Presidential candidate Zöe Cummins has been reinstated on the ballot following an appeal through the Appeals Board, a body made of independent external parties.
The appeal was launched on Tuesday night with an emergency meeting of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Appeals Board the following day.
In a statement to The University Times, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Gabi Fullam explained: “On Tuesday February 21st, the Chair of the TCDSU Sabbatical Board was asked by the Electoral Commission to convene The Appeals Board, which consists of parties external to the union”.
“On Thursday February 23rd, The Appeals Board considered an appeal against a decision of the Electoral Commission. The Appeals Board has found in favour of the appellant who is therefore restored as a candidate in the current election for President of the Students’ Union”, she added.
She also stated that no further comment would be given as a result of the elections being ongoing: “Given that the electoral process is underway, no further comment will be made in relation to this matter”.
She went on to thank “all involved parties for their cooperation throughout this process” and the EC “for their hard work in this election period so far”.
“I have total faith in the Electoral Commission’s ability to conduct this election, and ask that all candidates continue to comply with the Electoral Commission’s requests. Best of luck to all the candidates”, she finished.
Cummins was initially removed from the ballot last Tuesday following an investigation which revealed that section 4.7 of Schedule 3 (the document governing the rules and regulations of the elections) had been breached.
Section 4.7 deals with candidate conduct. It states that “Verbal, physical, online or other forms of attack or intimidation used against other candidates, members of the Electoral Commission or any student or staff member will be considered a serious offence by the Electoral Commission” and will “result in a candidate’s name being immediately struck off the ballot”.
In an email statement to The University Times, the EC stated: “The Electoral Commission has disqualified Zöe Cummins from the TCDSU Presidential Election in accordance with section 4.7 of Schedule 3 of the SU Constitution”.
“Due to the highly sensitive nature of this matter and out of respect for the privacy of those involved, the Electoral Commission will not be providing further comment”, they added.
They also stated that the EC “reminds candidates, their campaign teams, and students that the dignity and respect of all members of the college community is of the utmost importance and must be upheld throughout the election period” and added that any questions “should be directed to [email protected] or [email protected]”.
At the time, the Chair of the Oversight Commission (OC) stated that an OC investigation is ongoing but could neither confirm nor deny the subject and scope of the investigation.
