Lee expressed dismay over the late notice the council received from the administration that the elections could not proceed as planned, arguing that administrators were kept informed of the council’s efforts throughout the summer.

“They waited until this past week to voice these concerns, giving us very, very little time to address them,” Lee said.

Morgenstern said the administration’s final decision “hit the time horizon a little bit late,” but he also said that “the College did try.”

Morgenstern said he and Lee will attempt to gain administrative approval—from University President Lawrence H. Summers, if necessary—to proceed with their back-up voting system and send out e-mails to all students.

“The game plan is, tomorrow [Tuesday], to talk to President Summers,” he said. “If we did get the okay tomorrow, we’d act as if [the elections] started on Tuesday, even though people couldn’t vote at that time.”

—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.