Update (March 6- 5 p.m.): The spring 2013 online election ballot is currently open to students and will close at 11:59 p.m Wednesday night. University alumnus and “Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman has appeared in a video in support of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts fee. 

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The spring 2013 online election ballot will go live Tuesday morning until Wednesday night and will include four referenda questions in addition to student senate, Student Organization Resource Fee board and student trustee elections.

Three of the four referenda questions concern student fees and one concerns support of the status of the retired Chief Illiniwek as the symbol of the University, according to the Campus Student Election Commission website.

The first asks students if they would support a 30-year, $25 general fee increase beginning in fall 2014 to support Assembly Hall renovations, though the finalized question does not include language stating this will be a 30-year fee.

The fee would cover 17 percent of the building’s upcoming $160 million renovation, which will include the additions of air-conditioning, new seating, concessions, improved restrooms, expanded concourse space and enhanced accessibility features. The remainder will be covered by private sponsorships, donations, general public ticket fees and premium seating commitments will fund 83 percent of the renovation.

A second question asks students if they would like to see the continuation of a semesterly $2 student fee for the collegiate readership program. The program provides copies of The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and USA Today to students across campus.

Another referenda question asks students if they support the continuation of a $17.28 per semester student fee toward programming at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. This fee provides free events and a minimum $5 discount to University students on performance tickets.

A final question asks students if they support Chief Illiniwek as the “official symbol of the University.” The University retired the mascot in 2007 after an August 2005 NCAA sanction on University athletic programs that barred teams from hosting post-season competition.

In addition to the referenda questions, five candidates have been approved by the election commission to run for student trustee: Shao Guo, vice president-internal of the Illinois Student Senate; Brian Siegel, student senator, junior in Media and former Illini Media employee; Mike Cunningham, junior in LAS; LaDarius DuPree, junior in LAS; and Ryan Gleason, junior in LAS.

Gleason has been publicly censured by the commission for using chalk on vertical surfaces in campaign advertisements in at least three different locations, violating the 2013 election packet and student code, said Adam Joines, CSEC chairman.

Besides issuing the reprimand, however, Joines said the commission will take no further action against Gleason, and his running status will not be affected.

Carey Ash, graduate student senator, had been planning to run as well but was denied Illinois residency status by Kenneth Ballom, dean of students, making him ineligible as a candidate.

By state law, student trustee candidates are required to be state residents. Though Ash said he has lived in Illinois for five years and has residency from the State of Illinois, he does not meet the University’s definition of in-state residency because he does not qualify for the University’s standards of in-state tuition, according to section 3-903 of the student code, because he is not employed in Illinois; Ash is a graduate assistant at the University, but this employment does not qualify under the code.

The section states that in order to be considered an in-state resident, a student must be employed for one year or prove reliance on Illinois resources for more than 50 percent of his or her income.

Ballom cited this section as the reason for not accepting his candidacy. However, Ash is still heading a write-in campaign.

“It is foolish, it is folly, it is false, to think that those who reside in the state with the present intention to remain here, who contribute to the health and wellbeing of our University to be ineligible to service,” Ash said. “The University must change its ways.”

Tyler can be reached at [email protected].