1. You must adhere to all University rules and policies, as well as outside municipal, state, and federal laws in spirit and detail. In addition to counting as campaign infractions, violations of these rules and policies will be referred to the proper authorities. 2. You are responsible for all campaigning done on your behalf (including others campaigning under your direction). Any violation of the above-stated rules or Committee for Student Elections (CSE) rules by anyone will be investigated by the CSE and proper action will be taken. 3. While candidates are not required to attend an Information Session, it is strongly recommended. 4. Postering - A poster is considered to be any paper campaign material with your name on it. Posters may be no larger than 8.5” x 11”.
- You may only poster at on bulletin boards and kiosks.
- Postering is limited to one per candidate per bulletin board or kiosk. Tape for posters may not be placed on any structures including wooden portion of a door or any painted surfaces.
- Students in residence halls may post on their room doors with the permission of all the room’s residents.
- All posters must have your name, school email address, an expiration date. Posters for the residence halls must be approved and stamped by the Office of Residence Life, AMR II.
- You may not hand out posters door to door. Posters Left outside doors or lying on the floor or ground may be considered a violation.
- You may not slip posters under doors.
- You may not tear, remove, vandalize, or poster over any other candidate’s or group’s unexpired poster.
5. Banners or other advertisements larger than 8.5” x 11” require CSE approval. Banners may not monopolize public space. 6. You may not represent your opponent by making personal accusations, either directly or indirectly. You may not misrepresent your opponent to the public or to the CSE by fabricating violations against them. 7. “Dormstorming” (campaigning door to door in university housing) is against University policy and therefore is not permitted. 8. Candidate petitions are due to the CSE by the by the completion of the final Mandatory Session. Petitions may be placed in the CSE mailbox located in the Mattin center student offices attached to the student group mailboxes. 8.1 Petition signatures may only be obtained by the candidates who are running for office. 9. Campaigning is permitted to commence after the final Mandatory Session has completed. Campaigning will end at 11:59 pm on the night before the election. Campaigning occurring during unauthorized periods is subject to investigation and consequences. 10. Campaigning through direct email and online social directories (such as Facebook, Myspace, etc.) is strictly prohibited. 11. The use of alcohol or other controlled substances to gather favor of voters is prohibited. 12. Candidate Agreements, Candidate Spending Reports, and Candidate Petitions (100 for class elections, 300 for executive elections) must be handed into the CSE on time in accordance with CSE instructions. 13. Any violation of CSE election rules and regulations can result in disqualification from the election. Campaign Spending 14. There is a spending limit of $300. Each poster is assumed to cost $0.05 and each color copy is assumed to cost $0.25. Advertisement rates will be verified by the relevant publications. Spending reports will be due one hour after the voting period ends and should be placed in the CSE mailbox in the Mattin Center. Spending reports will not be accepted by any other method. Failure to turn in a spending report by this deadline will result in disqualification. Complaints and Violations If you discover any violation of these rules, you must contact the person who has allegedly violated the rules in writing and carbon copy the CSE. If your opponent refuses to acknowledge the violation or correct the violation within 24 hours, then a formal complaint can be filed with the CSE. If you have any questions about a campaign method, err on the side of caution. Contact the CSE before you perform a questionable action. If a complaint of a suspected campaign violation is brought before the CSE, the CSE will notify all relevant parties. The CSE will make all attempts to hold a complaint meeting within 48 hours of the complaint to determine if a violation has occurred. If a violation has occurred, the CSE will make a decision accordingly. Persons involved in filing a complaint or allegedly participating in a violation may be asked to attend the complaint meeting. Attendance at a complaint meeting by either party is not required or an expectation. nConsequences may include a warning, a ban on campaigning, or disqualification from the election. A first violation may result in disqualification. All complaints must be submitted to the CSE within 48 hours of the close of the election. Qualifications for placement on the ballot Candidates who successfully complete their petition, attend the mandatory session, submit their petitions, and candidate agreements on shall be considered formal candidates and shall have their names placed on the official ballot. Write-in Candidates Write-in Candidates must still abide by all the above rules except for the submission of petitions and candidate agreements. Disqualified candidates are not eligible to be write-in candidates. Write-in candidates must still submit spending reports. Protests, Appeals, Recount All protests concerning elections or referenda must be submitted in writing to the CSE within 24 hours of the protested action. It is the responsibility of the person submitting the protest to provide all relevant data to support their claim of protest at the time of the submission of the claim. A protest must relate to the election procedures. When a protest is submitted, the Committee shall make all efforts to meet decide the issue by a majority vote within 48 hours of receipt of the protest. All protests shall be heard by the CSE only once. The CSE will only review information provided with the protest at the time the protest is submitted. All protest information must be in writing (claims, reports, testimony). Later submissions to support the claim may be denied review. Appeals of decisions by the CSE must be made in writing to an appeals panel within 24 hours of the announcement of the CSE decision on a protest or complaint. The appeals panel will consist of the President of Student Council, the Director of Student Involvement, and one other faculty/administrative member to be selected by agreement of the of Student Council and the Director of Student Involvement. The decision of the appeal panel must be made within two academic days of the Committee’s decision. The appeals panel may require the presence of the appellant as well as the CSE chair. Such meetings will be chaired by the President of Student Council. The deliberation of the decision regarding an appeal is considered a closed discussion and will only include the three members of the appeals panel. A majority vote of the appeals panel is necessary to overturn decisions made by the CSE. Decisions of the appeals panel are final and may not be appealed. Grounds for appeal are limited to improper procedure, proof of bias on the Committee, or Constitutional and/or By-Law conflicts. Recounts may be requested up to 48 hours following the posting of election or referenda results. Requests must be made to the Committee in writing. The recount must take place within 48 hours of the receipt of the request. Recounts may only be requested once per election for each office. Updated March 2006 | 
