The action-packed second day of Associated Student Government’s 2003 election campaigns featured debates, accusations of rule violations, and more talk of who can and cannot be on Tuesday’s ballot.

The ASG Election Commission decided to set hearings for tonight regarding possible violations by presidential candidate Nafis Ahmed and executive vice presidential candidate Bryan Tolles, said Chairman Avery Maron.

He said Ahmed had unstamped posters and might have received illegal goods or services during a Tuesday publicity stunt in which he duct-taped himself to The Rock.

Tolles failed to check in with the ASG office, which is required each day, Maron said.

Election officials also announced Tuesday that the electronic ballot for the Tuesday’s elections will include an option to abstain for all races.

But at tonight’s Senate meeting, an emergency amendment to the rules will be put forth to again change the ballot to allow a space for write-in candidates. Write-ins were abolished when the election guidelines were updated Winter Quarter.

The resolution was created by Rainbow Alliance Sen. John Hughes, a former Daily forum editor. He said his motion would allow write-in votes for all races and would make those candidates subject to the same campaign guidelines as the candidates already recognized by ASG.

Although the voting options remain up in the air, three vice presidential candidates sure to have their name on next week’s ballot dutifully discussed their platforms in the first ASG-sponsored debate of election week.

Dan Broadwell and Prajwal Ciryam, the candidates for academic vice president, and Adam Forsyth, the unopposed candidate for student services vice president, shared their ideas and answered questions Tuesday night in front of a handful of students in the Ohio State Room at Norris University Center.

Broadwell discussed his hopes to provide free tutoring for all schools, reform Weinberg distribution requirements and narrow entry-level courses.

Ciryam talked about expanding the Spanish, South Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies departments, as well as streamlining CAESAR’s registration process.

Broadwell and Ciryam, both Weinberg freshmen, each said they would work to bring target P/N grading to all six of Northwestern’s undergraduate schools. Three schools currently use the system by which students can choose a grade to aim for without a professor’s knowledge. If they make the grade or better, they receive a letter grade on their transcripts. Otherwise they receive a pass or fail grade.

The candidates both also have served on ASG’s Academic Committee.

Their age was brought up during the debate, but Broadwell said being younger will not make him — or Ciryam — less effective.

“As long as we have strong student opinion behind us … age should not be a factor,” Broadwell said.

Ciryam agreed that representing students is the most pressing part of being academic vice president or any ASG position.

And although he had no opponent, Forsyth spoke at the debates about his desire to serve as SSVP and his goals of improving recycling options, food labeling and off-campus safety.

Debates for executive vice presidential and presidential candidates will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Norris.

The Daily’s Jessica Gdowski contributed to this report.