Kirk Mottram and Travis DeNeal

Undergraduate Student Government presidential candidate Sean Henry criticized USG members Wednesday for authorizing Trueblood Hall as a polling station, claiming the move was a political favor to Progress Party members.

Henry argues because several Progress Party officials are USG insiders, USG voted to approve Senate Bill 98-159, which authorizes Lentz Hall, Trueblood Hall, the Recreation Center and the Student Center as polling places. The Saluki Party presidential candidate contends the vote was intended to hinder Saluki Party chances in the April 15 election by approving Trueblood Hall rather than Grinnell Hall, Henry’s base, as a polling site. After little debate, the resolution passed 17-8.

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This was a political move on behalf of the Progress Party to reduce the number of voters who normally would vote at Grinnell, Henry said.

Kristie Ayres, executive assistant to the president and Progress Party presidential candidate, dismissed the charges, saying the vote was influenced only by the recommendation made by Jeff Duke, assistant director of the Student Center, and was not politically motivated.

I don’t know what he’s talking about really, Ayres said. We had nothing to do with it. I could care less where the polling places are going to be.

In other business, USG introduced two constitutional amendments to be voted on April 22. The first amendment details the duties and powers of the USG Finance Committee while the second raises the GPA standard for USG presidential and vice-presidential candidates. A minimum average was not finalized though USG President Dave Vingren recommended an average of at least 2.5 as the new standard.