The Elections Committee exemplified exactly why there have been so many problems with this year’s election yesterday. It took multiple meetings, coverage by outside media, finger-pointing, money wasted, ultimatums, threats and hours of bureaucratic back-and-forth discussion to get us to a point we should have been weeks ago.

It was the complete inability of this Elections Committee — who wanted to make a point instead of to run a clean and efficient election — that caused this whole debacle to occur. It is very easy to point a finger at Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford and scream “INJUSTICE” when he only delivered a promise to uphold the Student Body Constitution.

On Sunday night when access to the elections on vote.ncsu.edu was suspended by Stafford, senators and Elections Commission members called for Stafford’s head in response to what they felt was an egregious misuse of power on his part, and they couldn’t understand why he had victimized poor Student Government.

They went through their usual motions yesterday to come to a conclusion that would benefit them, only to be shot down by Stafford. They couldn’t grasp the reality that Stafford actually wielded power and would deliver on his word. Student Government believed they could call Stafford’s bluff only to realize that you don’t gamble with a cowboy — maybe they never saw Maverick.

So what happened? They met Stafford halfway and acted like responsible adults for once, but only after Stafford had to reiterate his stance over and over that part-time students would be allowed to vote but not participate in elections.

It is very easy to paint Stafford as this evil overlord pulling the strings of Student Government, but when asked if candidates in this election would receive any additional money for their campaigns Stafford dug deep into his own pocket and gave each candidate in the major elections an extra $50 — equal to a sum of $550.

So what have we learned Student Government?

We’ll fill you in so this doesn’t happen again.

Do not mess with someone who is committed to the best interests of the student body and who has worked for decades to ensure N.C. State is a great University now and forever.