Candidates meeting

1. Spring 2016 SGA Elections Commission
Candidates Meeting

2. What is the SGA?

3. Spring 2016 Positions
❖ President/Vice-President
❖ University Student Trustee
❖ Senators

4. A Historic Election
Elections Reform
•46 open seats
•15 in class of 2019
•15 in class of 2018
•16 in class of 2017

5. Timeline
❖ Nominations Period — February 8th - February 19th
❖ Candidates Meeting — March 24th
❖ Nominations Validation
❖ Campaign Period — Tuesday March 8th 12:00am
❖ Spring Break — Saturday March 12th - Sunday March 19th
❖ Elections — March 20th 12:00am - March 23rd 11:59pm
❖ Ratification — by April 22nd

6. Nominations Validation

7. What are the Bylaws?

8. What are the Bylaws?
http://www.umass.edu/sga/organization

9. 8.15: Campaign Finance
❖ Section 1 — Funds allocated by the SGA for the purpose of
campaigning shall be directed by the Elections Commission
which can adequately provide the necessary campaign
materials.
❖ Campaign funds will be directed to Campus Design and
Copy, The Student Union Craft Center, or any student
businesses or agency approved by the Elections Commission.
❖ Section 2 — The budget for President/Vice President candidates
and Student Trustee candidates shall be a minimum of one
hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) per campaign.

10. 8.26.2: Candidate Code of Conduct
❖ For the purpose of Title VIII, Chapters 24-25 of the By-
laws of the SGA, forms of the verb "to campaign", shall
be defined as any public action by any person in
support of a candidate for elected SGA office which
shall include, but shall not be limited to, distribution of
literature or posting of materials.

11. 8.26.3: Candidate Code of Conduct
❖ While criticism of another candidate is allowed, no candidate shall defame or
harass their opponent(s).
❖ No candidate may utilize the resources of the SGA, the SGA Office, any Executive
Agency, any Subsidiary Governance Body, or any RSO for the purpose of
campaigning for a General or Special Election. Speaking directly to an RSO or an
agency in their assigned office shall not constitute a violation of this provision.
❖ No person(s) or business(es) shall appropriate funds for the purpose of
campaigning except the SGA, nor shall any candidate use the Elections
Commission money given to candidates for non-campaign related use.
❖ All equipment and supplies used to campaign shall be registered with the
Chancellor of Elections prior to their use, and shall be accompanied by certified
copies of the purchase orders or inter-activity recharges used to purchase said
materials.

12. 8.26.3: Candidate Code of Conduct
❖ Campaign materials are to be approved by the Chancellor of Elections
during regular business hours.
❖ Pens, pencils, tape, removable adhesives, chalk, markers, computers,
staplers, and stapler guns shall be exempt from the provisions of Title VIII,
Chapter 245, Section 32, Subsection 4 of the By-laws of the SGA.
❖ All candidates shall purchase their materials at fair market prices to which
all other candidates shall have reasonable access. No coupons shall be
allowed.
❖ No candidate shall unduly coerce a voter while they are voting.
❖ No candidate or campaign worker shall use another voter’s Student ID or
other authentication for the purposes of voting.

13. 8.26.3: Candidate Code of Conduct
❖ No person, who shall not have been listed on the campaign workers list,
shall actively campaign for a candidate, and candidates shall be
charged with registering any deletions or additions to a campaign list
with the Chancellor of Elections.
❖ Candidates shall be responsible for the actions of persons registered on
the campaign workers list.
❖ No funds shall be transferred between candidates. As a co-campaign or
as a ticket, candidates may purchase mutually beneficial campaign
materials.
❖ No candidate shall wrongfully represent any campaign material as
being the material of any other candidate.

14. 8.26.3: Candidate Code of Conduct
❖ No candidate shall violate the Code of Student Conduct.
❖ No candidate shall corruptly give, offer or promise to any SGA
member any pecuniary or other benefit not authorized by the
Constitution of the SGA, the By-laws of the SGA or an Act of the
SGA, which is intended to influence the vote(s) of said SGA member.
❖ No person shall campaign within fifty (50) feet of an polling place on
Election Day.
❖ No candidate shall unduly coerce a voter while they are voting.

15. http://www.umass-sga.com umasssgaelections@gmail.com
FORMAL CAMPAIGN COMPLAINT FORM
UMASS AMHERST ELECTIONS COMMISSION
KEEP UPPER HALF FOR YOUR REFERENCE
Please fill out and submit the form below along with a detailed description of the campaign violation
that you are reporting. Please note that although the description has no specified length limits, this
will serve as your chance to present your case to the Elections Commission, so being as detailed and
thorough as possible is suggested. Try your best to include specific details (time, dates, locations,
campaign representatives, etc.).
Please allow 1-2 days for the Elections Commission to review your complaint and make a final
decision.
All complaints will be reviewed by the Elections Commission. You will be updated on the status of
your complaint via the e-mail you provide.
Completed complaint forms should be sent electronically to umasssgaelections@gmail.com
When submitting your form, please indicate your name and your preferred method of contact, along
with your contact information, in the body of the message.
Questions may be directed to Rocco Giordano, Chancellor of Elections at umasssgaelections@gmail.com
DETAILS OF YOUR COMPLAINT
Violator’s Name or Organization:_________ _______________________________
Date of Violation: _________________________ This Violation is Ongoing Yes No
Last Known Location of Violation (if Applicable): ______________ ____________ _______
I, ______ _, hereby submit this campaign violation report to the Elections Commission for
review, and authorize the commission to contact me should any additional information be needed.
Signature: __ ___ Date: ___ ____
SUBMIT THIS FORM, ALONG WITH AN ATTACHED DESCRIPTION OF
THE INCIDENT, TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION
Formal Complaints
❖ Must be nontrivial
❖ The Commission can only act
on evidence provided
❖ The Commission decides the
course of action to be taken—
including the lack thereof

16. 8.27.1: Violations of Title VIII
❖ The Elections Commission may, upon a two-thirds (2/3)
vote of its membership in attendance at a scheduled
meeting, and up to thirty (30) calendar days following
an election, take any one of the actions prescribed herein
for violations of Title VIII of the By-laws of the SGA:

17. 8.27.1: Violations of Title VIII
❖ Warning - A written statement to a candidate ordering
the cessation of any activity which is in violation of Title
VIII of the By-laws of the SGA, or their candidacy shall
be suspended or invalidated.

18. 8.27.1: Violations of Title VIII
❖ Suspension - A written statement to a candidate
ordering the suspension of all campaigning for a
prescribed period of calendar time.

19. 8.27.1: Violations of Title VIII
❖ Invalidation - A written statement to a candidate
declaring their candidacy to be invalid and stricken
from the ballot (if before the election). After the election,
a candidate may still be invalidated.

20. 8.27.1: Violations of Title VIII
❖ Nullification - A public announcement to the SGA
membership declaring an Election nullified and calling
a Special Election to re-cast the ballots.

21. 8.22.2: Write-in Votes
❖ All write-in candidates must submit their name to the
Election’s Commission prior to the end of the voting
period. Any write-in candidate that does not submit
their name shall have their votes invalidated.

22. The Upshot

23. The Elections Commission is here to help
everyone through the (often arduous and
confusing) elections process.

24. Ask questions
sgaelections@umass.edu

25. Good Luck

26. $1.3 Trillion