The USA Elections Board disqualified a general representative candidate from the Undergraduate Students Association Council elections Tuesday.
Susie Turner, a second-year African American studies and public affairs student, was disqualified for exceeding the elections board’s $200 personal-spending campaign expenditure limit by $8.20, according to the board’s notice of disqualification.
Turner is the fourth candidate overall – and the first general representative candidate – whom the elections board has disqualified from the 2026-27 election cycle. Three transfer student representative candidates were disqualified in the last two weeks for campaign finance issues.
[Related: USA Elections Board disqualifies third transfer student representative candidate]
The elections board alleged in the notice that Turner previously reported an expenditure total of $193.70, which fell within the necessary limit. However, the elections board added that Turner did not account for donated items – which count towards expenditure limits – in her campaign finance report.
The elections board gave Turner the opportunity to amend her financial report, after she initially failed to report the cost of 50 printed flyers that were donated to her. Turner did not provide a fair-market value of the flyers as requested, but the board found it to be $14.50, putting her at a total of $208.20.
The elections board said in its notice of disqualification that campaign expenditure limitations – and rules about donations – were explicitly communicated and explained to all candidates in an orientation conducted by the board. The board added that the limitations were also noted in official election guidance, reimbursement documentation and campaign finance materials provided to all candidates.
Turner’s disqualification leaves eight candidates in the general representative race, with voting set to close Friday at noon.
Turner has until 2:51 p.m. on Wednesday to appeal her case to the USA Judicial Board, according to the notice. Turner did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the disqualification.
“Campaign expenditure limitations exist to ensure that no candidate obtains a disproportionate financial advantage inconsistent with the principles of equal participation, fairness, and equal protection guaranteed under the Election Code,” the elections board said in the notice.
