Candidates Packet for Homecoming Court 2017

On behalf of the Student Government Association, I would like to thank you for taking this opportunity to consider representing our university as a member of the 2017Homecoming Court. The deadline to turn in your completed application is Friday, September 1, 2017 at 12:30 pm in the Office for Student Engagement. Elections will take place Monday, September 11, 2017, beginning at 8:00 am, and will last until Wednesday, September 13, 2017, at 4:30 pm. The results for Homecoming Court will be announced in the Student Union Breezeway and posted in the Student Government Association OfficeWednesday, September 13, 2017shortly after the completion of the election.

According to the Election Code of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Student Government Association:

  1. To be eligible to run for Homecoming Court, a candidate must be in compliance with the criteria set forth by the Election Code, which are:
  • A candidate must have a minimum 2.5 semester and cumulative grade point average, unlessthe student is a freshman.
  • A candidate must be a member of at least two (2) registered campus organizations.
  • A candidate must be a full time student (minimum of 12 hours), unless a graduating senior.
  • A candidate must be free of any academic and/or disciplinary probation.
  1. Each candidate must attend one (1) mandatory candidate meeting to be eligible for to run for Homecoming Court. These meetings will be held on Monday, August 28, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. or Wednesday, August 30, 2017, at 4 p.m. in the Office for Student Engagement.
  2. Campaigning forHomecoming Court will begin on September 4, 2017, at 8:00am and will follow the rules listed later in this packet.

All qualified candidates for Homecoming Court 2017 running in the election must attend the candidate meeting and be prepared to take a photograph that will be placed on the Homecoming 2017 Election website. No other photos will be accepted. Once again, the deadline to file your completed application for Homecoming 2017 Elections is by Tuesday, September 1, 2017 at 12:30 pm, in the Office for Student Engagement. Enclosed in this packet you will find the 2017 Homecoming Elections Schedule and the application for Homecoming Court 2017. Thank you for your time and service to the university, and I am looking forward to working with you in the very near future. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at .

Lion Pride,

Ali LeBlanc

Chief Justice

Student Government Association

Homecoming 2017 Election Schedule

August:

14- Applications available for pick-up in the Office for Student Engagement or online through the Student Government Association website.

28- Mandatory Candidates Meeting at 4 p.m. in Student Union Room 2305.

30-Mandatory Candidates Meeting at 4p.m in Student Union Room 2305.

September:

1- Applications due to the Student Engagement office no later than 12:30pm.

4-Campaigning for Homecoming Court may begin at 8:00 AM.

11-Elections open at 8:00 AM

13-Elections close at 4:30 PM. Announcement of election results will take place

Immediately following the close of the Fall 2017 Student Government Association Elections in the Student Union Breezeway.

* Homecoming Courts results will be posted in SGA Office and announced in the Student Union Breezeway following the close of elections *

2017-2018Homecoming CourtApplication

Name:______W#:______

Classification: ______Major: ______

Current Address: ______

Cell Phone Number: ______Work Phone Number: ______

Current Organization Affiliation (Must have two):For Office Use Only:

1. ______

2. ______

*Deadline to file for elections is by 12:30 pm on Friday, September 1, 2017, in the Office for Student Engagement (Student Union Room 2307).

All candidates MUST attend one of the mandatory candidate meetings in order to qualify for elections.

I certify that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge that I have read and understand the current election code, and I give permission to the Office for Student Engagement and the Office of Student Conduct to check into my records for the purpose of qualifications. I shall abide by all the rules of the election code.

______

SignatureDate

DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE

Date: ______Initials: ______Qualified:______

Sem. GPA: Cum. GPA:

Southeastern Louisiana University Election Code

Preamble

This document, proposed by the Southeastern Louisiana University Student Government Association in conjunction with University Administration, shall be the established guidelines for any elections administered by the Student Government Association for elected offices.

Article I
General Provisions

A.Interpreting this Document

1.Provisions in this document shall be interpreted strictly so that clear and unambiguous provisions are interpreted in their plain and general meaning.

2.In the event a provision is unclear or ambiguous, this document should be interpreted by evaluating either the general purpose of the provision or the behavior which the provision is meant to prevent or resolve, and applying that purpose or remedy to address the specific circumstance.

B.Amendments and Repeals

1.Proposed amendments to this document may be recommended by a majority of members present and voting at a duly constituted meeting of the Senate as per the guidelines for amendments.

2.The Election Committee may submit recommended amendments to this document to the Student Government Association Senate and the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs. These recommendations must be submitted in writing to all parties within the first two months of the Fall Semester.

C.Definitions

1.Candidate: Any individual who applies to be on the ballot for an elected office or is nominated for an honorary selection, such as the Homecoming King, Homecoming Queen, or Homecoming Court positions.

2.Eligible Voter: Every student registered and enrolled for the current semester at Southeastern Louisiana University shall be considered an eligible voter in any given election or referendum.

3.Endorse/Endorsement: Showing public support by way of expenditures, publications, letters, or speaking in public forums on behalf of an individual or idea.

4. Election Committee: The Election Committee shall be comprised of the Election Committee Chairperson, the Director and Assistant Director of the Office of Student Engagement, one member of the Judicial Branch, two members of the Legislative Branch, and two members of the Executive Branch.

5. Election Committee Chairperson: The Election Committee Chairperson shall be either the Chief Justice or the Associate Chief Justice of the Student Government Association. If either of these individuals are interested in running for a position in the election, that individual must recuse him/herself from the Election Committee. If both individuals are interested in running for a position in the election, then the role of Election Committee Chairperson shall be assigned to any current member of the Judicial Branch of the Student Government Association who is not running for a position in the election.

Article II
Guidelines for Dates and Times of General Election

  1. The dates and times of elections shall be left to the discretion of the Election Committee and University administration. The order of events for which dates are to be determined by the Election Committee are as follows:
  2. Selection of election-related dates and deadlines.
  3. Announcement of elections at least two weeks prior to candidacy meetings.
  4. Two candidacy meetings to familiarize potential candidates of the Election Code.
  5. The filing deadline to be held on the Friday of the week of candidacy meetings.
  6. The determination of qualifications to be held the same day as the filing deadline.
  7. Notification of Candidacy
  8. Active Campaigning to commence the Monday after the filing deadline.
  9. General election to commence the Monday after the commencement of active campaigning, lasting from 8:00 a.m. Monday until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
  10. Results to be obtained, validated, and announced 5:00 p.m. Wednesday of the week of General election.
  11. If necessary, Runoff elections to commence the Monday after the conclusion of General election, lasting from 8:00 a.m. Monday until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
  12. If necessary, Runoff Results to be obtained, validated, and announced 5:00 p.m. Wednesday of the week of Runoff elections.
  13. Elections of the Homecoming Court shall also be required to abide by this timeline and shall be based off of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Homecoming schedule.

Article III
Candidate Qualification and Requirements

  1. Candidates for any office to be bestowed upon individuals by Southeastern Louisiana University shall be qualified for participation in the election process by adhering to the following criteria:
  2. Candidates for Student Government Association elected offices must have maintained a semester and cumulative grade point average of 2.75.
  3. Candidates for honorary Homecoming offices must have maintained a semester and cumulative grade point average of 2.50.
  4. Candidates for honorary Homecoming offices must be an active member of two recognized student organizations at the time of the candidacy meetings.
  5. Candidates must be free of any academic probation.
  6. Candidates must be free of any disciplinary actions, defined here as having an open or unresolved case with the Office of Student Conduct, as well as being free from any pending disciplinary sanctions administered by the Office of Student Conduct.
  7. To be considered eligible for candidacy in any election, candidates must also:
  8. Candidates must attend at least one of the two Candidacy Meetings to qualify for elections. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
  9. Candidates must file their Election Packets with the Office of Student Engagement by 12:30pm on the Friday of the week of candidacy meetings. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
  10. Individuals found to not meet these basic requirements and qualifications shall be notified by the Office of Student Engagement or the Election Committee Chairperson by the end of the filing period as stated in Section B of this article.

Article IV
Candidate Expenditures

  1. The Student Government Association does not allow for candidates to spend any material assets on the endorsement of any candidate by the candidate or any affiliated parties. Material assets are defined for the purposes of elections as including, but not limited to: monetary donations, gifts, flyers, etc. Any violations of such by the candidate or any others in the name of the candidate shall be considered a violation of the Southeastern Louisiana University Election Code, and will result in reprimand as defined in this document.

Article V
Campaigning

A.Active campaigning, including posting and/or launching a social media page may begin after the conclusion of the Candidates Meeting and approval of each candidate’s qualifications, and shall be allowed so as long as it is within University policy and procedures. However, only individuals who meet qualifications for candidates orreferendums which receive proper approvalwill be placed on the student election ballot.

B.Campaigning shall be conducted by verbal means and social media only.

C. Social media, including but not restricted to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., may be used throughout the entire election and voting process.Candidates must turn in the names of allinternetcampaign sites utilized, including social media pages. Pages must be publicly accessible so as to be viewed by the Election Committee. The use of email and Moodle does not qualify as the use of social media, and is therefore prohibited.

D.Candidates may not use chalk in their campaign efforts. Such actions made by a candidate or on their behalf will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action or disqualification.

F.Emails shall be sent out by the Office of Student Engagement informing students of the election and who is on the ballot.Individual candidates will not be permitted access to bulk or mass emailing through the university email system, LEONet, or Moodle. Emails sent by candidates or on their behalf will find candidates to be subject to appropriate disciplinary action or disqualification.

G.Social media postings must not defame any candidate. Such posts made by a candidate or on their behalf will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action or disqualification.

H.Distribution of any physical campaign materials is prohibited. Such distributions found to have been made by a candidate or on their behalf will result in investigation by the Election Committee and the candidate shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action or disqualification.

I. Campaigning that disrupts the normal flow of University business is prohibited and can be stopped by appropriate University officials.

J.Candidates may not defame another candidate in any way during campaigning.

K.Payment of money or any other type of influence to any individual for the purpose of swaying or causing someone to vote for or against a particular candidate or referendum issue is prohibited. Such actions made by a candidate or on their behalf will be subject immediate disqualification

J.Candidates and their supporters are not to provide an electronic means for voting, nor solicit votes by asking students to use their own electronic devises at that immediate moment.

Article VI
Faculty & Staff Involvement in Student Elections

A.Faculty and staff are encouraged to motivate student participation in elections. However, it shall be a violation of this Code for any faculty or staff member to endorse or campaign for or against any candidate or issue.

B.Candidates may not solicit endorsement of faculty or staff members to encourage students to vote a certain way in any student election.

Article VII
Voting Procedures

A.Electronic Voting

1.Eligible voters in an election (as defined by Article I, Section C, Number 2) will be able to cast their vote electronically through the Southeastern Louisiana University servers at polling stations operated by Student Government Association Officials or on their own computers through the Student Government Association Website. The voters must enter their Student Identification W-Number and Password into the secure voting website to cast their vote.

2.Should an eligible voter be unable to vote because of technical reasons, they will be directed to the SGA office where an official of the Election Committee will inform the appropriate university authority of the problem and help the student to reach a resolution. The official will document any such occurrence and report it to the Election Committee.

B.While working at the polls, the Election Committee officials shall not wear any campaign material on their persons, nor are they to solicit votes or wear any organization paraphernalia during elections other than Student Government Association attire.

C.The Election Committee shall appoint no individual who is a candidate for an elected SGA office or any other elected positions to work as a poll worker in any polling center.

D.Election Committee officials will provide assistance to any individual with disabilities upon request.

E.Following any Student Government Association General Election, if any Southeastern student wishes to examine the computer printout results, theymaydo so after the completion of the primary or run-off elections in the presence of at least one (1) Election Committee official. This right does not extend to Homecoming Elections.

Article VIII
Election Code Infractions

A.Infractions shall be defined as follows, including, but not limited to:

1.Payment of money to any individual for the purpose of swaying or causing someone to vote for or against a particular candidate or referendum issue

2. Distribution of material assets.

3.Soliciting a faculty or staff member to encourage students to vote a certain way in any student election.

4.Use of chalk.

5.Unauthorized use of email.

6.Defaming or disrespecting another candidate in any way.

7. Affixing campaign materials to any vehicles, including cars, bikes, motorcycles, or any form of transportation, without the owner’s permission.

8. Candidates being found within 100 feet of any election poll for purposes other than casting their own vote.

9.Candidates and their supporters are not to provide an electronic means for voting, nor solicit votes by asking students to use their own electronic devises at that immediate moment.

B.Procedures for Filing and the Handling of Election Infractions Complaints.

1.All complaints of possible infractions of Election Code must be submitted via email to the Election Committee Chairperson, who will date and time stamp the complaint when it is received.

2.Complaints must be filed during the election process.

3.Complaints may be filed by any student eligible to vote in the election, including Election Committee members who witness an Election Code Violation. Additionally, university faculty and staff members shall have the right to file complaints against candidates. Election Committee members who observe a violation of the Election Code should advise the violating party(ies) to cease and desist frombehavior which violates the Election Code, and immediately inform the Election Committee Chairperson, as well as submit the observation in writing.

4.Complaints filed will be forwarded to the Election Committee Chairperson, along with evidence that an Election Code infraction has occurred.

5.The Election Committee Chairperson will oversee the investigation of the complaint. Election Committee members will assist as requested by the Election Committee Chairperson. As noted in item 3, when any Election Committee member has reason to believe that a violation has or is occurring, he/she should advise the individual(s) to cease and desist frombehavior whichviolates the Election Code, and immediately inform the Election Committee Chairperson.

6.Once the investigation is completed, the Election Committee Chairperson will determine if there is merit to complaint. If not, the Election Committee Chairperson will dismiss the complaint and notify in writing the person who filed the complaint via Southeastern email. If the Election Committee Chairperson determines that there is merit to the complaint, the Election Committee Chairperson will convene a meeting of the Election Committee. The Election Committee Chairperson will notify in writing via Southeastern email the person accused of violating the Election Code and notify the person who filed the complaint that the complaint has been accepted and that a meeting of the Election Committee has been scheduled. The notice will identify the specific violation, evidence supporting the charge including witnesses to be called, and the time, date and location of the hearing.

7.The Hearing will be held at the time, date and location set by the Election Committee Chairperson. Hearings for infractions, must be held as soon as possible, and shall occur within 24 hours of the submission of an infraction. The hearing may be postponed or rescheduled by decision of the Election Committee Chairperson.

8.The Election Committee Chairperson will present the results of the investigation to the full Election Committee. The individual accused of violating the Election Code will then be provided an opportunity to present evidence that they did not commit an infraction. Other than witnesses called to testify and parties to the hearing, no other individuals will be permitted to speak or participate in the hearing. Attorneys, advisors or friends will not be permitted to address the Election Committee or participate in the hearing other than to offer advice to their party. The Election Committee Chairperson shall rule on admissibility of evidence, motions and objections as well as the acceptability of questions asked by any party. The Election Committee Chairperson may limit evidence that is repetitious and may take other action as necessary to maintain an orderly hearing, including requiring that all questions be submitted to the Election Committee Chairperson who will then read each question to thewitness(es).