Updated at 3:26 p.m., Monday, April 22.
Editor’s note: The TCU Judiciary reinstated the disqualified candidate on Monday, allowing the election to take place as initially planned. Ballots will be open from noon on Thursday to noon on Saturday.
The fate of the Tufts Community Union Senate presidential election — currently set to be held on Wednesday — is up in the air, following the TCU Elections Commission’s decision to disqualify a candidate on Thursday for campaign misconduct. In an email to the Daily, ECOM wrote that a decision on the election’s timeline will be made public by 12 p.m. Monday.
The candidate, Joel Omolade, is appealing his disqualification before the TCU Judiciary but has been allowed to continue campaigning in the meantime. If his appeal is granted, he will face off against candidates Krystal Mutebi and Mikayla Paquette for president of Tufts’ student body.
In an Instagram post made Friday, ECOM wrote that it received multiple pieces of evidence from sources showing that the candidate broke presidential campaign rules and that the disqualification was not based on a singular example.
“We are currently reviewing the decision to ensure that the candidate was given a fair process and hearing, as well as to investigate the allegations of serious misconduct against the candidate and their campaign,” the Judiciary wrote in a statement to the Daily. “We will hold hearings to give each party an opportunity to present their case and we will come to a conclusion on how to proceed with the upcoming presidential elections. We will announce necessary updates as they arise.”
Omolade declined to comment on his disqualification and appeal to the Judiciary.
ECOM confirmed in an email to the Daily that all three candidates will face off in a presidential debate on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Joyce Cummings Center Room 270, “barring unforeseen circumstances.”
