ASUCI presidential candidate Austin Pierce was disqualified from the student government election. After a hearing on April 20 and a following investigation, the ASUCI Elections Commission deemed the ASUCI presidential candidate in violation of the Elections Code and levied a level five sanction, campaign disqualification.
Pierce was placed under a level four sanction on April 14 for violating the ASUCI Code of Ethics and Elections Code, suspending his campaign activities until the end of the voting period.
According to an April 22 document, the Elections Commission specified to Pierce that if a student could reasonably correlate Pierce’s activities to his candidacy, he could be found in violation of the sanction. He was also barred from being near any campaign activities or materials with his name, and from campaigning with his slate, Anteater Rising.
On April 17, the Elections Commission received a claim against Pierce alleging a violation of the sanction. The petitioner claimed Pierce discussed his campaign with pedestrians, distributed his campaign materials, and encouraged students to vote in close proximity to his campaign booth and materials.
“To an extent, we commend Candidate Pierce for consistently communicating with theCommission and seeking clarifications on what is permissible under their sanction,” a full decision reads. “However, it is evident to us that such questions originated not from an inclination to abide by the Elections Code, but rather from a desire to exploit potential loopholes to circumvent duly levied consequences.
The Elections Commission examined photos taken near Ring Mall and witness testimonies submitted on behalf of Pierce to evaluate Pierce’s proximity to a table with his campaign materials. The Elections Commission concluded that Pierce was present at the table, prohibited by his level four sanction.
Emilie Takahashi is a 2024-25 Layout Editor. She can be reached at takahae1@uci.edu.
