Part of the Statutes of Student Government, the Election Codes ensure fairness to both students running and students voting for elected positions in the Senate and Executive Branch.
1-1. Composition There shall be an Elections Commission composed of a Chair, Vice Chair, and at least ten (10) members at large, and up to, but not exceeding, twenty (20) members at large. 1-1.1 Appointments to the Elections Commission 1-2. Authority The Elections Commission is authorized to act as an independent agency of Student Government. The Elections Commission shall have original jurisdiction to pursue matters related to elections. The Supreme Court of Student Government shall have original judicial jurisdiction in regard to all elections processes. All University policies and decisions shall supersede these Elections Codes. 1-2.1. Powers of the Elections Commission The Elections Commission is authorized to: 1-3. Procedures 1-3.1. Election Results Procedures The Elections Commission shall be responsible for disseminating election winners, as well as the official vote total for every candidate, as soon as reasonably possible, following every Student Government election. The Elections Commission shall announce these election results to the general student body and submit them to be posted to the student body at large. The Elections Commission shall also be responsible for formally notifying by email all candidates for office of their electoral status within forty-eight (48) hours of the original election results announcement.
2-1. Identification 2-2. Responsibilities 2-3. Electoral Fraud
3-1. Requirements All candidates must have a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average and be enrolled as full-time undergraduate students in good standing, be in good disciplinary standing as determined by the Dean of Students Office, and have paid the Student Activity Fee at the time of application. First semester Freshmen filing for candidacy are exempt from providing their grade-point average. Candidates must be a member of the constituency they wish to represent. By applying for candidacy, a candidate authorizes the Elections Commission to have the candidate’s academic records and credentials verified by authorized personnel. Candidates for President, Vice President and Treasurer must have a 2.7 cumulative grade-point average in addition to the aforementioned requirements. 3-2. Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook All candidates and campaigns must abide by the standards and policies enumerated in the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook. The Elections Commission reserves the right to report any alleged violation(s) of the Student Rights & Responsibilities to the Dean of Students Office. 3-3. Application Procedures The following guidelines apply to all candidates filing for application: 3-5. Write-In Candidates Write-in candidates, who graphically campaign, with the exclusion of individual emails or other forms of individual communication (refer to 5-1.3 Clause 1), shall be disqualified. 3-5.1. Write-In Candidates in Run-off Elections
4-1. Expenditures 4-1.1. Goods and Services All goods and services, excluding labor performed by full-time University of Miami undergraduate students, that are either purchased or donated shall be assessed as a campaign expenditure at its retail value. If these goods or services were acquired at a price substantially below the market value available to the general public or other candidates, the Elections Commission shall determine its retail value. Any University resources that are available to all students for free may be used by any candidate or ticket during their campaign. 4-1.2. Corporate Sponsorship Any corporate or commercial promotion in graphic campaign material in exchange for sponsorship is prohibited. Violating this rule will result in disqualification. 4-2. Financial Report Procedure A Financial Report must be submitted by ALL independent candidates, tickets, and referenda. The report must include the retail value of all goods and services used in the campaign, all income sources, expenditure receipts and other pertinent information as determined by the Elections Commission and included in the election packet. Falsifying this report to failure to report expenditures will result in termination of your candidacy. 4-2.1. Financial Report Procedure for Expenditures Independent candidates, tickets, and referenda who spend money on their respective campaigns must submit a Financial Report by time of polls closure on the last day of voting. Submission of an incomplete or late Financial Report will result in automatic disqualification. 4-2.2. Financial Report Procedure for a Lack of Expenditures Independent candidates, tickets, and referenda that do NOT spend any money are also required to submit the Financial Report by the time of polls closure on the last day of voting, and are similarly subject to disqualification in the event that they fail to do so.
5-1. Campaign Procedures In areas where University policy conflicts with campaign procedures, the University policy shall be supreme. The following guidelines shall apply to all graphic campaign materials: 5-1.1. Campaigning Definition 5-1.2. Verbal Campaigning Definition 5-1.3. Graphic Campaign Definition Graphic campaigning shall include the distribution or exhibition of any written, electronic or printed material that contains any reference in support of or is a clear reference to a candidate, ticket or referendum. Any election code that refers to graphic campaigning applies to articles of clothing, unless otherwise stated. 5-1.4.Approval of Graphic Campaigning 5-2. Campaign Policies The following campaigning policies shall apply to all candidates and referenda: 5-2.1 Graphic campaigning for individual tickets, candidates or referendum shall be allowed in the following areas of campus: 5-2.2 There shall be no graphic or verbal campaigning for any individual candidates, tickets or referendum in the following areas of campus: 5-2.6. Student Center Complex 5-3. Referendum Campaign Guidelines 5-4. Run-Off Elections
Verbal campaigning constitutes oral solicitation of votes for any candidate, ticket, or referendum. Verbal campaigning will be held to equal standards as any other form of campaigning in regards to the Elections Codes.
5-2.3 The following actions related to graphic or verbal campaigning for individual candidates, tickets or referendum are permissible:
5-2.4 The following actions related to graphic or verbal campaigning for individual candidates, tickets or referendum are prohibited:
5-2.5. Social Media
Section 6. Enforcement 6-1. Elections Commission Procedures 6-2. Trial Court Procedures 6-2.1. Affirmative Rights of the Accused Party 6-3. Supreme Court Procedures 6-4. Violations and Penalties 6-4.1 Violations of the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook 6-5. Violation Point Values Fifteen-Point Violations Twenty-Point Violations Subject to Automatic Dismissal
A revision of Elections Codes may be initiated by a petition signed by the President, the Speaker of the Senate, the Chief Justice, the Chair of the Elections Commission, and the Student Government Advisor requesting the creation of a Commission on Elections Codes Revision. The petition should indicate that, “effective and efficient functioning of Student Government elections requires holistic changes to the Student Government Elections Codes.” The Commission shall be comprised of the Chief Justice or Associate Chief Justice, who shall serve as a non-voting Chair; a voting representative from the Executive Branch chosen by the President of Student Government; a voting representative from the Legislative Branch chosen by the Speaker of the Senate; a voting representative from the Judicial Branch chosen by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; and a voting representative from the Elections Commission chosen by the Chair of the Elections Commission. The Commission on Elections Codes Revision’s purpose shall be to make edits and revisions to the Codes that (1) address student concerns; (2) reflect de facto changes to the electoral process and the environment in which elections take place, particularly with regards to new media and physical changes to campus geography; (3) facilitate the proper functioning of enforcement mechanisms with regard to Codes violations; (4) uphold the integrity of the democratic elections process; and (5) correct any grammatical or factual errors. It shall be the duty of the Chair to ensure that all changes being proposed fit the above criteria. The Commission may propose as many revisions as its members feel are necessary so long as the proposed revisions fit the above criteria. If the Commission unanimously votes to accept the revised Elections Codes in their entirety, the revisions shall then be referred to the Senate. The Senate, with a quorum, may, by simple majority of the present senators, approve the revisions in their entirety.