SFUO Election Rules 2012 - En

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SFUO ELECTIONS 2011-2012ELECTORAL REGULATIONS

ENGLISH VERSIONThese rules are official by the SFUO Elections Committee

November 7, 2011



PREAMBLE .............................................................................................. 2

1 GENERAL PROVISIONS ....................................................................... 3

2 ELECTIONS OFFICE PERSONNEL ......................................................... 3

3 CANDIDATES AND REFERENDUM COMMITTEES ................................ 4

4 OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES .............................................................. 7

5 VOLUNTEERS ..................................................................................... 8

6 RIGHTS OF SFUO MEMBERS .............................................................. 9

7 TIMETABLE ........................................................................................ 9

8 ELECTORAL AND REFERENDUM EXPENSES ...................................... 11

9 USE OF UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATIONS ............................................. 13

10 COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ELECTIONS OFFICE ....................... 13

11 POSTING RULES ............................................................................. 14

12 RESIDENCE CAMPAIGNING ........................................................... 17

13 ELECTORAL DEBATES .................................................................... 17

14 CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS ...................................................... 17

15 POLLING DAYS ............................................................................... 18

16 BALLOTS ........................................................................................ 19

17 VIOLATIONS .................................................................................. 19

18 PENALTIES ..................................................................................... 21

19 INTERNET POLICY .......................................................................... 23

20 E-MAIL .......................................................................................... 24

21 CLUBS ............................................................................................ 25

22 GENERAL CAMPAIGN RULES ......................................................... 25



PREAMBLE

WHEREAS it is in the interest of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa to make the student population more aware of women's reality withinsociety and to acknowledge the contribution of women in the progress of

society in general, the Electoral Regulations have been written in the femininegender.

The feminine includes the masculine.



1 GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1 Individual Members of the Student Federation of the University Of Ottawa(SFUO) are full-time and part-time undergraduate students who have paid themembership fees of the Federation as set out in the SFUO constitution, as well

as SFUO executive members and the Chief Electoral Officer, Chief ReturningOfficer.

1.2 For the purposes of this document, a member of the SFUO will hereinafter becalled a member of the Federation.

1.3 The Electoral Regulations are subject to the SFUO Constitution.

1.4 Every bylaw, resolution and policy of the Federation must be written andadopted in both of its official languages. Each of the English and Frenchversions is equally authoritative. (Bylaw 5.2 of the SFUO Constitution)

However, in the event of any discrepancy between the English version and theFrench version of the Electoral Regulations, the most consistent text with theintention of the provision in accordance with the ordinary rules of legalinterpretation shall prevail.

1.5 Each participant in an election campaign, but in particular candidates andofficial representatives, is responsible for familiarizing herself with the SFUOConstitution and the official Electoral Regulations in order to ensure that heractions do not contravene the Constitution or the official Electoral Regulations.

1.6 A referendum committee may only campaign for one aspect of the referendumquestion, either the “Yes” or the “No”.

1.7 The Chief Electoral Officer may, at any time, amend the Electoral Regulations inorder to insure the fairness and the integrity of the elections. When anamendment is made, the Chief Electoral Officer must communicate it to allcandidates and official representatives within 24 hours. The rule comes intoeffect immediately upon the Chief Electoral Officer’s communication to thecandidates and official representatives; however no candidate can be penalizedduring the first 24 hours of the rule coming into effect.

2 ELECTIONS OFFICE PERSONNEL

2.1 The Executive



2.1.1 The Executive of the Elections Office is composed of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Chief Returning Officer. The Chief Electoral Officer and other elections officers are obliged tofollow the SFUO constitution as well as to complete the general dispositions of the positionas outlined in the SFUO constitution.

2.2 Personnel

2.2.1 The expression “personnel of the elections office” encompasses the members of theExecutive, the Chief Returning Officer, the poll clerks and all other employees hired by theChief Electoral Officer.

2.2.2 The duties of the personnel are to be determined by the Chief Electoral Officer.

2.3 Exceptions

2.3.1 Employees or volunteers associated with the weekly campus newspapers (La Rotonde andThe Fulcrum) will not be eligible for employment at the Elections Office, unless they stopworking/volunteering for the duration of the election period.

3 CANDIDATES AND REFERENDUM COMMITTEES

3.1 Eligibility

3.1.1 Any person is eligible to become a candidate if she fills the requirements of SFUOconstitution section 3.1.1.9:

“Only those persons who are aged 18 or more as of the first day of their mandate, who are of sound mind, who have not been declared bankrupt and who have been duly elected to theexecutive or as faculty directors are qualified to be named directors of the Board of Administration.”

SFUO constitution section 3.1.2: “Eligibility of Faculty Directors”

Any member of the Federation is eligible to run for a faculty director seat provided that:

- she will be at least eighteen years of age as of the first day of her mandate.

- she is enrolled in the faculty for which she is seeking a seat

3.1.2 Candidates for the executive must also fill the eligibility requirements for the position persection 3 of the SFUO constitution:

3.1.2.1 President

“3.3.2 (b): is bilingual, that is to say, achieves a grade of three (3) out of four (4) on the

reading test and a five (5) out of five (5) on the speaking test in both official languages. Tests

are to be administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa using the “French Proficiency test,” the “English Proficiency Test” and the

“CanTEST.” Each potential candidate must take the tests scheduled for her by the Chief Electoral Officer.”



3.1.2.2 Vice-president Finances, Vice-president Student Affairs, Vice-president University Affairs, Vice

President Social

“3.4.2. (b), 3.5.2. (b), 3.6.2. (b), 3.7.2(b): is bilingual, that is to say, achieves a grade of two (2)

out of four (4) on the reading test and of four (4) out of five (5) on the speaking test in both

official languages. Tests are to be administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism

Institute of the University of Ottawa using the “French Proficiency test,” the “EnglishProficiency Test” and the “CanTEST.” Each potential candidate must take the tests scheduled

for her by the Chief Electoral Officer.”

3.1.2.3 Vice-president Communications

“3.8.2. (b) is bilingual, that is to say, achieves a grade of three (3) out of four (4) on the

reading test, of five (5) out of five (5) on the speaking test and of four and a half (4.5) out of

five (5) on the writing test in both official languages. Tests are to be administered by the

Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa using the “French

Proficiency test,” the “English Proficiency Test” and the “CanTEST.” Each potential candidate

must take the tests scheduled for her by the Chief Electoral Officer.”

3.1.3 Any other sections of the SFUO constitution pertaining to eligibility must be respected.

3.1.4 Candidates may run both for a position on the Senate of the University and an executive orBoard of Administration position at the same time.

3.1.5 Candidates may not run for an executive position and a Board of Administration position at the same time.

3.1.6 University Senate

3.1.6.1 Any regular, full-time, undergraduate student intending to study during the 2012-2013

academic year may run for a position on the University Senate.

3.1.7 Bilingualism exam

3.1.7.1 Candidates will be tested in both languages by the Official Languages and Bilingualism

Institute (OLBI) of the University of Ottawa.

3.1.7.2 Candidates must submit to the tests scheduled for them by the OLBI. Candidates are

prohibited from discussing or debating their test language(s) with the employees of the OLBI.

Candidates must show respect and compliance with the demands of the OLBI employees at

all times.

3.2 Nomination

3.2.1 SFUO executive positions: SFUO members must present their nominations for candidacyby submitting the nomination form to the SFUO offices or to the Elections Office, indicatingthe support of fifty (50) members (including their student numbers and signatures), nolater than the time and date stipulated in the elections Timetable (section 7 of the electoralregulations).



3.2.2 SFUO Faculty Director positions: SFUO members must present their nominations forcandidacy by submitting the nomination form to the SFUO offices or to the Elections Office,indicating the support of twenty-five (25) members of their faculty (including their student numbers and signatures), no later than the time and date stipulated in the electionsTimetable (section 7 of the electoral regulations).

3.2.3 University Senate: Regular, full-time, undergraduate students must submit the candidatureform to the SFUO main office (University Centre, room 07) or at the Office of the Vice-President, Governance (Tabaret, room 206). The form must demonstrate the support of at least five (5) regular, full-time, undergraduate students in the same faculty as the candidate(as well as their signatures and student numbers) and must be handed in before the dateand time indicated on the elections schedule (Section 7 of the electoral regulations)

3.3 Positions for which there is no runoff

3.3.1 A candidate for whom their candidature is the only one for the position must all the samesatisfy the admission conditions beforehand, as articulated by the SFUO Constitution andelections rules. If this person is a candidate, they must duly run a campaign as though they

were running against other candidates for the same position. The ballot will present thecandidate’s name and the choice of “yes” and “no”. The candidate must “win” their electionunder the conditions in the SFUO Constitution.

3.3.2 In the case of the Senate, a candidate who has no competition will not have to be subjectedto a vote of confidence. They will be simply elected.

3.4 Duties and obligations of candidates and committees

3.4.1 A candidate must, from the moment of the publication of the list of official candidates:

3.4.1.1 read the electoral regulations and the SFUO Constitution and follow these rules until the end

of the electoral process

3.4.1.2 avoid any conflicts of interest (see section 9).

3.4.1.3 ensure that her electoral team (volunteers and official representatives) follows the

regulations and its responsibilities.

3.5 Referendum questions

3.5.1 A referendum question can be presented to the student population if it is proposed inaccordance to section 4.17 of the SFUO Constitution and is supported by;

3.5.1.1 a resolution adopted by two-thirds of the votes cast at the meeting of the Board of

Administration; or

3.5.1.2 a petition duly signed by seven hundred and fifty (750) members of the SFUO or five percent (5%), whichever is less, that clearly indicates the proposed question and is written in

accordance to section 4.17 of the SFUO Constitution.

3.5.2 The question must be presented and communicated to the Board of Administration Chair ontime (according to the SFUO Constitution) to be presented at the Board of Administrationmeeting indicated in the SFUO Constitution.



3.6 Referendum Committee

3.6.1 Any member of the SFUO can create a referendum committee promoting a “YES” or a “NO”vote on a valid referendum question if a Referendum Committee Attestation Form is signedby two (2) official representatives and is submitted to the Elections Office no later than thetime and date stipulated in the elections Timetable (section 7 of the electoral regulations).

The Attestation Form will be available at the SFUO office (UCU 07).

3.7 Affiliation

3.7.1 Candidates may choose to affiliate with other candidates per section 4.7 of the Constitution

4.7.1 Candidates must declare any affiliation with other candidates prior to the start of the

campaign. To this effect, candidates must submit a list of names and signature of any

candidates they are affiliated with to the CEO prior to the official start of the campaign.

4.7.2 Candidates shall appear on the ballot individually.

4.7.3 Affiliation with other candidates is optional.

4.7.4 All campaign expenses must be filed individually by all candidates.

3.7.2 Candidates for the Senate and the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa cannot affiliate, unless they are also running for another position, in which case they can choose toaffiliate for the purposes of that position (i.e. the BOA).

4 OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES

4.1 All official representatives must be members of the SFUO.

4.2 Each candidate and each committee has the right to name two (2) officialrepresentatives.

4.3 Each official representative represents her candidate or her committee.

4.4 Candidates and committees may be penalized in the manner hereinafterdescribed for a regulatory infraction committed by their officialrepresentatives.

4.5 When an official representative receives written information from theElections Office, the official representative is expected to inform her candidate

or her committee of the existence and of the content of the communication.

4.6 Each candidate and each committee is allowed to have one (1) officialrepresentative at any given polling station to observe the polling process. Theofficial representative must present herself to the poll clerks working at saidstation.



4.7 No more than a total of two (2) official representatives will be allowed at anypolling station at the same time.

4.8 The official representatives may be required to wear identification provided bythe Elections Office when present at a polling station.

4.9 Each candidate and each committee is allowed to have one (1) officialrepresentative present during the tabulation of votes.

4.10 Official representatives are bound to the same rules as the candidates.

5 VOLUNTEERS

5.1 The maximum value of professional volunteer labour is $350. This amount isthe maximum limit; it is non-refundable and is separate from the electionexpenses limit. The lowest possible cost of professional volunteer labour is thelowest cost available to all candidates; candidates must prove the price theyhave is available to all candidates.

5.2 Volunteers are people who provide their personal services free of chargeunder the condition that they are doing this work voluntarily and separatefrom their regular, paid employment.

5.3 Each candidate and each committee must submit a list of their volunteers tothe Elections Office. No person may work on the electoral campaign of acandidate or of a committee in any way without first being added to the list of

volunteers in the Elections Office and approved by the Elections Office.

5.4 A single person may be a registered volunteer for one campaign at each level. Avolunteer for a candidate who is affiliated with other candidates may promotethe affiliated candidates.

5.5 A candidate may be a volunteer for a campaign at each level for which they arenot themselves a candidate. As such, a candidate running for a position on theBoard of Administrators may volunteer for a referendum committee, for anexecutive candidate, and for a University Senate candidate at the same time. Acandidate who is a volunteer for a candidate who is affiliated with other

candidates may promote the affiliated candidates.

5.6 Candidates and committees may be penalized in the manner hereinafterdescribed for a regulatory infraction committed by their volunteers.



5.7 Only a member of the SFUO can directly entice electors to vote for a candidateor a committee. Candidates, volunteers and official representatives areresponsible for ensuring their friends, family and members of groups theybelong to who are not volunteers do not participate in campaign relatedactivities.

6 RIGHTS OF SFUO MEMBERS

6.1 Rights of SFUO members

6.1.1 Only SFUO members have the right to:

6.1.1.1 Campaign for a candidate or a committee.

6.1.1.2 Canvass votes for a particular candidate or a committee.

6.1.1.3 Entice electors to vote for a candidate or committee.

6.1.1.4 Support a candidate’s nomination.

6.2 Rights of members of the current SFUO Executive

6.2.1 A member of the executive who is running for re-election can, if they so wish, affiliate withother candidates per section 4.7 of the Constitution.

6.2.2 Members of the current SFUO executive can, if they so wish, participate actively in acampaign at any level, including referendums.

7 TIMETABLE

7.1 Nominations

7.1.1 Nomination Forms for executive and Board of Administration positions must be submittedto the SFUO main office (UCU 07) no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 20, 2011.

7.1.2 Nomination Forms for University Senate positions must be submitted to the SFUO mainoffice (UCU 07) or to the Office of the Vice-President, Governance no later than 5:00 p.m. onFriday, January 20, 2011.

7.1.3 Referendum committee forms must be submitted to the SFUO main office (UCU 07) no laterthan 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2011.

7.1.4 Candidates may choose to affiliate with other candidates. To be considered official, anyaffiliation must be declared to the CEO by 5pm on February 2, 2011. An official Affiliationform will be available on the elections website.

7.2 Mandatory meetings

7.2.1 Executive candidates



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7.6.2 Candidates will not be permitted to sign up new volunteers between this time and 10 a.m.on Monday, February 6, 2011.

7.7 Electoral platforms

7.7.1 Electoral platforms must be submitted to the Elections Office no later than Wednesday,

February 1, 2011 at 5 p.m., and are considered final. These platforms must not exceed twohundred fifty (250) words per language, should include the candidate’s website, and must be written in flawless language, both in English and in French.

7.7.2 These platforms will be made available on the elections website.

7.8 Withdrawals

7.8.1 The deadline to withdraw from the elections without the candidate’s name appearing on theballot is Friday, February 3, 2011 at 5 p.m.

7.9 Electoral campaign

7.9.1 The electoral campaign will begin at on Sunday, February 5, 2011, at 1 p.m., and will endwhen the last polling station closes on Thursday February 16, 2011.

7.10 Electoral debates

7.10.1 Electoral debates will be held during the campaign period. Times and locations for thesedebates will be communicated at the mandatory meeting.

7.11 Polling days

7.11.1 Voting will take place on February 14, 15 and 16, 2011, at locations and times to bedetermined by the BOA.

8 ELECTORAL AND REFERENDUM EXPENSES

8.1 Definitions

8.1.1 An electoral expense is the cost of goods or services used during the election period to:support, directly or indirectly, the election of a candidate or of a committee, or promote theplatform or the politics of a candidate or of a committee.

8.1.2 Election expenses include, but are not limited to: amounts paid; liabilities incurred; thecommercial value of goods or services donated or provided, other than volunteer labour, for

the purpose of promoting or supporting, directly or indirectly, before or during the electionof a particular candidate.

8.1.3 Election materials are any and all materials used for the purpose of promoting, directly orindirectly, during campaigns, the election of a particular candidate.

8.1.4 Referendum materials are any and all materials used for the purpose of promoting, directlyor indirectly, during campaigns, a referendum committee.



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8.1.5 Professional volunteer labour is any service provided free of charge by a person who worksor is self-employed in the field of service provided and that is normally sold or otherwisecharged for by that person.

8.2 Expenses

8.2.1 The Elections Office must approve materials before distribution and they must be identifiedby means of the elections stamp supplied in the Elections Office. Candidates will beresponsible for stamping approved materials in such a way that the stamp is clearly visible.(i.e. stamping on black backgrounds or on the reverse sides of posters will not bepermitted). It is up to the candidates and committees to ensure that all their material has aspace for the elections stamp.

8.2.2 Election materials will only be approved if justified by a receipt, presented at the time of approval.

8.2.3 The value of all goods and services received at less than market value will be declared, forthe purpose of calculating the election expenses limit, at the lowest retail price available to

all candidates and committees.

8.2.4 The Elections Office will determine the lowest printing costs. Receipts that indicate a lowerprice than that quoted by the Elections Office will be rejected unless the candidate or thecommittee can prove conclusively that such prices were available to all candidates andcommittees prior to the beginning of the campaign. In the absence of such proof, the pricequoted by the Elections Office will be applied to the printed or photocopied goods for thepurpose of calculating the election expenses limit. The disputed goods will nonetheless bereimbursed at the price quoted on the receipt.

8.2.5 The election expenses limit for candidates of executive positions is $250. Candidates will bereimbursed for expenses incurred up to $250, except for certain cases, with respect tosection 18.

8.2.6 The election expenses limit for candidates of Board of Administration, Senate, and Board of Governor seats is $75. Candidates will be reimbursed for expenses incurred up to $75,except for certain cases, with respect to section 18.

8.2.7 The election expenses limit for referendum committees is $200. Candidates will bereimbursed for expenses incurred up to $200, except for certain cases, with respect tosection 18.

8.2.8 Candidates and committees are prohibited from combining their financial and materialresources during the election campaign.

8.3 Donations8.3.1 All candidates and committees may receive donations of goods and services. These

donations must be declared at their market value.

8.3.2 Donations will be counted as expenses when calculating the election expenses limit.

8.3.3 Donations shall not, either individually or in the aggregate, exceed the maximum electionexpenses limit.



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8.3.4 Donations will not be reimbursed.

8.3.5 Candidates are not allowed to collect subsidies from the SFUO, Federated Bodies, SFUOclubs, campus media or any other organizations financed, in whole or in part, by thestudents or the University of Ottawa.

9 USE OF UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATIONS

9.1 Notwithstanding article 21.1, candidates, official representatives andvolunteers are not allowed, under any circumstances, to obtain financing ormake use of resources, including but not limited to photocopies, supplies, emaillists and office equipment from the SFUO offices or from any otherorganization financed, in whole or in part, by the students of the University of Ottawa. However, SFUO clubs and campus media can endorse a candidate orreferendum question to their membership and/or readership.

9.2 Students may seek and make use of information from University and SFUOorganizations as long as the information is free and available to all students.

9.3 Candidates may not campaign in SFUO services or SFUO Offices.

9.4 Student organizations are encouraged to use their websites, newsletters, etc. toadvertise the election in general (encouraging students to run & to vote but ina non-partisan manner), and will be provided with material from the electionsoffice in order to do this.

10 COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ELECTIONS OFFICE

10.1 The Elections Office will be located in room 309 of the University Centre. Officehours will be posted at the Elections Office, and on the elections web site. OfficePhone number: 613-562-5800 xt 2625 E-mail: [email protected]

10.2 It is preferable to make an appointment. The above contact information must be used to communicate with the Elections Office.

10.3 Each candidate, committee and official representative will have to provide anemail address to the Elections Office. They will be responsible for checking

their emails at least twice every working day and once every weekend day soas not to be penalized with respect to delays incurred.



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10.4 The Elections Office, by means of an audio recorder, may record allcommunications with the Elections Office by any candidate, officialrepresentative or volunteer, representing either a candidate or a referendumcommittee. Any meeting, interview, general discussion or question, eitherformal or informal, may also be recorded. The Elections Office may keep any

recording made on file. A copy of any recording made may be brought asevidence during an appeal or made available to members of the SFUO.

10.5 Correct language should be used when addressing members of the Executive,employees and representatives of the Elections Office. Abusive language andinappropriate suggestions or tone will not be tolerated. Offending parties willbe subject to sanctions as specified in section 18 by a decision rendered by theCEO.

11 POSTING RULES

11.1 General University regulations

11.1.1 All postings must be done in compliance with the regulations stipulated in the posting rulesfor the Elections.

11.1.2 All candidates and committees must comply with the posting regulations stipulated by eachindividual University building as well as the regulations of the University of Ottawa withregard to posting on University grounds. It is forbidden to post in staircases, on doors, onfloors, on painted walls, on wood, on any transparent surface or over any material alreadyposted, unless specifically indicated in the posting rules.

11.1.3 It is strictly prohibited to post publicity materials that cannot be removed without damaging the surface on which they are located. This includes stickers, decals and glues. Allcosts to clean or repair damages caused by the candidates, their representatives andvolunteers will be deducted from the candidate's budget and refund, and may lead to theSFUO invoicing the candidate.

11.1.4 Notwithstanding the wearing of buttons or clothing items, off-campus advertising of anykind is prohibited. Posted advertisements are only allowed inside University buildings andall other advertisements must be confined to University grounds.

11.1.5 Candidates and committees are prohibited from advertising and organizing house parties orparties in licensed establishments for the purpose of campaigning

11.1.6 Candidates and committees may not use paint or other products to write their names in thesnow, grass or any such surface during the campaign period. The candidates andcommittees must comply with the University of Ottawa environmental regulations.

11.1.7 All banners and electoral materials must be posted in a way that does not represent a trafficor fire hazard. It is moreover the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that all bannersand posters are placed in a safe manner.



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11.2 Content

11.2.1 All publicity materials pertaining to the elections shall include, in a legible form, the name of the candidate or the committee that sponsored it.

11.2.2 Campaign materials must not be libellous, racist, sexist, homophobic or discriminatory in

any way.

11.2.3 Campaign materials must be in good taste. Determination of good taste is at the Chief Electoral Officer’s discretion.

11.2.4 Candidates may not use any form of logo, letterhead or material similar to those used by theSFUO, the Elections Office, the university, any Federated Body or SFUO club or other campusorganization on their advertisements. This includes but is not limited to the color schemeused by the elections office. Candidates are required to send any material to the Chief Marketing Officer before printing; she will approve the said material does not contravenethis rule ([email protected])

11.2.5 All electoral materials must respect the bilingual posting policies of the University of Ottawa. The French text does not need to appear first, but the equivalent content must bewritten in both English and French and appear in the same size.

11.2.6 All candidates must ensure that all advertising materials are perfectly bilingual and do not contain errors.

11.2.7 All candidates are responsible for the accuracy of information included in all advertisingmaterials.

11.2.8 The elections office is not responsible for advertising that is found to be in non-compliancewith the regulations after it has been posted; it will be up to the candidate or committee toremove said material upon request and they may not be reimbursed if this is the case.

11.2.9 Every advertisement must include the polling days, unless authorized by Elections Office.

11.2.10 Every banner and poster of 11x14 or larger must include the elections office websiteaddress: elections.sfuo.ca - elections.feuo.ca

11.3 Definitions

11.3.1 A “poster” has the maximum dimensions of 11 inches by 17 inches.

11.3.2 A “banner” is defined as a poster larger than 11 inches by 17 inches and a maximum of threefeet in height and 8 feet in length.

11.3.3 A “large handbill” is any printed advertisement that is not larger than 175 cm2.

11.3.4 A “medium handbill” is any advertisement that is not larger than 130 cm2.

11.3.5 A “small handbill” is any advertisement that is not larger than 85 cm2.

11.3.6 From this point forward, any reference to posters shall include posters and banners of anysize within the limitations expressed in paragraphs 11.3.1 and 11.3.2.



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14.1 Any candidates, official representatives or volunteers wanting to make aclassroom presentation must first obtain permission from the professor beforethe beginning of the class.

14.2 Classroom presentations may continue throughout polling times.

14.3 Writing on chalkboard must respect section 11 of the electoral regulations,must include the dates of polling days and be written in both official languages.

15 POLLING DAYS

15.1 Voting

15.1.1 The members of the SFUO who are allowed to vote can do so by presenting themselves toone of the official polling stations during polling days.

15.1.2

Those whose names do not appear on the electoral list can vote using a double envelopesystem, available at all polling stations. If the voter is deemed eligible, the ballot will becounted with other ballots. If the voter is deemed not eligible, the ballot will be destroyed.

15.1.3 Any person who is allowed to vote can do so only once. A person who votes or tries to votemore than once, deceitfully modifies an ID card or votes in the name of another person, isperpetrating a fraud and liable to penalty by virtue of sections 17 and 18.

15.2 Rules during voting days

15.2.1 All campaigning shall be out of sight and sound of any polling station. This includes but isnot limited to soliciting votes or distributing publicity within 20 metres of a polling station.

15.2.2 Candidates and official representatives shall not converse with, nor ask questions to, any of the poll clerks. If they have a question or complaint they must contact the Chief ElectoralOfficer. The only exception to this rule is section 4.6.

15.2.3 Candidates and committees will be responsible for the actions of their representatives andvolunteers with regard to campaigning in sight and hearing range of polling stations.

15.2.4 Poll clerks will remove all election publicity within sight of polling stations. Materialremoved in this fashion will not be returned to candidates and may not be replaced bycandidates or committees during the voting period.

15.2.5 A violation of any of these rules could be considered a major violation and could result in

the immediate disqualification of any candidate, in accordance with sections 17 and 18.15.2.6 Candidates cannot, under any circumstances, move their votes to another candidate, before,

during or after the voting period. This rule also applies to the referendum committees

15.2.7 Candidates, volunteers & official representatives cannot, under any circumstances, solicit votes within sight and sound of a polling station.



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16 BALLOTS

16.1 Ballots

16.1.1 The names of candidates will appear alphabetically arranged by surname on each ballot.The referendum questions will be presented in random order on each ballot.

16.1.2 The names on the ballots for SFUO executive positions shall be as they appear in the student directory, and per the stipulations of the Constitution. Shortened names (i.e. Michael –Mike) may be permitted if authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer within three days of nominations closing.

16.1.3 For the Board of Administration ballots, names shall be as they appear on their respectivenomination form. Changes may be made within three days of nominations closing, if approved by the Chief Electoral Officer.

16.2 Ballot counting

16.2.1

Announcements concerning the final vote tallies will not begin until all candidates,referendum committees, their respective representatives and agents remove all postedpublicity during the evening of the final day of polling.

16.2.2 Candidates and referendum representatives will be put into teams that will be responsiblefor cleaning up assigned buildings after the closing of all polling stations.

16.2.3 Any official representative or person assigned to view the ballot audit must be present at the time and place assigned by the Chief Electoral Officer on the final day of polling

16.2.4 A maximum of one (1) person from each campaign team may observe the ballot audit.

16.2.5 No one shall leave the ballot audit room until the last ballot has been audited and the results

tabulated, unless the Chief Electoral Officer or the Chief Returning Officer has authorizedotherwise.

16.2.6 The Chief Returning Officer is responsible for the system and organization of the ballot audit.

16.2.7 The Chief Electoral Officer will relay preliminary results as soon as she sees fit; ballot auditing is to be completed during the evening of the last day of elections. If the ballot audit starts before the last day of the elections, the Chief Returning Officer will do all in her powerto ensure that results do not get out before the end of elections.

16.2.8 No cell phones, laptops, or other electronics will be permitted in the ballot audit room,except those used by the Elections Office.

17 VIOLATIONS

17.1 Statements



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17.1.1 Any official candidate, committee, official representative, or volunteer who makes orpublishes any false statement of fact in relation to the character or conduct of a candidateshall be guilty of a violation.

17.1.2 All posters, banners, and other election materials shall not be used against anothercandidate.

17.1.3 A proper use of language will be required at all times in regards to communication with theElections Office and its representatives.

17.2 Conduct

17.2.1 Any person who by herself, with another or by any another person, during an election,directly or indirectly offers, procures, provides or promises to procure or provide money,valuable consideration, office, employment, food or drink (alcoholic beverages or non-alcoholic) to induce any person to vote or refrain from voting, shall be guilty of violation of these Regulations and will be subject to article 18.

17.2.2 Any person who accepts, receives, agrees to accept or receive any money, valuableconsideration, office, employment, food or drink (alcoholic beverages or non-alcoholic) forthe purposes of paragraph 17.2.1 is guilty of a violation of these Regulations and is subject to penalties in accordance with section 18.

17.3 Conduct during scheduled voting days

17.3.1 Any candidate or official representative is guilty of a violation of these Regulations if she, byherself, with another or by any other person, directly or indirectly, during an election beforethe closing of polls on ordinary polling days:

17.3.1.1 offers, procures, provides or promises to procure or provide alcoholic or non-alcoholic

beverages to any person; pays, indemnifies or promises to pay or indemnify any person for

loss of wages or other earnings suffered by that person in going to, being at, or returning from a polling station or the neighbourhood of a polling station, with intent to influence that

person to vote or refrain from voting.

17.3.2 Any person who either votes or attempts to vote more than once is guilty of a violation of these Regulations and may be sanctioned by the Chief Electoral Officer.

17.3.3 The vote is by secret ballot. Any attempt to violate, and any violation of, the principle of thesecrecy of the vote is a violation of these Regulations.

17.4 Violations related to voting ballots



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17.4.1 Any person is guilty of a violation of these Regulations if she: fabricates forged votingballots; defrauds, alters, deteriorates or destroys any part of a voting ballot; supplies a voterwith a voting ballot without authorization; fraudulently deposits or arranges the deposit of,in a ballot box, a voting ballot or any other piece of paper; fraudulently withdraws a votingballot from the Elections Office; destroys, takes, opens or otherwise manipulates, without authorization, a ballot box, a booklet or a package of vote ballots; without authorization

prints out a voting ballot, a document that could be produced in lieu of a voting ballot or anydocument that could be given out as a voting ballot; modifies a voting ballot with a numberor a mark so that the elector who voted on that ballot becomes recognizable or susceptibleof being recognized or that the ballot thus modified can no longer be included in the counts.

18 PENALTIES

18.1 Minor penalties

18.1.1 A minor penalty is one that interferes with a disposition of form, described in theseregulations. This would include, but is not necessarily limited to, actions that do not directly

affect the actual outcome of the election.

18.1.2 Candidates may be penalized for minor penalties at the discretion of the Chief ElectionsOfficer, depending on the severity of the minor penalty, in one or more of the followingways:

18.1.2.1 A candidate may receive a written or verbal warning and may be asked to correct the

penalty, for example by moving posters placed incorrectly.

18.1.2.2 A candidate may be asked to remove a number of posters or limit the amount of materialssuch as banner or handbills by a certain percentage which could increase with repeated

infractions.

18.1.2.3 A candidate may have her expenses limit reduced if she has not already spent the maximum

amount.

18.1.3 A candidate may be disqualified and removed from the ballot if she repeatedly violates theElectoral Regulations whether they are considered a minor or major violation at thediscretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

18.2 Major penalties

18.2.1 A major penalty is one that interferes with a disposition of substance described in theseElectoral Regulations. This would include, but is not necessarily limited to, actions that would have a direct effect on the outcome of the elections.

18.2.2 In the case of a major penalty, a meeting between the Chief Electoral Officer and the officialcandidate or their official representative shall immediately be held to inform the candidateor the referendum committee leader of the consequences of her actions.

18.2.3 The ultimate course of action for any major breach of these Electoral Regulations shall bethe immediate disqualification of the official candidate and the immediate removal of official candidate from the ballot.



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18.2.4 In all circumstances, the Chief Electoral Officer shall not remove a candidate or a committeewithout having followed the due process. The official candidate or committee shall haverecourse to the Elections committee.

18.3 General

18.3.1 Unless otherwise indicated, penalties will be imposed through warnings and through themeans of a reduction in the limit of electoral campaign expenses. Penalties will be carriedout in a progressive and cumulative manner.

18.3.2 If a candidate or a committee spends more than their limit of election expenses without justifiable explanation, they will, as a consequence, receive no reimbursement and will bedisqualified immediately. A candidate disqualified in this manner will be liable for the cost of reprinting the ballots.

18.3.3 A penalty may be attributed to a candidate or a committee if a candidate, officialrepresentative, or any other campaign volunteer breaches the Electoral Regulations.

18.3.4 Cases of fraud will receive immediate penalty. There will be no warning. If a companyparticipates in a case of fraud the Chief Electoral Officer will submit a motion for the policymanual to the Board of Administration, proposing that the SFUO boycott the company inquestion. If a case of fraud is found before the polling dates, the candidate could bedisqualified. The existence of fraud will depend on the SFUO Constitution, the effectiveCanadian laws and at the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

18.3.5 If a candidate is disqualified at a point when ballots cannot be reprinted, any votes cast tothe disqualified candidate will not be counted.

18.4 Complaints

18.4.1 Any member, election officer, or employee of the SFUO may lodge a complaint with the

Elections Office.

18.4.2 A complaint can be filed by filling out a form that is available at the Elections Office andSFUO office. Two witnesses and the time, location, and date of the infraction are needed torender the form acceptable. Photographic evidence and witness statements are encouragedin order to give legitimacy to the complaint.

18.4.3 It is up to the person making the complaint to prove the accusations.

18.4.4 Any complaint made by a candidate or her campaign team which is proven to be unfoundedwill result in a minor penalty being imposed upon them.

18.4.5 A candidate, her official representative or volunteers may not ask, directly or indirectly,another person to submit a complaint, which she would not have done without theirintervention.

18.5 Powers of the Chief Electoral Officer



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18.5.1 The Chief Electoral Officer will use any and all powers available to her to ensure that theElectoral Regulations are respected and adhered to by all candidates and committees, in aspirit of integrity of the electoral procedures. If a candidate refuses to adhere to theElectoral Regulations, or refuse to submit to the penalties given by the Elections Office, thecandidate may be removed from the ballot and be liable for the cost of reprinting.Alternately, the candidate may be given a major penalty on their electoral expenses.

18.5.2 The discretionary powers of the Chief Electoral Officer are given on the basis of goodjudgment on her part and shall always reflect fairness with the integrity of the electionsprocedures in mind.

18.6 Appeals

18.6.1 All decisions made by the Elections Office may be appealed, with justification, in front of theElections Committee in accordance with the procedures defined by the SFUO Constitution.

18.6.2 All decisions made by the Elections Committee may be appealed, with justification, to theBoard of Administration of the SFUO. The decision of the Board of Administration is final

and may be altered only by the Board of Administration in case of exceptionalcircumstances.

19 INTERNET POLICY

19.1 Web sites

19.1.1 A website is a collection of web pages common to a particular server. For the purpose of thissection, blog-type websites such as “blogspot.com” may be used as a candidate’s officialwebsite.

19.1.2 All candidates are entitled to have one (1) official website.

19.1.3 All Website content must in good taste and flawlessly bilingual, including but not limited tothe Website address(es). For the purpose of these rules, “good taste” is at the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

19.1.4 The Website is to be considered an advertisement and its contents must respect section11.2 of the Electoral Regulations.

19.1.5 The receipts for the Website must be submitted to the elections office on the first day of campaigning. In cases where the Website has not yet been created on that day, receiptsmust be submitted when the Website becomes active.

19.2 Virtual communities19.2.1 The use of virtual communities is permitted. All candidates are entitles of having a limit of

one (1) official site on a given virtual community.

19.2.2 Any paid use of virtual communities must be claimed as electoral expenses (i.e. advertisingon Facebook.com)



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19.2.3 All content on virtual communities is to be considered an advertisement and its contentsmust respect section 11.2 of the Electoral Regulations

19.2.4 Sending messages to group members on virtual communities is permitted, however isconsidered to be “email.” Please refer to section 20 of the Electoral regulations.

19.3 Instant Messenger

19.3.1 The use of instant messenger is permitted

19.3.2 When using instant messenger as a campaign tool, section 11.2 of the Electoral Regulationsmust be respected.

20 E-MAIL

20.1 Campaign emails are emails that are phrased in such a way as to encourage astudent to vote for a candidate or used for other campaign purposes, including

election awareness. E-mails sent exclusively to campaign volunteers areexempted from this requirement. Campaign e-mails must be in good taste. Forthe purpose of these rules, good taste is at the discretion of the Chief ElectoralOfficer.

20.2 Campaign emails must respect section 11.2 of the Electoral Regulations

20.3 All campaign emails sent to more than 20 recipients shall be carbon-copied tothe Elections Office at [email protected] whenever they are sent, includingthose sent through virtual communities.

20.4 CC’d campaign e-mails will not be redistributed by the Elections Office, but areintended strictly for archival purposes.

20.5 Campaign e-mails may not be used to promote or benefit candidates,organizations, associations, or events other than the originator.

20.6 Candidates are not permitted to use “pyramid” or “chain” style e-mails that invite recipients to forward the e-mail to other students.

20.7 Campaign e-mails shall not be sent outside the Campaign Period.

20.8 Candidates are responsible for all campaign-type emails sent by friends, family,and groups of which they are a part. Volunteers and Official representativesare equally responsible for campaign-type emails sent by their friends, familyand groups of which they are a part.

20.9 Candidates are not permitted to use the resources, including email listserves,of any of the groups, clubs or associations on campus, per the electoralregulations.



21 CLUBS

21.1 SFUO clubs have the right to support specific candidates and to send e-mailmessages to inform their members.

21.2 If the candidate supported by a certain club is themselves member of the clubor of the club executive, this candidate must not themselves send an e-maildemonstrating the support of the club. Another member of the club in questionmust send the e-mail.

22 GENERAL CAMPAIGN RULES

22.1 Candidates may not campaign in on campus bars or restaurants in whichalcohol is served.

22.2 Candidates may not campaign in the libraries of the University of Ottawa.

22.3 Candidates may not campaign in the computer labs of the University of Ottawa.

SFUO Election Rules 2012 - En

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Transcript of SFUO Election Rules 2012 - En