USAC election board chair ousted from position in unanimous vote

Student government leaders removed their main election coordinator Tuesday.

Richard White served as the Undergraduate Students Association Council election board chair for four months. He was removed from his position at Tuesday’s council meeting by a unanimous council vote during executive session.

White was the second candidate appointed by USAC President Claire Fieldman for the election board chair position after Mher Mkrtchian was rejected by the council in the summer. The council voted 10-2, with one abstention, to approve White on Oct. 30.

Though threats to remove previous election board chairs have occurred, this is the first time in recent years that an election board chair has actually been removed from their position.

In his time as chair, White advocated for extending student voting hours, increasing campaign spending limits and increasing the number of student signatures required for candidacy. It is unclear how White’s removal will affect his proposed changes going forward.

White also made appointment recommendations for the election board. Almost all of White’s proposed appointments have or had ties with the Community Programs Office, of which White is a member. Council members questioned White’s outreach for the positions and the potential conflict of interest during the appointment hearings.

White revealed the identities of potential candidates in the upcoming USAC election before the candidate list was officially published. He has also called several council members racists during his tenure.

In the event of an election board chair’s removal, USAC election code states the USAC president must appoint a new chair to be approved by the council.