Third-year College student Ella Gilmore assumed the role of chair of the University Board of Elections April 1 amid the appeals process tied to the 2026 Student Council presidential election. The case — which was reviewed by the University Judicial Review Board for the second time and received its final decision April 27 — has drawn attention to UBE procedures, including its handling of complaints, appeals and transparency to the student body.
Gilmore provided written statements to The Cavalier Daily, in which she described the responsibilities of her position as chair and outlined UBE’s objectives for the 2026-27 academic year. Objectives detailed by Gilmore include communication with University administration, overseeing the UBE’s budget, increasing student engagement and conducting an annual internal review. Formal processes for investigations and appeals are also further outlined in the UBE’s Constitution and Rules and Regulations.
According to UBE’s website, the Special Status Organization was established in the fall of 2003 and created to “further the aims of student self-governance with a community of trust and honor and to supervise all University-wide student elections” for certain representatives of several student organizations at the University. These organizations include Student Council, the Honor Committee, the University Judiciary Committee and Class Councils.
UBE is also responsible for administering voting processes, enforcing campaign regulations and adjudicating alleged violations. In her role as chair, Gilmore manages UBE’s operations while also serving on a hearing panel when Rules team decisions are appealed, reviewing those decisions and voting on the appeal.
“Day to day, the chair of the University Board of Elections handles communication between the board and University administration, organizes and implements the budget and oversees our four subteams [Candidates, Elections, Rules and Marketing],” Gilmore wrote in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily.
UBE’s structure separates investigative and adjudicative responsibilities. The Rules team independently reviews complaints and determines whether violations have occurred. As chair, Gilmore does not participate in initial decisions to preserve impartiality in the event of an appeal. If a case is appealed, it is reviewed by a panel that consists of three UBE members, including the chair or vice chair of UBE. Each member’s vote carries equal weight, and the chair authors the majority opinion when aligned with the panel’s decision.
The recent Student Council presidential election dispute originated from a series of complaints and appeals raised by Micah Andrews, former Student Council presidential candidate and third-year College student. She appealed the election of Michael Mitchell, Student Council president and third-year Commerce student. Andrews accused the Inter-Fraternity Council of bribery and coercion through a bar tab incentive to influence votes for Mitchell.
Andrews also further alleged that Mitchell violated Article III Section 3 of UBE’s Rules and Regulation, which states that no candidate may ask an organization to become an endorsing organization nor become involved in the organization’s endorsement process.
Andrews first filed an initial complaint alleging potential violations Feb. 26. The UBE initially reviewed the complaint and found that there was no violation. The decision was later appealed and upheld by a UBE hearing panel in a subsequent 3-0 ruling March 12.
In a March 12 email statement to The Cavalier Daily following the first hearing panel March 11, Abby Nickelson, former UBE chair and fourth-year College student, wrote that UBE guidelines do not include provisions requiring meetings to be open to the public and noted that proceedings have historically been conducted privately.
Andrews then appealed the decision to the Judicial Review Board. The JRB found that parts of the factual record required further development and remanded the case March 20 back to the UBE to conduct additional investigation. The JRB’s remand led the UBE to conduct further interviews and collect additional documentation over approximately one week before continuing its review process.
Following the remand, the UBE issued a new hearing panel decision April 1, which upheld the prior ruling in a 2-1 vote. Andrews again appealed the case to the JRB.
Gilmore wrote that investigative evidence and hearing discussions remain private due to the sensitive nature of cases and consultation with University’s General Counsel.
According to Gilmore in a previous email statement to The Cavalier Daily, University’s General Counsel advised the UBE not to disclose the written majority and dissenting opinions from the April 1 hearing panel decision, citing protections under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, which protects the privacy of student education records.
Despite confidentiality requirements in UBE proceedings, Gilmore acknowledged that UBE could further expand communication about its procedures to the student body. She referenced the possibility of an informational session in the fall to provide additional clarification on UBE processes. Gilmore also discussed public trust as a key issue facing UBE in the context of the recent presidential election appeal.
“Public opinion and trust are pressing issues for the UBE, but I believe it is possible to have constructive conversations regarding changes to our rules and procedures while reaffirming the integral role the UBE plays in student self-governance,” Gilmore wrote.
According to Gilmore, UBE also conducts an annual internal review of its rules during the summer. As part of this process, the summer rules revision committee reviews rules complaints and appeals from the previous election cycle as a basis for potential changes.
Proposed rules revisions are then reviewed by UBE and are open to a public comment period in August, during which students may submit feedback. The UBE’s Constitution was ratified Nov. 19, 2003 and last amended March 2, 2023, and the UBE’s Rules and Regulations were last amended Sept. 8, 2025.
Looking ahead, Gilmore said that UBE aims to increase engagement with the student body outside of the election cycle each semester. She noted the possibility of collaborating with other student self-governance organizations to host informational events about UBE.
“I want the UBE to connect with the student body more outside of the week-long election cycle. I believe co-hosting events with [Student Council], [Honor Committee] or UJC would build trust while providing a space for the student body to learn more about our work behind the scenes,” Gilmore wrote.
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