The commission invited Averell to a meeting last night to discuss the situation before they ruled. However, Averell did not attend. He said later he is still trying to recover from a weekend illness and slept through the meeting.

Averell did run naked this morning around the Yard to kick off the voting, and he will be allowed to campaign using ways that do not cost money, like over e-mail.

"We plan on doing what we have been doing, liking people and being friendly guys," Averell said.

Averell's name remains on the ballot, and he can still win the election if he garners the most votes.

Other candidates unanimously expressed regret that Averell's campaign had been shut down, but said they understood the commission's ruling.

"I feel bad for him, but he had to play by the rules. They want to keep the playing field level," said Matthew Zanotelli '02.

--Staff writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu