“I was disappointed that candidates for election failed to take a stand on an issue that demonstrates whether they will follow or ignore the council’s procedures,” Barro said.

While presidential candidate Fred O. Smith ’04 voted against the overturning of the funding, his running-mate, representative Justin R. Chapa ’05, was not in attendance.

After the meeting, Chopra explained that he abstained because he didn't want to appear to have a conflict of interest.

“The reason I abstained is because I didn't want to appear to vote in a way that seemed only to help me as a candidate,” he said.

College administrators’ concerns about the security of the council’s voting system caused the administration to block the start of the election for council representatives in October.

Morgenstern and Lim created a new system that, after a two-day delay, sent to most undergraduates an e-mail that contained a link enabling them to vote at a secure website.

At least six dozen students did not receive any e-mail, though, because of gaps in the information the council received from the registrar’s office.

Many of those six dozen students did not get to cast ballots.

Last night, the council also approved two grants to extracurricular groups, and, after approving a bill proposed by Smith, allocated $750 for a Workers Appreciation Day to benefit “Harvard’s lowest paid workers.”

In addition, the council finalized its ratification of the constitutional amendment it voted on at last week’s meeting. The amendment guarantees each House or first-year district representation on each of the council’s three committees, and makes it more difficult for council members to switch from one committee to another.

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