1. Codify election rules
a. Put them in the constitution (statutes)
i. Reasoning: so that SG will control changes to election rules, not the election committee
b. Alternative: go with something like SBAC did last year, that major changes have to come before GA to be ratified, but the text doesn’t actually appear in the official statues.
i. Reasoning: sometimes minor changes need to be made; this could generate frivolous bills
2. Composition of the elections committee
a. Increase number of non-SG members to reduce bias towards “establishment candidates
i. Would these people be reliable attendees of meetings?
ii. Who should they be?
iii. Would they be specific people (e.g. trustee, head editor of OGB, etc.) or people chosen by the legislature
b. Outside observer
i. OGB (non-voting)?
ii. Faculty
1. Present at meetings
2. Alt: only used as sounding board when needed
iii. Student trustee
c. Students with previous HEC or elections violations
i. Should they be able to serve on the committee?
d. Procedure for Elections Member deciding to run for an office (if they are not a Senior)
i. One week early or don’t get on ballot
e. Clarify that you may decline to serve if you can’t in good conscious adjudicate the race fairly.
i. Committee or leg. will nominate and confirm a replacement by vote?
f. If the President is a Junior and seeks re-election who becomes the chair.
i. The committee will nominate and vote on someone within the committee. A simple majority will be necessary.
3. Means of campaigning
a. E-mail, aim, voicemail, text bans?
i. Eliminate or at least clarify that part about carbon copying (2)
b. Facebook (all e-mail generating aspects?)
c. Sidewalk chalk?
i. Look up posting policy
d. Should we list the poster policy rules if we’re not going to enforce them?
e. Mass media
i. Clarify all types (i.e. internet website?, pit placards?, pit TV??
4. Campaign Finance
a. Do budgets need to be changed?
b. Clarify things like sales tax, renting/borrowing, website fees, human labor
c. What if people buy a shirt with their own money to support you? Should this be counted as a campaign donation and expense?
d. What if someone’s friend wanted to lend them a moon bounce for free? Should this be allowed? What about someone lending something that anyone would be free to borrow, like 20 white t-shirts.
i. Clause about discretion for borrowing-only allow things that any candidate could reasonably obtain themselves, subject to approval of the election committee
5. Informing the student body of the election
a. Central campaign website?
b. Certain mandatory broadcast e-mails (i.e. candidates shouldn’t have to be informing people that the election is occurring for the first time)
c. SG has to contact those abroad specifically?
6. Timing of campaigning
a. Is one week enough?
b. Should candidates be able to campaign the day of the election?
i. Possibly restrict only some things (e-mail)
c. Walking up to people with laptops in tow (voting under duress)?
d. Runoffs must be held the same week as the original elections
i. Pro
1. Easier on candidates, students
2. Preserves enthusiasm-> vote totals-> legitimacy
ii. Con
1. Doesn’t give candidates enough time to adjust their message to new environment
2. May hurt non-establishment or less popular candidates (i.e. they have less time to meet people and change minds
7. Campaign staff
a. Signed statement saying they will abide by rules (except in cases of people abroad, where digital signature is ok)
b. Address problems of enforcement
c. Limit size?
d. Stricture that you become part of staff if you campaign with their consent even if they haven’t technically signed you up
8. Negative campaigning
a. Re-define?
b. Clarify that information/contrasting yourself is ok, ad hominen not
9. Clarifications
a. Define terms
i. FAIR AND HONEST
ii. What does the non-campaigning/campaigning distinction mean?
iii. Prohibited vs. strictly prohibited
iv. Campaign staff
b. One year legislative experience requirement for exec positions
i. Should Sarah Walker have been able to run?
ii. What does being an ex officio member of the legislature mean?
c. Mention the BIA process in there, just so it’s covered (since the election committee runs it)
d. Clarify appeal process to student life committee
i. Pro
1. fairer to students who wouldn’t otherwise know about it
ii. Con
1. We don’t want people to actually do this
10. Requirements for office
a. Any changes needed here?
b. What about process where Elections committee makes exceptions for people who don’t fit requirements
11. Selection of BIA members and HEC members
a. Should the elections committee do this? It almost always boils down to the current judicial co-chairs hand-picking people, since executives usually have no experience in what makes a good HEC/BIA member and basically sit mum.
12. Debate reform
a. Change format
b. Write better questions
c. Elections committee should run it
d. Make it a forum to debate the future of the school?
13. Offenses
a. Make candidate sign statement that they will abide by rules
b. Should we even list the poster rules since they are never enforced
c. List specific offenses and match punishment to them?
d. Three strikes you’re out system?
e. Possibility of warning for minor offenses that doesn’t involve a fine?
f. Possibility of being barred from future elections
g. Possibility of being reported to HEC?
h. Immediate Disqualification will happen when
1. A candidate goes over budget.
2. Engages in one of the mass media violations himself.
ii. We will have discretionary clauses that allows us to look whether or not the people who engage in dishonest activity because they know the rules.
14. Reporting of infractions
a. Should we still rely on witnesses?
b. Should we still use 24 hour rule?
c. ‘Clear and convincing evidence’ language needed?
d. Should those who report offenses be guaranteed confidentiality, or do you have a right to know your accuser?
