Campaign Rules

General Rules

1. Candidates are expected to follow all University Posting, Fire Code, and Solicitation Policies.

2. Campaigns must be run in an ethical manner with mutual respect toward other candidates at all times. Candidates must abide by all applicable University, local, state, and federal regulations including, but not limited to, the Student Conduct and Honor Codes.

3. Candidates are responsible for the actions of their campaign workers and supporters. This includes any independent organizations supporting the candidate.

4. Any materials posted or distributed by the campaign, whether printed or electronic, must contain the name of the candidate responsible for its publication. This includes declarations of support on university chalkboards.

5. Candidates are not permitted to use any obscene or pornographic material with their campaign.

6. Every campaign will be held to spending limits. This limit refers to the spending of the whole campaign, including those items purchased or acquired by campaign workers and supporters, which includes independent organizations donating money to a candidate or spending money on behalf of a candidate. The definition of an independent organization is any group of people that helps support a candidate in any way. All donations made by individuals to a candidate must be included in the spending limit. Candidates may not raise funds that in total exceed the spending limit.

1. A campaign must report the fair market value of all goods and services when calculating how much has been spent on their campaign.
2. All goods or services shall include those that are owned, have been donated, or have been purchased by the campaign prior to the beginning of the campaigning period.

Class One Offenses

1. Post any piece of campaign material on a surface which is prohibited by the regulations of the university and/or university units.
2. Post more than one piece of campaign material on any bulletin board or kiosk.
3. Post any piece of campaign material larger than 8 1⁄2 by 11 square inches on a bulletin board-kiosk. Writing on publicly accessible chalkboards shall not be limited.
4. Post any piece of campaign material on a non-public bulletin board. This includes RA bulletin boards, unless the permission of the RA of that hall is given.
5. Post on the door of any Residence Hall room without the permission of one of the residents of that room.
6. Post any materials that do not have the name of the candidate(s) printed on it.
7. Use a Student Assembly or official social class or academic class listserv for campaigning or voter mobilization purposes.
8. Reserve a table via proxy or table in the Sadler Center Atrium or Terrace on a time and day not sanctioned by the Commission.

Class One Sanctions

1. For a first offense, a warning will suffice.
2. A fine, not to exceed $20, to be paid to the Student Assembly or a suspension of active campaign privileges between 1 day to 2 days based on the discretion of the Commission.
3. In addition to either the warning or the fine, the candidate must remove all inappropriately placed election flyers immediately upon the request of the Chair of the Commission.
4. Following three Class One infractions, the Commission may choose to enforce the penalties of future Class One infractions as the penalties of a Class Two infraction.

Class Two Offenses

1. Slander, defined as the oral communication of a statement known to be false with the intention to injure the reputation of a candidate. Allowance shall be made by the Commission for expressions which may be reasonably understood as the opinion of the person expressing it.
2. Libel, defined as the presentation of publications which have contents known to be false with the intention to injure the reputation of a candidate. Allowance shall be made by the Commission for expressions which may be reasonably understood as the opinion of the person expressing it.
3. Knowing inclusion in campaigns of pornographic or obscene materials, as interpreted by the Commission.
4. Failure to submit required additional information to the Commission by a required deadline known to the candidate.
5. Campaigning by door-to-door solicitation, as defined by university policy.
6. Negative attacks against a candidate. Candidates for office may not make attacks on a candidate based solely upon their character or person. This shall not be construed to prohibit direct comparisons of a candidate’s experience, trustworthiness, platform, issues or other legitimate factors as interpreted by the Commission.
7. Anonymous Posting. The posting of anonymous campaign material, physical or electronic, including, but not limited to, anonymous flyers, e-mails, or web-postings, as interpreted by the Commission.
8. The President, Vice-President, Chief of Staff, any member of the Independent Elections Commission, any member of the Review Board, and the Attorney General participating in a campaign as defined by the campaign regulations.

Class Two Sanction

1. A suspension of active campaign privileges for a set period of time. The first suspension must be between 2 days to 6 days. Any future Class Two infractions will be at the discretion of the Commission.
2. Following two Class Two infractions, the Commission may choose to enforce the penalties of future Class Two infractions as the penalties of a Class Three infraction.

Class Three Offenses

1. Engage in campaign activities before the start of the campaign period (see Definition of Campaigning for specific information).
2. Failure to submit financial disclosure statements.
3. Bribery of a candidate. Bribery of a candidate shall be defined as the promise or provision of money or any tangible incentive with the intent of a candidate removing themself from contention for the office they are declared for, or intentionally losing the campaign for the office.
4. Bribery of a voter. Bribery of a voter shall be defined as the promise or provision of money or any tangible incentive with the intent of soliciting a vote for a particular candidate.
5. Tampering. Tampering shall be defined as intentional interference with the electoral process in such a way as to subvert the integrity of the process. Tampering includes watching a voter complete the voting process. Tampering also includes accessing in any way, directly or indirectly, elections returns before the full results are certified by the Commission.
6. Overspending. Spending more than the spending limit.
7. Accruing more than $39 in fines.
8. Intentional destruction of another candidate’s campaign materials. Destruction of another candidate’s campaign materials includes, but is not limited to, widespread destruction of another candidate’s flyers, and tampering with another candidate’s electronic campaign materials, such as a website or social networking group, as interpreted by the Commission. Erasing of campaign messages on chalk boards shall not be considered destruction of campaign materials.

Class Three Sanction

1. Removal from the ballot and invalidation of candidacy

Definition of Campaigning

Campaigning is defined as the act of publicly announcing candidacy and/or soliciting votes. Examples of campaigning include, but are not limited to:

1. The public distribution or posting of campaign materials, physical or electronic, seeking votes for a particular candidate.
2. Scheduling and speaking before an organized group or in a public place seeking votes for a particular candidate.
3. Announcing intent to run for office to an organized group or in a public manner, including, but not limited to, flier distribution or posting, social networking websites, mass emails, stumping, or electronic status messages, as interpreted by the Commission.
   1. Campaign materials may not be published or otherwise accessible to the general public prior to the start of the campaign period.
4. Any activity, on the part of either a particular candidate or representative of a candidate, requesting the vote of a constituent, as interpreted by the Commission.
5. Asking an organized group or non-campaign workers to review a candidate’s platform or submit ideas to be included in a platform.
6. Asking an organized group or non-campaign workers to endorse and/or otherwise publicly support a candidate or candidate ticket.
7. No listservs, or any methods of mass communication provided as a result of membership in the Student Assembly, may be used by members of Student Assembly for the purposes of voter mobilization, or for any other purposes in regards to an election, at any time, including any time before or during campaigning of any election, without authorization of the Commission.
   1. Any authorized use shall be disseminated to the entire electorate of the election affected by the authorization and shall be free of any bias relating to the election.

The definition of campaigning shall not include the creation or design of campaign materials, the recruitment of direct campaign workers, the discussion of campaign strategies, or other activities intended for the establishment of a campaign staff, as defined by the Commission.

A campaign staff shall be defined as any individuals willfully helping a candidate seek office, either before or during the official campaign period.

Only declared candidates themselves may solicit individuals to serve on a campaign staff.