Campaign Rules | Students Association Website

Potential candidates, candidates, and campaign assistants must continue to follow the Standards of Student Conduct
Campaign rules may vary based on the circumstance in which the election will be held. The following campaign rules will be strictly enforced if and only if the election is held in a standard academic term
1. A non-standard academic term will include such instances as drastic changes in the University’s in-person policies, posting policies, or other campaign relevant policies. Campaign rules will be adjusted based on the circumstances in which the election will take place, and will be reflected accordingly on the SA elections website
Campaign planning is allowed year-round
Campaigning is only allowed during the Campaign Period. Candidates shall not conduct campaigning before the Campaign Period begins. Campaign assistants are also subject to these rules
1. Campaigning shall be considered any of the following acts:
  1. Publicly announcing candidacy for any campaign
  2. Publishing information and/or media about any campaign on the internet
  3. Sending any electronic message about any campaign
    1. Example. Candidates and campaign assistants may not privately contact individuals outside of their campaign to solicit support before the campaign period begins
  4. Publicly posting or displaying any physical materials about any campaign
  5. Communicating with a media outlet about any campaign
  6. Contacting any student organization to receive endorsements for any campaign
    1. Example. If a campaign assistant is the president of a fraternity, they may not campaign to their fraternity on behalf of the candidate until the campaign period begins
  7. Communicating with a group of 2 or more people at one time about any campaign
2. Candidates may, however, recruit and utilize assistants exclusively for preparation of campaign materials before the campaign period begins. Candidates shall not utilize an entire organization for campaign planning
  1. Example. Candidates may explicitly ask people they know if they want to be campaign assistants
The Campaign Period ends when voting closes. All candidates must fill out the Candidacy Submission Form and complete the Elections Rules Quiz prior to the deadline in order to be on the ballot, and no candidate may change their platform or photo after the deadline
Anyone assisting a candidate with their campaign must follow all campaign rules. The candidate is responsible for ensuring that campaign assistants are informed of the campaign rules and responsible for any violations committed by campaign assistants
Candidates and campaign assistants may not harass others in any way to elicit support. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Sliding items under residence hall doors
2. Knocking on residence hall doors for campaign purposes
3. Putting flyers on residence hall doors without permission
4. Writing on residence hall whiteboards without permission
Potential candidates, candidates, and campaign assistants may not harass other candidates or potential candidates in any way. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Repeatedly attempting to convince another candidate to withdraw or not run
2. Engaging in or encouraging derogatory conversations regarding another candidate
3. Threatening another candidate in any way
4. Posting offensive campaign materials directed at another campaign
5. Violating posting policies or other rules while pretending to be another candidate
Candidates may not offer or accept any quid pro quo deal. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Offering a favor or service in return for support
2. Offering another person a position in return for support
Candidates may not utilize a student organization’s property, endorsement, and/or resources for their campaign purposes without unanimous consent and written permission from the organization’s executive board. A candidate who is a member of a student organization’s executive board must still receive unanimous approval from the executive board if they want to use the organization’s resources for their campaign purposes. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Publicizing an endorsement of a student organization
2. Sending a mass email through a student organization’s email
3. Utilizing a student organization’s social media accounts
4. Sending messages in the student organization’s group chat
5. Using the physical assets of student organizations such as supplies for campaigning purposes
  1. The value of any student organization’s property or resources used for campaigning will be counted toward the candidate’s overall budget
Candidates may not send any unsolicited messages through social media at any time, which includes but is not limited to:
1. Writing on someone’s profile, unsolicited tagging, etc.
2. Candidates may campaign in any forum to which message recipients have voluntarily subscribed or from which recipients can unsubscribe. Candidates must receive documented permission from the creator or owner of any of these forums
  1. Group chats, discord servers, etc. are forums that recipients can unsubscribe from, and will not be considered sources of unsolicited messaging
  2. Candidates may not advertise on any official University of Rochester social media
Candidates cannot try to influence people while they are voting. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Standing near the voting stations in Wilson Commons
2. Candidates being in a room while individuals submit their vote via computer or smartphone
Proper posting guidelines must be followed, including all Residential Life policies, chalking policies, posting policies, and other university guidelines
Candidates may not remove, deface, or obstruct the view of other candidates’ campaign materials
1. Candidates may not write on other candidates’ campaign materials
2. Candidates may not place a flier over other candidates’ campaign materials or over publicity for upcoming events
Candidates may not include any profanity in their campaign materials. Furthermore, in accordance with Amendment I to the Constitution, campaign materials shall abide by the nondiscrimination policy of the University of Rochester
There is a Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials of $100 for a Presidential ticket, $40 for Senate, and $40 for Class Council campaigns
1. These budgets cannot be combined for every race a candidate runs in. In other words, if the candidate is running for multiple positions, the value of their campaign materials shall not exceed the ceiling limit for the position with the highest Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials
  1. Example. If a candidate is simultaneously running for President and Senate, where the Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials are $100 and $40, respectively, their Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials remains $100. That is, they cannot combine the Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials for each position such that they have a total budget of $140
2. Moreover, any monetary or material contributions to a campaign (such as donations or gifts) will lower the candidate’s Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials. That is, for any contribution of some amount, the candidate’s budget will be decreased by the same amount
  1. Example. If a presidential candidate receives a donation of 30 T-shirts that are worth $80, the candidate’s Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials will be decreased by $80. In that case, the candidate’s Limit on the Value of Campaign Materials will become $20
3. The Elections Coordinator reserves the right to request expense reports and receipts, and appraise all campaign contributions.

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Any questions regarding the legality of campaigning should be directed to the elections chair. Questions regarding the legality of campaign initiatives should be addressed before those initiatives are carried through.

Infractions

Violating these rules may result in an infraction. If you see campaigns that violate any of the above rules, please submit an elections violation report. For more information about infractions and the point penalty system, check out this breakdown.