TNC: 2007 Spring Student Rules

Approved for Spring 2007 Elections.

Elections are the foundation upon which representative governance rests. These rules are designed to protect the rights of candidates, as well as members of the University community, and to ensure that the election process takes place in respectful and fair arena. Candidates are expected to follow all election guidelines outlined in this document. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of candidates by the Trustee Nominating Committee. Undergraduate students may run for trustee in odd years and graduate or professional students may run for trustee in even years.

Candidate Information

1. Eligibility

Candidates must meet all of the petition requirements by the petition deadline to be eligible to participate in the election.

1. Student candidates must be registered, full-time students and plan to be so for the duration of their two-year term as trustee.
2. Each petition must have the necessary number of signatures. A total of 200 signatures is required. It is recommended that candidates collect more than 200 signatures in the event that some cannot be validated.
3. Only official petition forms will be accepted. Any forms that have been modified or amended will not be accepted. Collection of NetIDs or other information for the candidate’s use is optional. If such information is collected, the candidate must collect it on a separate form. This optional material is not to be added to or substituted for the material requested on the official petition form, and it will render the entire petition page void if it is included.
4. The Office of the Assemblies will contact petitioners within 48 hours of the petitioning deadline if their petitions are deemed invalid.
5. All petitions may be reviewed in the Office of the Assemblies (109 Day Hall, Mon. — Fri. from 8:30 am — 4:30 pm) by any member of the community who wishes to examine them. Petitions may not be photocopied.

2. Promotional Materials

Each candidate receives 300 single sided 8 1/2” X 11” photocopied, black and white impressions at no charge. Poster or quarter card design should be submitted to the Office of the Assemblies, 109 Day Hall, for copying. Candidates may select the color of paper on which the materials are to be printed from a standard palette provided by the office. All materials must include the following dates and times of the election:

Student Trustee Election 8:00 a.m. Monday, April 16th through 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 18th, 2007.

3. Written Statements

Each candidate must complete the candidate background questions and statement via the web at http://assembly.cornell.edu/Elections. Statements may not include names of political coalitions or campus political organizations/parties. Statements will be posted at the Trustee elections website, used on the ballot, and published in campus publications.

4. Pictures

Candidates must have their photo taken at the Office of the University Registrar, B7 Day Hall, before the petition deadline. The photo will be posted at the Trustee elections website, used on the ballot, and published in campus publications. Candidates must use the official photo form.

5. Forum

All candidates are encouraged to participate in the Candidates’ Forum held by the Cornell Daily Sun.

6. Mandatory Meetings

All candidates are expected to attend both mandatory meetings, or send a proxy on their behalf. If they fail to do so, they will be disqualified from that election.

Election Guidelines

1. Maintaining a Fair Environment

Candidates and their supporters are expected to comply with election rules stated here while campaigning. Candidates or their representatives shall not create an intimidating or uncomfortable environment for other candidates, students or employees.

2. Early Campaigning

Candidates and their supporters must refrain from the following campaign activities until campaigning officially begins:

1. distributing printed or electronic campaign material to the public,
2. advertising candidacy by chalk, poster, or other method designed for public viewing,
3. making speeches or statements to employee/student organizations or groups of employees/students.

Current trustee members seeking reelection are expected to refrain from any form of publicity during the petitioning period.

3. University Postering & Chalking Policy

Candidates and their supporters are expected to comply with the University Postering & Chalking Policy, included in the election packet and found at http://sao.cornell.edu/SO/postering.pdf. Candidates are expected to rectify any improper poster display upon notification by the Trustee Nominating Committee.

4. Residence Hall Policies

(a) Postering in Residence Halls

Candidates and their supporters are expected to comply with the Campus Life policy for posting in Residence Halls, included in the election packet. As per Campus Life policies, posters cannot be placed under residence hall room doors or hung on doors without the permission of the resident(s) of the room. Candidates are expected to rectify any improper poster display upon notification by the Trustee Nominating Committee. Full text of the policy can be found at http://housing.cornell.edu/housing_residential/house_rules.asp?action=article&ID=2698.

(b) Campaigning in Residence Halls

According to the Building Safety Code, candidates may only campaign door-to-door in a hall for which they have a key or access card issued to them or, for other halls, if a resident of that hall accompanies them. The hours a candidate is allowed to campaign in a residence hall are from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Monday - Friday, and 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. RA’s may ask a candidate to leave their hall if a candidate does not follow these guidelines. RA’s may also report any concerns or complaints to the Trustee Nominating Committee by emailing <assembly@cornell.edu>.

5. Campaigning in Dining Halls

Candidates are not permitted to distribute campaign materials, obstruct exits and entrances, or campaign within dining halls. Dining staff may ask a candidate to leave a dining hall if the candidate does not follow these guidelines. Dining staff may also report any concerns or complaints to the Trustee Nominating Committee by emailing assembly@cornell.edu.

6. Campus Mail

Use of campus mail for campaigning purposes is prohibited.

7. Electronic Communications

1. University-monitored listserv traffic is at the discretion to the listserv owner. When in doubt, it is expected that the candidate will obtain permission from the list serve owner.
2. Candidates and their supporters shall comply with University e-mail policy, viewable online at http://www.policy.cornell.edu/vol5_1.cfm.

8. Campaign Spending Restrictions

1. Candidates may not exceed $100 for out-of-pocket spending and fair market value of donations of materials, professional services, and/or money. Candidates must submit all receipts and proof of fair market value to the Office of the Assemblies, 109 Day Hall, by 12:30 pm on the last day of the election.
2. All campaign materials, either physical or electronic, published by candidates and/or their supporters are to promote only the Student Trustee candidate. Any materials that include the names, positions, or any other information regarding other elections are strictly prohibited.

10. Campus Code of Conduct

All candidates are expected to act in conformity with all standing rules and regulations of the University, including the Campus Code of Conduct: http://www.policy.cornell.edu/Campus_Code_of_Conduct.cfm. Violations of the Code should be referred to the Judicial Administrator for appropriate action.

Petition and Campaign Penalties

The Trustee Nominating Committee shall determine whether or not a candidate has committed a campaign violation. Campaign violations may result in appropriate remedial measures determined by the Trustee Nominating Committee up to and including disqualification of a candidate.

1. Should the Committee decide that a violation has been committed on such a scale as to alter the fairness of the election, it may disqualify a candidate by majority vote.
2. The Trustee Nominating Committee may censure a candidate for one violation of these guidelines. More than one violation may result in disqualification.

Any concerns or complaints may be sent to the Trustee Nominating Committee by emailing<assembly@cornell.edu>.

Election Procedures

1. The Elections Calendar

1. The calendar for spring elections shall be confirmed by the Trustee Nominating Committee.
2. Consideration shall be given to any religious holidays that may fall during the election period, so that the right to free religious observance is afforded to all potential candidates.
3. A public Candidate Forum will be held for trustee candidates.

2. The Trustee Nominating Committee

1. Trustee Nominating Committee consists of six members. Membership information is available online at: http://assembly.cornell.edu/TNC/Members.
2. Trustee Nominating Committee members are expected to abide by the highest standards of personal conduct and integrity. Therefore, members should not be actively involved in the campaigning process. Members are mandated to excuse themselves from serving on the Trustee Nominating Committee if they plan to actively take part in a campaign or sit on the executive board of an organization that has endorsed a candidate. All conflicts should be considered before the election cycle begins.
3. The Trustee Nominating Committee shall meet as soon as possible after each challenge deadline.
4. The Trustee Nominating Committee shall verify election results.

3. Conduction of Election and Tabulation

1. The order in which names appear on the ballot shall be randomly selected.
2. Tabulation of the results of voting shall be carried out using the Hare system of voting, as described in Appendix A.
3. The Office of the Assemblies will post preliminary results as soon as possible after the Trustee Nominating Committee has ruled on any challenges.
4. A printout of election results shall be available in the Office of the Assemblies, 109 Day Hall, for 1 year.

4. Challenges

1. Eligibility to Challenge
   • Any member of the Cornell community may submit a challenge. All challenges are confidential documents until the Trustee Nominating Committee has made a ruling.
2. Challenge Deadlines
   • Petition challenges must be submitted to the Office of the Assemblies, 109 Day Hall, by 12:30 pm on the next business day following the petition deadline.
   • Election challenges must be submitted by 12:30 pm on the final day of the election.
   • No challenges or further supporting documentation will be accepted after these deadlines.
3. Format of Challenges
   • Challenges must be in writing and accompanied by the following supporting documentation:
     • challenger’s name
     • candidate’s name
     • date of challenge
     • reason for challenge and supporting evidence
4. Notification of Election Challenges
   • The Office of the Assemblies will send an email notifying anyone who is named in an election challenge by 1:00 pm on the last day of the election but will bear no further responsibility for notifying challenged candidates.
5. Response to Election Challenges
   • A challenged candidate may review challenges in the Office of the Assemblies, 109 Day Hall and address written statements in response to the Trustee Nominating Committee. The deadline for responses is set in the elections calendar.
6. Challenge Review Meeting
   • The Trustee Nominating Committee will schedule a meeting to review challenges. The Committee will meet in closed session and decide the merit of the challenge by majority vote.
7. Appeals to Trustee Nominating Committee decisions should be directed to the University Ombudsman within 24 hours of notification by the Trustee Nominating Committee. The Ombudsman will consider whether the Trustee Nominating Committee ruling was in compliance with the election rules, and may ask for a reconsideration of the ruling.
8. The determination of the Trustee Nominating Committee shall be final.

Appendix A: The Hare System

The Hare System

An explanation of how to vote and how votes are tallied

Purpose and general description

The Hare System is intended to secure the representation of every shade of the electorate’s opinion in direct proportion to its numerical strength. In the first round of tallying the votes, only first choices are counted. If more than half of the ballots show one candidate indicated as first choice, that choice has a majority and is elected. If no candidate receives more than half of the votes cast, the candidate receiving the least number of votes is eliminated and the equivalent of a run-off election is held. If the voter’s first choice is eliminated, a vote is then cast for the voter’s second choice.

How to Vote�sample ballot with directions to voters

Put the “1” in front of the name of your first choice. If you want to express second, third, and other choices, do so by putting “2” in front of the name of your second choice, the “3” in front of the name of your third choice, and so on. You may express as many choices as you please, without regard to the number to be elected.

The more choices you express, the surer you are to have your ballot count for one of them. But do not feel obliged to express choices that you do not really have.

A BALLOT IS SPOILED if the figure 1 is put opposite more than one name, or if checks are used instead of numerals to indicate choices. Ballots that are not signed, any duplicate votes, and ballots that arrive after the deadline are considered invalid and set aside unopened.

Figure 1

2 Jones

Smith

1 Brown

5 Black

3 Green

Grey

4 Wood

Stone

The voter in the above case has voted for five candidates in the order of his preference. He has said, in effect, “Brown is my first choice, but if he is not chosen, I want you to count my second choice, Jones, and so on down the list.”

Tallying votes

The first step in counting the ballots is to ascertain the number of first choices necessary to elect a candidate. Any number larger than half of the total votes cast constitutes a majority. This number is obtained in the following way: the number of votes cast + 1 = divided by the number to be elected + 1.

For example, in an election in which there were 1425 votes cast in balloting to elect 1 representative on one ballot, the quota would be:

1425 + 1 = 713
1 + 1

If no candidate receives the required 713 votes to win upon the first counting of the votes cast, a second round of tabulation takes place. The candidate with the least number of first-choice votes is eliminated. The names marked as second choice on these ballots are redistributed. Additional rounds are conducted until a winner is declared.

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