Democratic Club Candidate Contests Election Results

Daniel C. Esty '81, who lost by one vote in last Sunday's Democratic Club election for vice president, is contesting the results of that election on the basis that three of his opponent's votes were unconstitutional.

Esty said three proxy votes were accepted, although proxies are specifically prohibited in Article VIII of the club's constitution.

Wrong Assumption

Members of the club's executive, committee, however, said they had assumed proxy votes were legal. 'Proxies have always been used in the past," Linda J. Bilmes '80, treasurer of the club said yesterday.

"If proxy votes are not allowed by the constitution, there's something very wrong," Stephen V. R. Winthrop '80, former vice president of the club, said yesterday.

Try'em Again

Winthrop resigned from his position as vice president when the student assembly elected him its chairman. The Democratic Club has already held two special elections to choose a new vice president. Esty won the first election, held in late October, by a margin of one vote. However, the results of that election were nullified because several non-members had voted. The club then elected Brad F. Artson '81 vice president in Sunday night's election, also by one vote.

"The first election was a true bungle--people were disorganized and just didn't think. This time, though, there was a lot of maneuvering, and then this proxy thing," Winthrop said yesterday.

Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, whom Esty consulted yesterday, said he "will make recommendations to the full club after conducting an investigation and hearing all points of view."

Dana M. Stein '80, a member of the executive committee, said yesterday that the matter would be resolved by the club's executive committee. "It was an oversight. We can detach ourselves from any partisanship and come up with something fair," Stein said yesterday.