Editor’s note: This headline has been changed from its original version.
The Associated Students of Oregon State University Elections Committee issued a formal letter of censure earlier last month against Dylan Perfect, the newly inaugurated Chair of the Student Fee Committee, for what it described as “conduct not in good faith” during the 2025 ASOSU General Election.
The May 14 letter, signed by the entire committee, outlines a series of rule violations committed by Perfect while campaigning for both the SFC Chair and Member-at-Large positions. Although the committee stopped short of disqualifying Perfect, it emphasized the censure is a serious and unusual disciplinary step meant to uphold electoral integrity.
According to the committee, Perfect committed three minor violations that, in combination with one another, constituted a major violation under ASOSU election rules. These included unauthorized use of an organizational listserv in order to distribute a campaign email to approximately 1,700 recipients, sending unapproved campaign materials, and posting campaign content without garnering approval in the Student Experience Center. The infractions occurred within the final 48 hours of the campaign period, limiting the committee’s ability to suspend campaign activities.
During a deliberation meeting, the committee noted that due to the small voter turnout in this year’s election coupled with the small margins in which candidates won, Perfect’s major violation of election rules could have very well swayed the outcome of the election.
“Although the Committee did not find justified grounds to issue a disqualification, it determined that the severity of the candidate’s actions warranted a formal censure,” the letter reads. “This action represents a rare and atypical measure.”
In addition to the rule violations, the committee raised concerns about what it called unprofessional conduct. It cited an April 5 email from Perfect in which he referred to the Elections Committee as being “a perverse, extralegal, and illegitimate coup council” and accused it of serving a “corrupt administration.” The committee firmly rejected those claims and stressed its own independence.
Perfect, who has a long history with ASOSU—having run for multiple positions since 2018 and previously chaired the Elections Committee—initially denied authoring the controversial campaign email. However, during an April 22 hearing, he acknowledged sending it from his student email account and admitted he failed to report the violation as required.
The letter also noted that Perfect submitted evidence with obscured sender information and frequently compared his case to other candidates’ without acknowledgement of the individual nature of each case, in what the committee viewed as an effort to unduly influence deliberations.
Despite these issues, the committee ultimately ruled that disqualification was not warranted. Committee Chair Connor Chen, who only votes in the event of a tie, expressed full support for the decision but voiced concerns about the overall tone and strategy of Perfect’s campaign.
“This campaign was not conducted in good faith,” Chen wrote. “Upholding the integrity of student elections requires both the Elections Committee and candidates to adhere not only to the letter of the Elections Packet but also its spirit of a free and fair game.”
The Elections Committee suggested that future revisions to election rules are necessary in order to prevent similar situations from recurring.
Perfect has assumed the role of SFC Chair despite the censuring, which now stands as a public rebuke and official record of the committee’s disapproval.
