STUDENT ELECTIONS SPRING 2009
Students will be able to vote in the Student Union Lobby, April 7 through 10, 2009.
There will be referendum questions in addition to the candidate polling.

DOWNLOAD CAMPAIGN SPENDING REPORT FORM [PDF - 104 KB]

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POSITIONS AVAILABLE
ELECTION SCHEDULE
QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES
ELECTION RULES

USG POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

• PRESIDENT
• EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
• TREASURER
• VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFFAIRS
• VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATION
• VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
• VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE
• SENATOR (20 to be elected)

See Articles IV and V of the USG Constitution for descriptions of the student government positions including duties and responsibilities.

OTHER POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

• FACULTY STUDENT ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBER (2 seats, 2-year terms)
• STUDENT SENATOR, COLLEGE SENATE (12 seats, 1-year term)
• STUDENT MEMBER, COLLEGE COUNCIL (1 seat, 1-year term)
• STUDENT ASSEMBLY DELEGATES (2 seats, 1-year term)
• INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS BOARD (4 seats in specific categories)
• AUXILIARY SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ASAC), (1 seat, 1-year term)
• GRANT ALLOCATION COMMITTEE (GAC), (3 undergraduate, 1 graduate, 2-year terms)

See the Campus Bodies Page for discriptions of the non-USG student positions.

ELECTION SCHEDULE

• February 18 - Applications available as download (see link above)
• February 27 - Deadline for submitting applications to Union 400.
• March 10 - Mandatory Meeting for all candidates, Bengal Pause, Union Game Room Conference Room 105G. (See application cover sheet for more info). Also deadline for e-mail submission of candidate's platform for publication in the Record.
• March 12 - Campaign Videotaping: Bulger Communication Center Studio B (basement) Bengal Pause.
• March 31 - Meet the Candidates Event: Union Lobby, Bengal Pause
• April 7 to 10 - Polls Open, Union Lobby, 9:30AM to 7PM Tuesday to Thursday, 9:30AM to 3PM Friday.
• April 7 - Election Barbecue - Bengal Pause, Perry Quad
• April 10 - Election results posted on line (on this page) approximately 9PM
• April 13 - Post-election cleanup must be completed.
• April 17 - Deadline for any challenges submitted to Judicial Council. Written notification to winners of all USG positions.
• April 21 - Post-Election Meeting: Bulger Communication Center West, Bengal Pause. Mandatory for all winners of USG positions under penalty of forfeiting the position.
• April 21 - Election Committee Report submitted to the USG Senate. 8:45PM, location TBA.
• Elected Candidates will be sworn in on a date to be announced - late April or early May.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES

1. CANDIDATES FOR USG OFFICES:

• Candidates for President, Vice President, Treasurer, and all Administrative Vice President positions must currently be activity fee-paying students with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5.
• Candidates for USG Senator must currently be activity fee-paying students with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
• First semester freshmen or transfers must earn the appropriate GPA (as noted above) in the spring semester for any office they are a candidate for.
• Candidates must currently be matriculated undergraduate students enrolled for a minimum of nine credit hours.
• Must currently be an activity fee-paying student.
• USG OFFICERS AND SENATORS MAY NOT HOLD ANY OTHER OFFICE IN ANY FUNDED USG ORGANIZATION DURING THEIR TERMS OF OFFICE.

2. CANDIDATES FOR COLLEGE SENATE, COLLEGE COUNCIL, STUDENT ASSEMBLY, ASAC and GAC:

• Must hold a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
• Currently be a matriculated undergraduate student enrolled for a minimum of nine hours.
• Currently be a matriculated graduate student enrolled for a minimum of six hours.
• Candidates need not be an activity fee-paying student to be eligible for these positions.

3. CANDIDATES FOR THE INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS BOARD:

• Must be a full-time student
• Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0
• Student members must remain in good standing during the term of their appointment.
• A separate application is included in the packet and must be completed in full.

4. CANDIDATES FOR FSA BOARD:

• Currently be a matriculated undergraduate student enrolled for a minimum of nine credit hours.
• Currently be a matriculated graduate student enrolled for a minimum of six credit hours.
• Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.

ELECTION RULES

1. All candidates must be judicially eligible to take office. (i.e., have no College Judicial System sanctions, which prohibit holding office in effect as of June 1). The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students will verify this in writing to the chairperson of the elections committee prior to the beginning of campaigning.

2. DEADLINE for completed applications to be received: SEE ELECTION SCHEDULE ABOVE. See #6 below for missed filing deadine.

3. Candidates may not run for more than one USG Executive Board or USG Vice Presidential Office.

4. PARTY AFFILIATION - Candidates wishing to run on a party ticket must be registered on the party roster with the Election Committee. The Party Registration form is part of the Election Application Packet. Only one form should be submitted per party, but ALL affiliated candidates must be on the form. No additions or deletions from the party ticket may be made after the application deadline, except for withdrawal.

5. MANDATORY MEETING - All candidates, for all positions, must attend a mandatory meeting to review election procedures and have ballot positions chosen. See the Election Schedule for the date, time and place of the meeting. Candidates unable to attend this meeting need to inform the Election Committee, at 878-4631, before the meeting so other arrangements can be made. Candidates failing to attend this meeting must obtain 100 student signatures and meet with a member of the Election Committee within 24 hours of the mandatory meeting in order to appear on the ballot. CAMPAIGNING MAY OFFICIALLY BEGIN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS MEETING.

6. If a candidate misses the deadline of the application and still wishes to run, they may still run if they have a petition of 100 undergraduate student signatures and comply with the following guidelines:

• Must submit a completed election application packet to the Elections Committee no later than 24 hours after the missed mandatory meeting.
• Must turn in their completed list of 100 undergraduate student signatures within 72 hours of the missed mandatory meeting.
• Write-In Candidates – If a candidate misses the deadline for the applications and still wishes to run they may as a write-in candidate.
• Write-In Candidates must comply with all election and campaign spending rules.

7. CAMPAIGN SPENDING RULES -

• A. Party Candidates: (running as a member of a registered party)
  • Each party candidate for USG President, Vice President, and Treasurer will have a $75.00 ceiling on the total amount that may be expended on campaign materials (posters, flyers, buttons, media advertising, balloons, etc.)
  • Each party candidate for USG Administrative Vice President positions shall have a $50.00 ceiling on the total amount that may be expended on campaign material.
  • Each party candidate for USG Senate positions shall have a $25.00 ceiling on the total amount that may be expended on campaign materials.
• B. Independent/Write-in Candidates: Each independent and write-in candidate shall have a ceiling of twice the spending limit of a party candidate for the corresponding office.
• C. Candidates lacking sufficient funds: Individuals lacking sufficient funds to run may request to enter into the election contest in forma pauperis: this would entitle the candidate to 50 standard election posters and 200 flyers provided through USG Press Services. This candidate's spending limit will then be half that of a party candidate for the corresponding office. (USG only provides copies for the 50 posters and 200 flyers. USG does not provide financial assistance to the candidate.)
• D. Campaign Spending Report:
  • Each party or independent candidate will be required to submit a campaign spending report to the Election Committee by the Friday, (April 3) at 3:00p.m. before voting begins for verification. The report must outline the expenditures both incurred and projected for campaigning.
  • Copies of all receipts for campaign materials must be turned in to the Election Committee for verification by Friday, (April 10)  the last day of the elections, at 3:00p.m.
  • Failure to submit all receipts in accordance with the rules, falsifying receipts or exceeding the respective limit may result in Election Committee action and possible disqualification of a candidate.
    
• E. DONATIONS - Donations of campaign materials are permitted but receipts reflecting their actual costs must be submitted and will count against spending ceilings. Donations of money or materials from faculty or staff members of Buffalo State College are not permitted.
• F. WRITE-IN CANDIDATES - All write-in candidates must comply with all election and campaign spending rules.

8. POSTERS - Campaign posters and banners presented in the Campbell Student Union must conform to the policies of the Union. Material posted in the Union without going through the proper channels will be taken down by the Union staff. See this web page for further information on correct procedures: http://www.buffalostate.edu/studentlife/UnionPolicies.xml#bannerposterpolicy

9. BANNERS - Each candidate or party ticket will be limited to one large banner, maximum 7 ft. x 4 ft. Candidates' names may appear on one banner only. See #8 above for posting in the Union.

10. LOCATION OF CAMPAIGN MATERIALS - Campaign materials are banned from all classrooms, walls, doors, windows, and the exterior of all buildings, parking lots, cars and light poles. Chalking is permitted, only if it is on a horizontal surface where the rain can wash it off. No chalking is permitted on the sides of buildings or other structures.

11. RESIDENCE HALLS -

• All posting of campaign materials in the Residence Halls must be done through the Residence Life Office, Porter Hall.
• Each party and independent candidate may bring a maximum of 100 posters or flyers to the office to be stamped and posted in the halls by Residence Life staff.
• All unstamped campaign materials will be removed from the halls and the Election Committee will be notified. However, residents in the halls are permitted to post campaign materials on the door to their individual room without being in violation of the above policy.

12. VIOLATION OF POLICY: Any campaign materials found in violation of the policies may be confiscated by members of the Election Committee or USG Judicial Council and may also result in a warning or disqualification by the committee.

13. USE OF USG OR BSC MATERIALS, FACILITIES OR SERVICES - The use of any materials, facilities or services of USG or BSC are prohibited, i.e., office supplies, printing or production facilities, computer accounts, postage, etc. Posters/flyers may be purchased through Press Services.

14. USG FUNDED EVENTS - No USG or USG organization funded event or meeting shall be used as a forum to support an individual or slate of candidates in the place of assembly.  However organizations may allow candidates to speak at general meetings on behalf of themselves, providing those organizations provide equal opportunity to all candidates and provide a letter to the Election Chair stating that their meetings are open to all candidates to speak on their own behalf. This letter is due to the Election Committee Chair at least 24 hours prior to the candidate speaking at the organizations meeting. Any USG funded events designed to encourage voting shall be planned and implemented by the Election Committee.

15. CAMPAIGN VIDEO - The campaign video will be filmed in Studio B of the Instructional Resources Department (basement of the Communications Center) SEE THE ELECTION SCHEDULE FOR DATE AND TIME. All students running for President, Executive Vice President and Treasurer are invited to make 3-minute presentation to be shown in the lobby of the Student Union.

16. VIOLATIONS AND COMPLAINTS -

• Each candidate is responsible for his or her own actions, as well as for those working on their behalf.
• It is a violation to remove, obstruct or deface campaign materials.
• Any alleged violations of these rules shall be reported to the USG Judicial Council in writing by submitting a Grievance Form (Available in the USG Office, Union 402) within 24 hours of notice of violation.
• Upon notification, any member of the Judicial Council may call a meeting of the Council to consider appropriate sanctions or warnings.
• More than one violation may result in disqualification.

17. CAMPAIGNING AT POLLING PLACE - Once the Polls are open campaigning is prohibited in the Campbell Student Union lower lobby and in the hallway from the WBNY door into the lower lobby. Campaigning is defined as written, oral, personal and/or other communication intended to influence voters. Campaigning should not obstruct the normal flow of traffic.

18. ELECTION RESULTS - Election Results will be compiled by the Election Committee with the initial vote being reported at approximately 9 p.m. on the final day of voting. Challenges to the results must be turned in to the Judicial Council (Student Union Room 418) in writing by the deadline for challenges (see election schedule for date). Challenges will be reviewed and decided upon by the USG Judicial Council. 

19. POST ELECTION CLEAN-UP - All campaign materials must be removed by 4:30 p.m. on the Monday following elections. Non-compliance will be a violation of these guidelines and may result in a fine or disqualification.

20. WINNING BOTH EXECUTIVE AND SENATE POSITIONS - In the event that a candidate wins both a USG Executive Board position and a USG Senator seat, written notification of which position will be accepted must be submitted to the Election Committee see election schedule for deadline.  Failure to notify the Elections Committee by the deadline will result in disqualification from both positions. Vacant positions will be filled after the elections based upon the procedures outlined in the USG Constitution.

21. FINAL CERTIFICATION - See election schedule for date/time.

WINNING CANDIDATES WILL TAKE OFFICE EFFECTIVE JUNE 1.