Heat for Honi have officially been elected Honi Soit editors for 2018 after an appeal to disqualify them was rejected by the Electoral Legal Arbiter (ELA).
“[The ELA] confirms that the statements made by Honi Soit and the Heat for Honi team during the election period … ‘are not false, misleading or deceptive’ and therefore do not constitute grounds for voiding the election,” said Electoral Officer Pauline Graham, who is the sole conduit through which the ELA can be contacted.
“I am therefore declaring the election result as a win for Heat for Honi.”
The complaint against Heat was first rejected by Graham, before being appealed to the ELA on September 21. Honi understands that the decision was delayed because the ELA was working on a case outside of Sydney.
Graham has previously refused to comment on the nature of the appeal except to say it was not lodged by rival Mint for Honi.
Mint for Honi dropped out of campaigning prior to polling days but not in time to withdraw from the ballot, which meant they could still have been declared winners had Heat been disqualified. Heat secured 1947 votes to Mint’s 1137.
When asked for comment, Heat responded “Is it too late to back out now?”.
Their final hurdle will be to break through the wooden barricades put in place by the current editors who are reportedly refusing to leave the Honi Soit office come changeover on December 1.
