Election season is in full swing this year, but with a few hitches.

The recent impeachment proceedings of Student Body President Whil Piavis, a senior in mechanical engineering, and the threat by administration of nullifying the upcoming student body elections spurred questions and discussion at the Student Senate meeting last night.

The recent memos from Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs, halted the impeachment procedures and mandated that the Elections Commission strike part-time students from the ballot and prevent them from both voting and participating in Student Government.

Part-time students account for about 25 percent of the eligible voting pool — 7,182 students, according to University Planning and Analysis.

Student Senate is embroiled in a battle, intending to allow part-time students the right to participate in student body elections in defiance of the administration’s position.

Sen. Sara Yasin appeared in a Victorian era costume, complete with fan, to silently protest the administration’s actions.

“I wanted to show that I was dissatisfied by wearing a Victorian costume,” Yasin, a sophomore in textile and apparel management, said. “Like a lady at that time I feel trapped, powerless without a voice.”

She said she was trying to voice her frustration in a way that was not disrespectful and wouldn’t “ruffle any feathers.”

Kevin Hassell, chair of the Elections Commision, confirmed that the body would allow the referendum to appear on the ballot, and said part-time students would be allowed to run for office and vote.

“Part-time students will be running and will be voting. It is not fair to disenfranchise 27 percent of the student body,” Hassell said.

He said he hopes to resolve the matter with the administration before voting takes place.

“I do want to reach a compromise — preferably before the results are nullified,” he said.

Piavis fielded questions from senators demanding explanations for his support of the administration’s position.

Sen. Brian Godfrey, a graduate student in public administration, asked Piavis why he would side against the Senate after they voted three times to include the referendum on the ballot — designed to amend the Student Body Constitution and allow the participation of part-time students.

“You know what’s going to happen and I guess time will tell,” Piavis said. “You’ve got to look at the whole picture.”

One of the part-time candidates on the ballot, Sen. Tracy Hutcherson, a senior in microbiology, announced that he was removing his name with the intention of staving off interference from Stafford.

“I want this referendum to go through so that 7,000 other students have the right to vote,” Hutcherson said.

He pointed to part-time students as paying a pro-rated fee as students, entitling them to participation in all student body elections, saying the deprivation of this right would be unconstitutional.

“That’s taxation without represenation and that’s not fair,” he said.

He pointed to the Student Affairs motto, “Students First,” as needing revision.

“It should read ‘Full-time Students First’,” he said.

Hutcherson read a passage to the body reporting that he had attended 57 Senate meetings, 152 committee meetings and had only missed one Senate meeting since his election.

“I don’t want to bow out of this election,” he said. “I love Student Government.”

Following his remarks senators urged him to stay, saying the results would be invalidated either way due to the addition of the referendum.

Envelopes were distributed around the chamber launching the “Yes for the 7000” campaign, garnering donations for the Committee for Universal Student Enfranchisement — a Student Senate initiative to combat the current discrepancies in election regulations.