Elections Board of the
Columbia College Student Council
Constitution.
The Elections Board is the branch of CCSC established to conduct and publicize all CCSC elections, as is outlined in Article V. of the CCSC Constitution. Members of the Elections Board are chosen by the CCSC to run fair and efficient elections in the most impartial manner.
Article I. Membership and Duties
Section 1.
The Elections Board shall consist of five Columbia College students appointed by the CCSC, who do not serve on the CCSC and do not intend to run in a CCSC election during their one-year term. The CCSC will appoint one selected member to serve as the Elections Board Chair.
Section 2. Elections Board Chair
The Elections Board Chair will serve as the head of the Elections Board, and will be the primary liaison for communicating with the CCSC. The Chair will be responsible for arranging all Elections Board meetings and ensuring that the elections are well publicized and run according to schedule. The Chair will also be responsible for ensuring that all committee members remain impartial throughout the elections process. All internal Elections Board decisions will be mediated by the Chair.
Section 3. Board Members
Members of the Elections Board will work together to prepare and distribute all elections materials, publicize and moderate candidate forums, oversee voting, prepare online election centers, approve posters, respond to rule violations, determine penalties, work with the Office of Student Development and Activities to send school-wide e-mails, tally the votes, release the results, pass the elections regulations, calendar elections, and fulfill all responsibilities outlined in Article III and elsewhere in this constitution.
Article II. Terms of Membership
Section 1. Elections Board
The terms of office for Elections Board Members will commence immediately upon their selection by the CCSC in the spring, following the completion of the Spring Elections. All appointments to the Elections Board are one-year terms; membership will be selected by the CCSC each spring. There is no term limit for Elections Board members as long as they maintain eligibility as an enrolled Columbia College student who does not hold a CCSC office. If a member of the Elections Board resigns during his or her term, he or she is still ineligible to run in the Spring CCSC Elections or apply to fill a CCSC vacancy that year.
Section 2. Removal Procedures
Candidates, Elections Board members, CCSC members, and students at large who find that the integrity of the elections process has been compromised by a member of the Elections Board may submit a written complaint to the President of the CCSC, who will bring the complaint to the attention of the CCSC Judicial Board. All complaints will remain confidential while under the consideration of the J-Board. The J-Board will then determine whether or not the complaint warrants the attention of the entire CCSC. If so, the CCSC may decide what action, if any, needs to be taken in order to maintain the integrity of the elections process, during a closed session of a CCSC meeting, as per the guidelines in the CCSC Constitution.
Section 3. Membership Replacement
If a member of the Elections Board resigns or is otherwise unable to fulfill the terms of their appointment, one of the following procedures will be followed to fill the vacancy, depending on the proximity of the resignation to the upcoming elections.
A.
If the resignation occurs 31 days or more before the Spring CCSC Election, the following procedure will be followed:
The Elections Board Chair will notify the CCSC President of the resignation, and the CCSC President will send out notification of the vacancy in his or her next school-wide e-mail. The e-mail should also include the same Elections Board application used to appoint the current board members. The vacant seat will be filled by appointment through the CCSC, according to the guidelines set forth in the CCSC constitution. If the Chair resigns, the CCSC will choose a new Chair from the remaining members of the Elections Board.
B.
If the resignation occurs 30 days or less before the Spring CCSC Election, the following procedure will be followed:
In order for the Spring Elections to run smoothly, any vacancy created during this period will be filled with the discretion of the Elections Board Chair. The Chair is urged to appoint a new member to assist with the Spring Elections as soon as possible.
Article III. Elections Governance
Section 1. Review of Rules and Regulations
The Elections Board is responsible for preparing all candidate rules and regulations pertaining to the elections and distributing them to all candidates prior to the beginning of the campaigning period. The Rules and Regulations should be reviewed each year at the spring meeting between the outgoing and incoming Elections Boards. The board members should use the existing rules document as a template, and only make improvements where deemed absolutely necessary, taking into account any issues that arose in the previous election. There will be a formal discussion of the Rules and Regulations document at a general meeting of the CCSC, where members of the CCSC may provide input and the Elections Board will field questions from CCSC members and other meeting attendees. The Elections Board is in no way bound to suggestions given at this meeting, but should review and consider them at a meeting of all the members of the Elections Board.
Section 2. Preparation and Promotion
After reviewing the Rules and Regulations, the Elections Board must begin to prepare for the Fall Elections. Their duties include, but are not limited to, the tasks below:
A. Elections Timeline
The Fall Elections should be scheduled for September, and preparations must be made over the summer so that the incoming first year class can elect their representatives as soon as possible. The Spring Elections should occur in April, to allow the incoming council sufficient time to learn their responsibilities and meet relevant administrators. The Elections Board should adhere as closely as possible to the Elections Timeline Template (Appendix I), scheduling no fewer than two information sessions, a rules meeting, candidate forums, postering periods, non-postering campaign periods, and a moratorium period directly preceding the election. The Elections Board should take into account holidays, vacations, and other campus events when scheduling the elections, with the aim of garnering maximum student participation.
B. Fall Elections
The fall election of first-year officers, as well as any other CCSC vacancies, should be completed by October, before the CCSC retreat. The Elections Board should coordinate with NSOP, Residential Programs, and SDA, to both promote the elections and ensure that they do not conflict with any other first-year activities. The campaign period should be two weeks long, which is shorter than the Spring Elections.
C. Spring Elections
The entire Spring Elections process (from the first day of campaigning to the election day) should be scheduled over three weeks and must be completed at least one month before the last CCSC meeting of the school year. The Elections Board should pay close attention to the occurrence of Spring Break, Passover, Easter, and large campus events when creating the Spring Elections timeline.
D. Advertising
It is imperative that the entire student body be made aware of the elections so that every eligible student has the opportunity to become a candidate, and so that every student feels invested in the outcome of the election. The Elections Board should advertise the elections through a variety of means, including: flyers, e-mails, and the CCSC website.
E. Materials
The Elections Board is responsible for preparing and distributing all explanatory materials, including but not limited to: position descriptions, calendars, rules packets, candidate registration forms, and forum guidelines. The Elections Board must provide the CCSC webmaster with all these updated documents and contact information for Elections Board members. Additionally, the Elections Board is responsible for preparing the ballots.
F. Election Centers
The Elections Board shall compile candidate profiles and platforms to be submitted to the webmaster and posted on the CCSC website. Candidates will be given a deadline for submitting this information, and may be penalized if it is not submitted on time. Furthermore, the Elections Board should direct the student body’s attention to this website.
Section 3. Eligibility and Candidacy
A.
Any full-time Columbia College student in good academic standing (GPA at least 2.0), and who is registered as a member of the electorate s/he is seeking to represent, is eligible for office. For Fall Elections, only first-year students may run for class positions. In the event that executive board or non-first-year positions are vacant, students may run in the fall election to fill the open positions. The office of Student Development and Activities may request confirmation of good academic standing from candidates. Candidates must comply or face disqualification.B.
Candidacy is contingent upon timely submittal of all Elections Board registration forms, attendance at the Rules Meeting, and compliance with all guidelines as per the Rules and Regulations.C.
Candidates are responsible for complying with all University rules, including those set forth by Housing and Dining, Residential Life, and AcIS. Campaign activities that violate any University policies may warrant penalties and possibly disqualification.D.
Write-in votes will be accepted for candidates who have not submitted their registration forms. Only candidates recognized by the Elections Board will be allowed to participate in candidate forums and submit their platforms and profiles to the online Election Center. Furthermore, no student may campaign for a write-in vote during any official elections events. Write-in votes will not be accepted for students whose actions during the campaign would have warranted disqualification had the student been an official candidate.E.
No late submissions of any form will be accepted. Additionally, no registration forms may be submitted electronically.
Section 4. Parties
A.
Only candidates for the executive board and class councils may form parties, and these parties will be recognized on the ballot. The Elections Board will not recognize or allow any other affiliations or coalitions, with other parties, campus, or national organizations; such affiliations are grounds for disqualification. Candidates running on a ticket must submit a Party Identification Form in addition to their individual Candidate Registration forms.B.
Executive Board candidates must run as a party with all of the following positions: President, Vice President for Policy, Vice President for Campus Life, Vice President for Funding, and Vice President for Communications. The executive board will be voted for as an entire ticket. Votes for individual members composing the executive board will be viewed as a vote for the entire ticket.C.
Candidates for Class President and Class Vice President must run together as a ticket and cannot be voted for individually. These candidates may run as a party with up to three Class Representative candidatesD.
Candidates for Class Representative may run as part of a party with other candidates for Class Council, or be independent from party affiliation.E.
Candidates running for Class Council may form parties that include up to five candidates: Class President, Vice-President and three Representatives.F.
No party names may be affiliated with any national or campus-recognized group. No offensive or suggestive party names will be accepted, as they would compromise the integrity of the elections. All party names are subject to the approval of the Elections Board.G. Party Reorganization
No candidate may switch parties; each candidate must remain affiliated with the party declared on his/her candidate registration form. No new parties may be formed after the registration deadline. If a Representative candidate who is affiliated with a Class Council party resigns, the party may still run with the remaining members of the ticket. If a candidate for Class President or Vice President rescinds his/her candidacy, another member of the same party may run for that position, as long as the Elections Board is informed immediately. Under no other circumstances may a candidate rescind candidacy for one position and then seek candidacy for another position in the same election. No party may add another representative candidate after a candidate resigns.
Section 5. Endorsements
A.
A candidate may not use his or her current position on CCSC to further his or her candidacy, nor the candidacy of any other student.B.
No member of CCSC may use his or her position to campaign for any candidate.
Section 7. Campaigning
No alcoholic beverages may be served in connection with a candidate's campaign.
Section 8. Forums
A.
The Elections Board must organize at least one public forum for all candidates in both the fall and spring elections. When possible, separate forums should be held for each position.B.
Only registered candidates recognized by the Elections Board may present their platform and answer questions (Article III, Section 3).C.
Forum attendance is mandatory for all candidates. Candidates may not leave their forum until it has officially ended, unless an official excuse from the Elections Board has been issued.D.
The Elections Board is responsible for advertising the forums to the student body, and providing candidates with approved flyers that advertise their forums.
Section 9. Referenda
A.
Referenda may only consist of survey questions for the Columbia College electorate. Referenda may only be placed on the ballot when the entire Columbia College student body is eligible to vote.B.
A student or group must submit the question(s) to the Elections Board for approval before the assigned deadline. The Elections Board reserves the right to reject the wording of any referendum and will give the student or group 24 hours to reword and resubmit such questions. Approved referenda will be available for circulation the following morning.C.
To place a referendum on the ballot, a petition containing the exact question and the valid signatures of 150 enrolled Columbia College students must be obtained OR two-thirds of all voting members of the CCSC must vote to place the question(s) on the ballot. Such action must occur before the assigned deadline.D.
Campaign materials used by groups supporting or opposing referenda must conform to the Elections Board regulations regarding campaign materials (Article III, Section 6). Any actions on behalf of those sponsoring the referenda are subject to Elections Board rules and regulations. Any inappropriate behavior will result in the exclusion of the questions from the ballot.
Section 10. Rules Violations
A.
Allegations of rule violation must be submitted on the Rules Violation form on the CCSC elections web site. Submissions must clearly identify the rule(s) violated, the illegal action(s), and the person(s) allegedly responsible for rule violation. Copies of the Rules Violation form will be emailed to the Elections Board, the person submitting the form, and the alleged rule violator. The person submitting the rules violation may also provide the Elections Board with supporting materials related to the alleged violation.B.
The alleged rule violator may submit a rebuttal to the charges in writing or by e-mail to the Elections Board.C.
The Elections Board will investigate the complaint based on the information in the Rules Violation form and in the rebuttal. If additional information is required, the Elections Board will call separate meetings with the parties to the complaint. Appropriate sanctions will be enforced if the rule violator is found guilty. After the Elections Board has ruled on a complaint, all violations and subsequent penalties become public information.D.
The Elections Board is solely responsible for assigning and enforcing sanctions and penalties. Violation of any rule may lead to disqualification or lesser penalties, as determined by the Elections Board.E.
All Elections Board decisions regarding disqualification are final unless reversed through appeal to the CCSC Judicial Board, which shall decide to either uphold or overturn the Elections Board’s decision, as per the procedure set forth in the CCSC Constitution.F.
The Elections Board must reinstate a previously disqualified candidate if the Judicial Board overturns the disqualification.
Section 11. Election Day Procedures
A.
Voting stations must be staffed by at least two people at all times. Only Elections Board members, Judicial Board members, and Student Development and Activities (SDA) staff are permitted to supervise voting.B.
Voting stations must be set up for secret voting. This means that partitions must be erected on the voting table, and that students must be able to put their ballots directly into the ballot box.C.
Elections Board members are responsible for maintaining an impartial voting area. No vote solicitation by any student is permitted within 20 feet of the voting station.D.
In order to vote, a student must present a valid CUID and be verified as a member of the Columbia College student body. All Columbia College students will be allowed to vote for all offices except class positions. Members of a particular class may only vote for the President, Vice President, and Class Representatives of that class.E.
The Elections Board is responsible for preparing the ballots (Section 2,E). For the spring elections, four separate ballots must be created specific to each class. Positions on the ballot will be determined randomly such that each candidate appears in the top position on an equal number of ballots.F.
Only Elections Board members, Judicial Board members, and SDA staff are permitted to tally the votes. At least one SDA staff member must be present while the votes are being counted. No other students are permitted to assist in or observe the tallying at any point.G.
Elections Board representatives will tally the number of students marked as voters and compare that to the number of ballots received. If the discrepancy is greater than 2%, or if the discrepancy is greater than the margin of victory, the election will be declared invalid.H.
A simple plurality of votes will suffice for the victor in any office. Write-in candidates may be declared winners if they achieve this plurality, unless their behavior during the campaign period would have warranted disqualification had they been official candidates, as outlined in Section.I.
No elections results are to be released until all votes have been counted. At this time, the results must be sent first to the candidates and current CCSC members via electronic mail. After this, media publications and the student body at large may be informed.J.
Any Columbia College student may appeal the election results by writing or emailing the Elections Board within 24 hours of the first announcement of the results. Results become official after the last appeal is decided. No student may request a recount unless the numerical difference between the candidate's total and the named winner's total is less than or equal to one percent of all votes cast in that race.
Article IV. Constitution
Section 1.
This document shall become the binding governing charter for the Elections Board of the Columbia College Student Council once ratified.
Section 2. Amendments
All constitutional amendments must be passed by a 2/3 majority vote of the CCSC, according to the following process:
1.
Any member of the Elections Board may propose an amendment.2.
The amendment must be approved by a majority vote of the Elections Board.3.
The amendment must then be approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the CCSC.
Section 3. Rules and Regulations
Each year, the Elections Board must review and adopt the Rules and Regulations, as laid forth in Article III, Section 1, which includes supplemental information pertaining to elections procedure and governance. This document will be the official and binding set of rules for all candidates in the CCSC elections.
