Jeff Brush/ THE POST Kelly Stone, a junior, participates in a fire-eating event after the Take Back The Night March May 20. The event was set up by the Swarm of Dykes. It was explained that fire has had historical significance of power, and by consuming the flames, the women would be consuming the power that has historically been given to men.

Although there are questions surrounding the May 20 Ohio University Student Senate election, the senate last night rejected a resolution to extend the deadline for filing complaints with the senate Board of Elections.

Supporters of the resolution wanted to allow additional time for students to file formal complaints with the Board of Elections.

Senate members have received complaints about ballots being torn up by poll workers and students being kept from voting because of lack of OU student identification, charges that go against the senate Rules and Procedures, said Amy Jenkins, senator at large.

According to senate rules, "All election results shall be unofficial until all grievances presented to the Board of Elections are resolved ... "

Board Chairwoman Allison Abbott confirmed that the board is investigating formal complaints and possible mistakes made by poll workers. All complaints about election day procedures are due to the board by 5 p.m. today, Abbott said.

The senate's top priority is student input, and turning people away from the voting stations is denying students their input, Jenkins said.

Several students have complained they were unable to vote because of a discrepancy with the type of identification needed to vote.

OU senior Shannon Moreland was refused by poll workers when she tried to use her driver's license, instead of her student ID to vote. But, she said, the polling workers said to bring any form of identification.

Although Moreland was denied a vote, she said her boyfriend voted after showing his license minutes later at a different polling station.

"Because the race was so close, it made me mad that my vote could have made a difference," she said.

As a former senate member, Moreland said driver's licenses always have been accepted in the past. This is despite a senate rule that allows only OU IDs.

Amanda Flaig, senate media relations representative, said the Board of Elections was unclear on the rules regarding the acceptance of driver's license instead of an OU identification card.

The board was inconsistent about accepting or denying students who presented driver's licenses, she said.

Other problems at the polls also have been reported.

Lyndsay Markley, a Solution party candidate, said she was not allowed to re-vote after she marked the incorrect green on which she lives. But, other students who messed up were allowed to re-vote, she said.

Flaig said no Board of Elections members reported forbidding people to re-vote in the event of a mistake. But, if someone was forbidden to re-vote, it was the fault of an individual poll worker and not instructed by the board, she said.

If students voted incorrectly for their housing representative or college representative, the board still tallied their votes for the executive board, student activities commission and commissioners, Board of Elections member Kim Boal said.

Early on Election Day, the board allowed students to completely re-vote if students voted incorrectly on the housing, green or college representative sections, Flaig said. But as the day progressed if a student messed up on any of those sections, only the first 50 votes on the ballot were counted, Flaig said.

Complaints must be filed with the Student Senate Board of Elections in Baker 309 by 5 p.m. today.