Elections Rules

Spring 2008

1. Fair elections
   1. You may not spend any money to procure items specifically for use in campaigning
   2. You may only use items in the course of campaigning if the item is reusable and is not expended or significantly depreciated by its use in campaigning
   3. All candidates have access to the resources provided by the Union (listed at http://union.brandeis.edu/elections/resources.php.)
   4. No libelous or slanderous statements may be made by a candidate
2. Elections timeline
   1. Candidate picture and website link must be turned in before the deadline stated in the election timeline.
   2. Do not campaign before the candidates meeting, the official start of campaigning.
3. Electronic campaigning
   1. Only link to elections URLs beginning with http://union.brandeis.edu/elections/. Never take people directly to the voting system.
   2. No front-ends to the voting system or the Union Elections site are allowed. This includes frames and deceptive links.
   3. The website listed on the Union Elections page and ballot must begin with http://people.brandeis.edu
4. Physical campaigning
   1. Resources used for two or more candidates count against the allotment for each candidate.
5. Campaign Assistance
   1. It is the responsibility of each candidate to ensure that the actions of any and all persons assisting in their campaign comply with all election rules
   2. There shall be a contestable presumption that a candidate supports all actions committed in the furtherance of their campaign.
6. Communication and clarification
   1. ONLY communicate with Elections Commissioners via email to elections@lists.brandeis.edu. No other method of communication is official or binding
7. Candidate Eligibility
   1. To be eligible to run for an elected Union office, a student must be
   • A currently registered, degree seeking undergraduate student of Brandeis University or student in the Transitional Year Program.
   • Studying on the Waltham campus for the entire period in which s/he will hold office.
   2. A candidate for an office must be a voting member of the constituency that the office represents.
   3. Only members of the Student Union whom have declared themselves to the University as being racial minority students are potentially eligible candidates for Member of the Finance Board for Racial Minority Students
8. Write-in candidates
   1. Write-in candidates forfeit all privileges and resources accorded to official candidates, nor shall they use any of their own resources that will be significantly depreciated in the use of their campaign. If added to the final round ballot such candidates are given all resources afforded to official candidates.
   2. To be added to the final round ballot a write in requires at least 10% of the total number of votes cast in the primary round for that race, excluding abstentions, in addition to finishing in the required place as outlined in sections 9b and 9c for single-seat and multi-seat elections respectively.
   3. If added to the ballot, write-in candidates must meet with an elections commissioner before any additional campaigning may begin
9. Winning an election
   1. There are up to two rounds for each race, a primary potentially followed by a final
   • In final rounds, there shall be no ability to write in candidates
   2. In a single-seat election, if any one candidate gets a simple majority of all ballots, including abstentions, that candidate will be granted a mandate, and there will not be a final round.
      • In the event that a primary ballot would be identical to the final round ballot, except for the ability to write in candidates, the primary round will count as the final round. The candidate with the most votes shall be declared the winner.
      • In all other cases, the final round will contain the candidates who place first or second in the primary round will proceed to a final round.
   3. In a multi-seat election, if any one candidate receives a mandate, they will automatically be declared a winner. The remaining seat(s) will be determined by the final round.
   • In the event that a primary ballot would be identical to the final round ballot, except for the ability to write in candidates, the primary round shall count as the final round. The candidates with the most votes shall be declared the winners.
   • Any final round shall contain up to two times as many candidates as there are seats being sought. The number of seats being sought does not include any seats already filled by mandate in the primary round.
   4. A write-in vote will only be counted if it is for a current undergraduate or TYP student who meets all the criteria for the seat in which they have been written in.
   5. Any vote for a person other than a current undergraduate degree seeking student or a person enrolled in the Transitional Year Program shall be discarded from the total number of votes.
10. Violations
    1. The Chief of Elections reserves the right to treat all violations reported to elections@lists.brandeis.edu as official complaints.
    2. Should the Chief of Elections determine that a violation has occurred, he or she may impose any reasonable sanction(s) including but not limited to
       • A warning to correct the violation.
       • Loss of campaign privileges and materials.
       • Negative notations on ballots.
       • Disqualification.
11. Scope
    1. These rules apply to all candidates running for office.

Candidates are expected to behave appropriately as members of the Brandeis community and to uphold the spirit of the the Student Union Constitution and Bylaws, and these election rules.

Note: The name listed on official ballots will be your "preferred name" as listed in SAGE. If you have privacy flags set so as to restrict access to your name and email address, please list them on your candidate contract so that you can be included on the ballot.