ASUC campaign season is behind us, and the campus is once again relatively navigable for the flier-averse. While this year's elections passed without the usual bickering over chalk and Facebook groups, it wouldn't have been a student government affair without something or other being mismanaged. This year's voting was no exception.

Tuesday's results meeting convened promptly at 5 p.m and deteriorated rapidly from there. It was more than an hour and a half before tabulation began-in which time the packed room resorted to impromptu singing and a bizarre outburst of basketball chants to pass the time.

Don't get us wrong-we loved CalSERVE's rendition of the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme, and Student Action did the Cal drinking song proud. That there was time for such a showcase, however, indicates a lack of organization on the part of the Elections Council, which simply wasn't prepared to release the results.

Apparently missing required software, the council's tech workers borrowed a computer from presidential candidate Curtis Lee-harmless on its face, but nonetheless not a particularly professional move. Unable to display the candidates' names, the council showed results by ballot number alone, leaving anyone without access to a voters' guide to gauge the outcome by which side of the room was screaming louder.

Logistical hiccups gave way to concern that the results released Tuesday might have been incorrect altogether. Between election council workers, the Attorney General, and speculative commentators, it was difficult to piece together an accurate picture of just what had happened to prompt a recalculation after the results' initial release.

In the end, the tabulation error had no effect on the results. But the botched initial run and the miscommunication that followed are a warning to ASUC that its act needs some polish before the next election. Software and codes should be tested well before the vote; procedures should be standardized-the council should enter the results meeting fully prepared to run its tabulations.

Even more important than a technically glitch-free election is transparency. The tabulation process as it stands apparently takes some finessing to work correctly. To avoid the speculation that followed this year's initial release, the council should thus be sure to keep accurate records of who makes modifications to the results, when, and why. The alternative-a repeat of this year's chaotic announcement and hearsay-heavy aftermath-practically invites Judicial Council lawsuits.

As for CalSERVE, still the election's big winners in the corrected results, the priorities for the next year are less obvious. They have no glaring mistakes to rectify, but also no substantial record on which to build-in effect, they'll be working with a blank slate and plenty of opportunities.

We congratulate the party on its victory, but caution its leadership to maintain perspective as they take the reins. With election turnout so low, even a sweep of the executive offices is no mandate to take action without first making every effort to read the opinion of the student body as a whole.