Pickens loses to Roupas in recount

A Joint Elections Committee ballot recount confirmed Monday that presidential candidates Lee Roupas and Omar Woodard would compete in the election run-off this week.

Pickens asked the JEC for the recount after finishing behind Roupas by only 24 votes. Pickens received 676 votes while Roupas received 700. Woodard garnered 1,013 votes.

“I want to exhaust every resource possible, to see if it can be changed, because my team worked hard on this,” Pickens said.

JEC members and Student Activities Center advisers worked for about an hour and a half recounting every paper ballot by hand and adding the total to electronic ballots.

According to the recount, Pickens received 675 votes.

“It’s typical during a recount that one or two ballots will be added or subtracted,” JEC Chair John Plack said.

Students can vote in the run-off Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Marvin Center ground floor computer lab, the Mount Vernon Pub, the Law School and Thurston, Ross, Funger and Monroe halls. Executive vice presidential candidates Ed Buckley and Anyah Dembling are also on the ballot.

–Tiago Forte