Candidate Rules and Regulations
I. Eligibility and Candidacy
A.
To be eligible for office, a candidate must be:
- -- registered as a full-time Columbia College student.
- -- registered as a member of the electorate s/he is seeking to represent.
- -- in good academic standing (GPA at least 2.0). Candidates must comply with requests from The Office of Student Development and Activities to confirm good academic standing.
B.
To be recognized by the Elections Board, a candidate must:
- -- submit a Candidate Registration Form by September 12, 2008 at 9pm
- -- submit a Party Registration Form by September 12, 2008 at 9pm
- -- attend a Rules Meeting on Sept. 14 @ 9:30pm or Sept. 8pm @ 8pm
- -- attend the Columbia College Student Council (CCSC) meeting on Sunday, September 21, 2008.
- -- attend the Class Council Debate (Date/Time TBD)
C.
Late submission of any registration form will not be accepted.
D.
If a candidate cannot attend a required meeting, the Elections Board can use its discretion in granting an excuse, albeit only in extenuating circumstances.
E.
All registration forms must be submitted to the Elections Board via the Student Government Office (SGO) on the 5th floor of Lerner Hall. Electronic Registration forms shall not be accepted.
F.
Write-in votes will be accepted for candidates who are eligible but not recognized. Only recognized candidates 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.
II. Party Organization
A.
Only candidates for Executive Board and Class Councils may form parties. Candidates running as a party must submit one Party Identification Form on behalf of the party in addition to their individual Candidate Registration Forms. Parties will be recognized on the ballot.
B.
No Party names may be affiliated with any national or campus-recognized group. Furthermore, no party in Columbia College may be affiliated with a party of the same name in SEAS. No party in Columbia College may be affiliated with or campaign on the behalf of another party or candidate in the election. No party names that violate Article III shall be accepted.
C.
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 as an entire ticket in the CCSC Elections. A vote for an individual member of the party will be counted as a vote for the entire ticket.
D.
Candidates running for Class Council may form parties that include up to five candidates: Class President, Vice-President, and up to three Class Representatives.
E.
Candidates for Class President and Class Vice-President must run together as a party and cannot be voted for individually. These candidates may run as a party with up to three Class Representatives.
F.
Candidates for Class Representative may run independently or as part of a party with other candidates for Class Council.
G.
Once the registration deadline has passed, candidates may not switch parties. New parties may not be formed after the registration deadline. If a candidate for Class Representative who is affiliated with a party rescinds his/her candidacy, 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 via email within 24 hours of the rescission. Under no other circumstances may a candidate rescind candidacy for one position and then seek candidacy for another position in the same election. Parties may not add another representative candidate after a candidate resigns.
H.
Candidates may list their party affiliations and running mates in any campaign materials.
III. Campaign Activities
A.
Campaigning is any activity that promotes a candidate or party in association with an election. Campaigning includes, but is not limited to, the distribution of posters and palm cards, the publishing of web content, door-to-door canvassing, emailing, public announcements, and telephone canvassing.
B.
Candidates must comply with all university rules, including those set forth by Residential Life, Housing and Dining, and CUIT. All Residential Life, Housing and Dining, and CUIT rules are adopted into the Candidate Rules and Regulations. Candidates for University Senator must abide by the election regulations of the University Senate Election Committee. The committee's regulations are adopted into the Candidate Rules and Regulations.
C.
Candidates are responsible for the campaign-related actions of those whom they encourage, request, or solicit to support their campaign. Rules violations committed by supporters will be treated as if the candidates committed them. The Elections Board will evaluate the validity of the connection between a supporter and a party. Candidates should inform supporters of the Candidate Rules and Regulations.
D.
Candidates may not knowingly misrepresent any factual information about themselves, attack another candidate's views, experience, or platform. Candidates may not attack the character of another candidate in any way.
E.
Discriminatory, obscene, sexually suggestive, drug and alcohol related, and generally offensive content is prohibited.
F.
No member of CCSC may use his or her position to campaign for any candidate. Actions considered inappropriate include, but are not limited to, the following:
- -- Use of CCSC email privileges to promote a candidate
- -- Campaigning or allowing a candidate to campaign at a CCSC event
- -- Expressing one's support for a candidate while acting in his/her capacity as a member of CCSC
G.
On Election Days, vote solicitation is not allowed within 100 feet of any polling place. Candidates and supporters must remain 100 feet away from the voting stations except when actually casting their votes. In addition, if the election is held on Low Plaza, candidates may not loiter anywhere on or near Low Plaza. Any further restrictions on vote solicitation can be instituted on Elections Days at the discretion of the Elections Board.
IV. Campaign Materials
A.
Campaign materials are any physical or electronic materials that promote a candidate or party in association with an election. All sections of Article III apply to campaign materials.
B.
The only forms of permitted campaign materials are posters, palm cards, published web content, and emails. Published web content is specifically limited to the following methods: Facebook profiles, Facebook messages, Facebook events, Facebook groups, AIM profiles, websites, and videos/movies. In addition, when sending messages via Facebook, candidates may not include more than 30 recipients per message. If a proposed method is not included in the previous list, its usage is forbidden by election rules. Additionally, no other physical campaign materials are permitted other then what is listed. Prohibited materials/methods include, but are not limited to: chalking, use of whiteboards and chalkboards, creative uses of tape, custom t-shirts, food, stickers, Facebook ads, and AIM away messages. No alcoholic beverages may be served in connection with a candidate's campaign.
C.
Candidates may submit any campaign materials to the Elections Board for pre-screening of content. The Elections Board will certify submitted materials as allowable or will identify non-allowable aspects. Pre-clearance is not required for any materials other than posters and palm cards.
D.
Candidates may not damage, destroy, obscure, move or otherwise limit access to campaign materials produced by others. Protected materials include other parties' posters, palm cards, web content, and emails. Protected materials also include those produced by independent groups that promote a candidate or the elections in general (e.g. copies of the Spectator that include articles or endorsements concerning the election).
E.
Beginning October 5 at 9:00am and continuing through October 7 at 7:00pm, a moratorium on the distribution of campaign materials will be in effect. During the moratorium period, no posters or palm cards may be hung up, distributed, moved, or used in any other fashion. The campaigning period will begin at 9:00 am on September 22. No campaigning activities, as laid out in sections of Article III and IV, may take place prior to this date. Candidates or supporters may not advance their candidacy or the candidacy of any other candidate or party in the election prior to the start of the campaigning period. All other forms of campaigning are encouraged during the moratorium period but the use of new posters; palm cards or forms of campaigning as laid out in Section III and IV are strictly prohibited.
V. Emails
A.
All sections of Articles III and IV apply to emails that constitute campaign materials.
B.
Sending unsolicited mass emails to students not known by the candidate is prohibited.
C.
No pre-formed email lists may be used directly by candidates during the campaign. However, a candidate may request to include a message in a student group's email said group has endorsed the candidate.
D.
When directly emailing voters, candidates may email no more than thirty students per email.
VI. Posters and Palm Cards
A.
All sections of Articles III and IV apply to posters and palm cards that constitute campaign materials.
B.
Drafts of all posters and palm cards must be pre-cleared by the Elections Board. Failure to present posters or palm cards for pre-clearance during the time specified will result in a deduction of 10% from candidates' poster quotas.
C.
Posters and palm cards are additionally bound by the following regulations:
- -- Each ticket for executive board may produce a maximum of 1,000 posters
- -- Each candidate for a class council position may produce a maximum of 100 posters
- -- Each candidate for Senate, Academic Affairs, Student Services, or Pre-Professional may produce a maximum of 400 posters
- -- 25% of each candidate's posters must feature specific elements of the candidate's or party's platform
- -- Party members may pool their posters
- -- Posters must be printed/photocopied with black ink
- -- Posters must be printed/photocopies on regular 20lb white or colored paper
- -- Cardstock or poster board may not be used to create posters
- -- Posters must be no larger than 8.5" x 11" but may be used in conjunction with other posters to construct a larger tableau
- -- 8.5" x 11" sized pages may be divided as small as eighths for use as palm cards
- -- Candidates may not "laminate" posters with excessive amounts of tape
- -- Posters may not be affixed to brick, glass, or stone
- -- Candidates may not poster residence hall doors without consent from the resident
D.
All posters and palm cards must be stamped according to the following regulations:
- -- The Elections Board will provide official rubber stamps to be used during poster stamping
- -- Every poster and every palm card must be stamped individually
- -- A legible stamp must appear on the front of all printed material
- -- Stamping must be completed in one session; candidates are not allowed to leave the SGO and return to finish stamping
- -- Failure to complete either stamping or pre-approval during the time specified will be penalized by a 10% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to original allotment)
- -- Missing both the pre-approval and stamping deadline during the time specified will be penalized by a 20% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to original allotment)
- -- If a candidate misses either the poster pre-clearance or stamping deadlines, they will be given a second deadline by which to complete their posters. Missing deadlines after the first pre-approval and stamping deadlines will result in an additional 25% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to their original allotment) for each subsequent deadline missed.
VII. Campaign Financing
A.
Campaign financing will be provided through the Columbia College Student Council for any recognized candidate.
B.
For printed campaign material, the following regulations apply:
- -- The CCSC will underwrite the costs for the total number of copies a candidate and/ or party is allotted pursuant to Article VI, Section C of the Candidate Rules and Regulations.
- -- The CCSC will underwrite printing/ photocopying expenses at Village Copier (2872 Broadway) for posters printed with black ink on colored paper.
- -- E-forms for Village Copier will be disbursed during the Poster Approval period.
- -- Upon charging purchases on CCSC's account with the store, candidates must submit all invoices to the Elections Board for verification.
- -- In the event of botched copies or poster redesifns, no funding will be provided for printing/photocopying exceeding the allocated limit.
C.
For tape, the following regulations apply:
- -- For Executive Board and Class Council tickets, CCSC will distribute one roll of tape per candidate.
- -- For all at-large positions besides the Executive Board, CCSC will distribute two rolls of tape per candidate.
- -- The CCSC will not provide reimbursement for tape/adhesive materials bought with the candidate's own money.
D.
For websites, the following regulations apply:
- -- Up to ten dollars for domain name registration and related costs per ticket (or candidate if candidate is running individually) will be provided by the CCSC.
- -- The campaign must produce a receipt of the domain name purchased to the CCSC Elections Board, which will then reimburse the candidate.
- -- The Council will not cover web-related costs exceeding ten dollars.
- -- Students are encouraged to utilize available free resources such as the 40MB default space quota on the CUNIX account.
VIII. Online Elections Center
A.
The Elections Board will create an online Elections Center that will list all candidates and the postions they seek. The listing will be organized according to party affiliation.
B.
Candidates may submit profiles and photos to supplement their listing. Profiles may not exceed 500 words per candidate. Parties may pool their profile word count. Each candidate may submit one photo.
C.
All sections of Article III and IV apply to submitted profiles and photos.
IX. Candidate Debates
A.
The Elections Board will hold one candidate debate for candidates. Candidates must attend the entirety of the debate.
B.
Candidate debates will consist of the following components:
- -- Opening Statements: Parties will have three minutes. Senate, Academic Affairs, Student Services, and Pre-Professional representatives will have two minutes. Independent representatives will have one minute.
- -- Independent Questions: All candidates will be asked to respond to questions from the Elections Board or independent groups of the board's choosing (e.g. campus media, campus political organizations, etc.)
- -- Candidate Questions: All candidates will be asked to respond to questions posed by their opponents. Candidates must submit questions they wish to ask their opponents to the Elections Board for pre-screening. The Elections Board will certify the questions based on their compliance with Article III.
- -- Audience Questions: Candidates will be asked to respond to questions posed by the audience.
C.
Elections Board members will moderate each forum.
X. Endorsements
A.
Candidates may seek endorsements from recognized student groups and publicize approved endorsements. The Student Group Endorsement Form is located on the CCSC Elections Board Web Page
B.
To obtain an official endorsement, a candidate or party and the endorsing organization must comply with the following regulations:
- -- The party or candidate must present their platform at a full meeting of the student organization's executive board.
- -- The endorsing organization must be provided with a copy of the Candidate Rules and Regulations regarding endorsements (Article X).
- -- If the candidate seeking endorsement is a member of the student group's executive board, then he/she must abstain from the vote.
- -- If the candidate or party seeking endorsement is running against a member of the student group's executive board, then that member of the student group's board must abstain from the vote.
- -- The Candidate Endorsement Form must be completed and signed by the candidate seeking endorsement and the President of the endorsing organization.
- -- If the candidate seeking endorsement is President of the student group, then the next highest-ranking officer must preside over the vote and sign the Candidate Endorsement Form.
C.
Candidates must submit completed endorsement forms to the Elections Board. Candidates may not publicize an endorsement until the acccompanying form has been submitted.
D.
Endorsing organizations may not provide financial or material support to candidates. Their members may campaign on behalf of candidates, but must comply with all elections rules. Candidates may not campaign on event flyers of their endorsing organizations.
E.
Candidates may not be endorsed by the Columbia College Student Council, Activities Board at Columbia, Student Governning Board, Community Impact, Club Sports, or the Inter-Greek Council. In addition, candidates may not be endorsed by Columbia employees or faculty.
XI. Rule Violations
A.
Allegations of rules violation must be submitted online using the Rules Violation Form located at the Elections Board Website
B.
The submission must clearly identify the rule allegedly violated and the specific action alleged to constitute the rule violation. All supporting evidence and/or documentation must be submitted to the Elections Board at the same time. The alleged rules violator will be allowed to submit a rebuttal to the charges via email.
C.
The Elections Board will investigate the complaint using all submitted information and any additional information it deems necessary. The Elections Board may call a hearing to investigate the violation.
D.
Any candidate may appeal the Elections Board's decision to the CCSC Judicial Board, which is the final authority on rules violation allegations.
E.
Any candidate disqualified by the Elections Board will be treated as an unrecognized candidate from the time of disqualification regardless of pending appeals. Such candidates will not be allowed to participate in official campaign events or be listed on the ballot unless reinstated by the CCSC Judicial Board.
F.
Adjudication of alleged rule violations will follow the following timeline:
- -- From the time that a rules violation form is submitted, the accused party will have 18 hours to file a rebuttal.
- -- From the time that a rebuttal is filed, the Elections Board will rule on the allegation within 12 hours.
- -- From the time that the Election Board rules, the losing party will have 12 hours to appeal to the CCSC Judicial Board.
- -- From the time an appeal is filed, the CCSC Judicial Board will have 24 hours to conduct a hearing and rule on the appeal.
- -- A party's failure to comply with a deadline shall consititute a waiver of their right to file a rebuttal or appeal a decision.
G.
With the exception of the penalties described in Article XI, section H, candidates shall be penalized for rules violations as follows:
- -- For the purposes of penalizing candidates and parties, the phrase “Original Allotment“ is defined as the maximum number of posters the candidate or party was orginally allowed, not the number of posters actually printed by the party.
- -- A first violation shall result in a 10% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to the candidate or party's original allotment).
- -- A second violation shall result in a further 25% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to the original allotment).
- -- A third violation shall result in a further 25% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to their original allotment) and an elimination of all web content.
- -- A fourth violation shall result in automatic disqualification.
- -- Regardless of whether it is a repeat violation, a violation that significantly alters the elections shall result in a 25% poster reduction (calculated in relation to their original allotment).
- -- Regardless of whether it is a repeat violation, a violation that alters the elections in a fundamentally unfair way shall result in a 50% poster reduction (calculated in relation to their original allotment) and elimination of web content.
- -- Regardless of whether it is a repeat violation, a violation that alters the elction in a fundamentally unfair way and is malicious shall result in disqualification.
- -- Within the period beginning /october 5 at 9:00am and continuing through October 7 at 7:00pm, any violation that alters the election in a fundamentally unfair way will result in disqualification. The rebuttable presumption of the Elections Baord shall be that any violations committed during this period alter the election in a fundamentally unfair way.
H.
Candidates and parties shall be penalized for pre-clearance and poster stamping violations as follows:
- -- Failure to present posters or palm cards for pre-clearance during the time specified shall result in a 10% poster reduction (calculated in relation to their original allotment). Violations under this provision will not count as First Violation as that term is used in Article XI, Section G.
- -- If a candidate misses either the poster pre-clearance or stamping deadlines, they will be given a second deadline by which to complete their posters. Missing deadlines after the first pre-approval and stamping deadlines will result in a further 25% reduction in posters (calculated in relation to their original allotment) for each subsequent deadline missed.
I.
Substantive complaints of voter harassment or badgering that take place from the beginning of the moratorium period (9:00 am on October 5) to the end of the election period (7:00 pm on October 7) by a candidate(s) or a supporter(s) of a given party or candidate will result in automatic disqualification from the election.
XII. Election Results
A.
Elections will be decided by a plurality of votes.
B.
Candidates will be informed of the election results via email.
C.
Any student may appeal election results within 24 hours of the results being announced. Appeals must be filed via email.
D.
Appeals will be adjudicated according to the timeline specified in Article XI, Section F. Within 18 hours of an appeal being filed, any candidate in the contested election may support or rebut the substance of the appeal. After the Elections Board has ruled, the student initially appealing or any candidate in the contested election may appeal to the CCSC Judicial Board.
E.
Election results become official 24 hours after their announcement or after the last appeal is decided.
XIII. Communicating with Elections Board
A.
All paper forms must be submitted to the Elections Board in the Student Government Office (SGO) on the 5th Floor of Lerner Hall.
B.
All additional official communications with the Elections Board must be submitted by e-mail to ccsc-elections@columbia.edu.
C.
All necessary forms and document are available online at the Elections Board Website
