Student Judicial Affairs has remanded the appeal presented by two Undergraduate Student Government executive candidates back to the USG Election Governance Board for review. The new hearing is tentatively scheduled for tonight.

Dave Knapp and Stephanie Gent, along with their 45-member senatorial slate known as the Results Coalition, were disqualified last week from the election by the EGB Judicial Panel. An immediate appeal was filed with Student Judicial Affairs, allowing the candidates to continue campaigning in the election. The grievance was filed against the candidates for a violation of EGB bylaws pertaining to campaign spending on T-shirts bearing the names of the executive and senatorial candidates. According to the decision made by Student Judicial Affairs, the trial is being remanded to the panel based on a procedural error. EGB bylaws state that a grievance filed against any candidate on an electoral slate is considered against the slate as a whole, not an individual member. Therefore, all candidates should have been informed of the grievance and given the opportunity to attend the hearing. In this case, the coalition was not informed of the complaint filed by EGB, thereby violating their right to due process.

Liz Ghandakly, director of the EGB, said the EGB initially assumed the executive candidates would notify the senatorial candidates themselves.

“In retrospect, I guess we should have notified everyone,” Ghandakly said.

The new hearing will not distinguish candidate spending between the executive and senatorial candidates. Because of this, the cost of the T-shirts in question will be counted toward the entire campaign’s funds, which amount to $3,500, instead of being broken down between the executive and senatorial allotments. The total cost of the shirts was $1,920.

Ghandakly said she does not foresee the panel ruling any differently than in the first hearing, but said the punishment for any violation might not be as severe.

“I’m not sure, because of this distinction, that disqualification is required anymore,” Ghandakly said. “It’s a violation, obviously. It just might not require disqualification.”

Eric Little, chief justice of the panel, said he did not expect Student Judicial Affairs to remand the case for retrial.

“I was a little bit surprised that it came back in the manner that it did,” Little said.

He said the retrial will give all of the coalition candidates the opportunity to attend and present their case.

“We usually do not have charges filed against that many people,” he said.

Knapp and Gent said they feel it is important for the panel to reconsider the facts in the new hearing.

“In order to uphold the principles of democracy and actually make USG a strong and functioning body next year, we need to be able to allow the 45 senators to be able to run,” Knapp said.

“Our general goal for this is to resolve this as quickly as possible so we can start talking about things that matter again,” Gent said. “We’re excited and enthusiastic and anxious to get back on track.”