Former Grand Marshal investigated & Duties of office Clarified

Editor's Note: This release was updated on April 30, 2024 at 9:11 pm.

April 29th, 2024—Today the election Commission announced the conclusion of an investigation into the former Grand Marshal concerning the public endorsement of a candidate and statements made during the GM week 2024 election. The Commission takes its role as the impartial organizer and arbiter of all Student Government elections extremely seriously. Following the GM Week 2024 election, the Commission received a formal complaint alleging that the former GM abused his role as an ex officio member of the commission by endorsing a candidate before and during the voting process. In the complaint it was alleged that this action was a violation of the election commission handbook when considering the Rensselaer Union Constitution and the bylaws of the Student Senate. The Election Commission voted to refer the matter to the relevant body for determining constitutional disputes, the Judicial Board. In addition the Election Commission submitted concerns about statements made during the election. The Judicial Board voted to require that a statement be drafted and submitted to The Polytechnic clarifying that the act of the Grand Marshal endorsing a candidate was a violation of the Elections Policy. In addition the former Grand Marshal was tasked with writing a reflective essay about how a position of authority can affect other people. The Commission believes these actions, while warranting investigation, do not warrant concern over the outcome of the election. The Elections Commission considers this matter closed and will publish a new revision of the GM Week 2024 Election Report with more details about the investigation.