the disqualification.
“This had never happened in Revelle history,” Le said.

TIDE Revelle members have been sanctioned for violating the guidelines; several members will not be able to begin campaigning until later in the week.

Soren Nelson, who is running for Revelle Speaker of the Assembly as a member of TIDE, said that the members were shocked at the disqualification, and believes that the J-Board’s decision is fair.  Nelson, who is running unopposed, was among the sanctioned members and cannot begin campaigning until Wednesday, April 4.

“I don’t think this will affect TIDE’s chances,” he said. “The ruling is based on a precedent set by a similar case in Marshall College last year, and they ended up doing well.”

Students can vote on TritonLink beginning Monday, April 9.

Carlos Molina, David Lee and Revelle J-Board Chair Dale Young were unable to be reached for comment as of press time.