Harry's Second Election Challenge Dismissed by Student Judiciary

Michael Harry, a representative who ran for chair of the Associated Students of Madison's 33rd session, had his second request to review the spring election dismissed by the student judiciary on Sept. 29. Harry submitted the filing on Sept. 22, claiming the judiciary mishandled an earlier order and that Chief Justice Chloe Sieman applied the rules incorrectly during proceedings.

The disagreement stems from the April 24 vote for chair, which Harry did not win. He sent his first brief to the student judiciary on April 30, then revised it on Sept. 14 to ask that anyone found to have violated rules be barred from future chair elections. His filings state that meeting rules were broken and the Chief Justice did not preside.

A Sept. 8 order allowed Harry's first brief to be discussed at the Sept. 16 student council meeting, revising an earlier version issued April 30. At that meeting, ASM representatives voted against making the matter a special order. Passing the motion required a two-thirds majority, and while a majority of representatives supported it, the count fell short of the threshold.

Harry's second filing argued that requiring a two-thirds majority to consider the first brief lacked precedent. The dismissal notice states that a majority of student justices recused themselves from deciding the filing, including Sieman, whose recusal Harry had requested. Because of those recusals, the student judiciary did not assign a full panel.

ASM Chair Haia Al Zein said the outcome was constructive. "The Student Judiciary's decision gives me hope for the remainder of the 33rd session, and I hope it serves as an opportunity for us to work more collaboratively and move forward in greater unity," Al Zein said. Sieman, Harry, and the student judiciary declined to comment further on the brief.