Who needs clean elections anyway?

Ever wonder how so many Alabama lawmakers could be so brazen in believing that they won't be held accountable for even the most atrocious conduct? It's simple: They learn in college.

The University of Alabama's Student Elections Board is doing the state's future no favors whatsoever with its shrug-the-shoulders attitude toward rules violations in the school's upcoming Student Government Association election. The board's chairwoman, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, said that not only will the board not release the names of candidates who violate the rules, it won't even tell the public that a rule has been violated.

The chairwoman also asserted that board members "are not going to go out there looking for things" and will only pursue complaints lodged within two business days of the violation. A "leave us alone" attitude isn't what's needed from people in charge of SGA elections at a university whose recent voting history has been marred by fraud and threats of violence and intimidation.

The election watchdogs at the state's flagship university should not roll over in the face of dirty tricks. If politicians get away with rule-breaking in college, they'll do their best to get away with it when they run for offices that actually mean something.