SFUO ELECTIONS 2014 ELECTORAL REGULATIONS ENGLISH VERSION

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SFUO ELECTIONS 2014
ELECTORAL REGULATIONS
ENGLISH VERSION
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PREAMBLE
WHEREAS it is in the interest of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa to
make the student population more aware of women's reality within society and to
acknowledge the contribution of women in the progress of society in general, the
Electoral Regulations have been written in the feminine gender.

The feminine includes the masculine.

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1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
  1.1   Individual Members of the Student Federation of the University Of Ottawa (SFUO)
        are full-time and part-time undergraduate students who have paid the
        membership fees of the SFUO as set out in the SFUO constitution, as well as SFUO
        executive members, the Chief Electoral Officer and the Chief Returning Officer.

  1.2   For the purposes of this document, a member of the SFUO will hereinafter be called
        a Member.

  1.3   The Electoral Regulations are subject to the SFUO Constitution.

  1.4   Every bylaw, resolution and policy of the SFUO must be written and adopted in
        both of its official languages. Each of the English and French versions is equally
        authoritative. (Bylaw 5.2 of the SFUO Constitution)
     However, in the event of any discrepancy between the English version and the French
     version of the Electoral Regulations, the most consistent text with the intention of the
     provision in accordance with the ordinary rules of legal interpretation shall prevail.

  1.5   Each participant in an election campaign, but in particular candidates and official
        representatives, is responsible for familiarizing herself with the SFUO Constitution
        and the official Electoral Regulations in order to ensure that her actions do not
        contravene the Constitution or the official Electoral Regulations.

  1.6   A referendum committee may only campaign for one aspect of the referendum
        question, either the “Yes” or the “No”.

  1.7   The Chief Electoral Officer may, at any time, amend the Electoral Regulations in
        order to insure the fairness and the integrity of the elections. When an amendment
        is made, the Chief Electoral Officer must communicate it to all candidates and
        official representatives within 24 hours. The rule comes into effect immediately
        upon the Chief Electoral Officer’s communication to the candidates and official
        representatives; however no candidate can be penalized during the first 24 hours
        of the rule coming into effect.

2 ELECTIONS OFFICE PERSONNEL
  2.1 The Executive
2.1.1 The Executive of the Elections Office is composed of the Chief Electoral Officer and
      the Chief Returning Officer. The Chief Electoral Officer and other elections officers
      are obliged to follow the SFUO constitution as well as to complete the general
      dispositions of the position as outlined in the SFUO constitution.

  2.2 Personnel

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2.2.1 The expression “personnel of the elections office” encompasses the members of the
      Executive, the poll clerks and all other employees hired by the Chief Electoral
      Officer.

2.2.2 The duties of the personnel are to be determined by the Chief Electoral Officer.

   2.3 Exceptions
2.3.1 Employees or volunteers associated with the weekly campus newspapers (La
      Rotonde and The Fulcrum) will not be eligible for employment at the Elections
      Office, unless they stop working or volunteering for the duration of the election
      period.

3 CANDIDATES AND REFERENDUM COMMITTEES
   3.1 Eligibility
3.1.1 Any person is eligible to become a candidate if she fills the requirements of SFUO
      constitution section 3.1.1.9:

        “Only those persons who are aged 18 or more as of the first day of their mandate, who
        are of sound mind, who have not been declared bankrupt and who have been duly
        elected to the executive or as faculty directors are qualified to be named directors of
        the Board of Administration.”

        SFUO constitution section 3.1.2: “Eligibility of Faculty Directors”

        Any member of the Federation is eligible to run for a faculty director seat provided
        that:

         -   she will be at least eighteen years of age as of the first day of her mandate.

         -   she is enrolled in the faculty for which she is seeking a seat

3.1.2   Candidates for the SFUO executive must also fill the eligibility requirements for the
        position per section 3 of the SFUO Constitution:

3.1.2.1 President

         “3.3.2 (b): is bilingual, that is to say, achieves a grade of three (3) out of four (4) on
         the reading test and a five (5) out of five (5) on the speaking test in both official
         languages. Tests are to be administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism
         Institute of the University of Ottawa using the “French Proficiency test,” the “English
         Proficiency Test” and the “CanTEST.” Each potential candidate must take the tests
         scheduled for her by the Chief Electoral Officer.”

3.1.2.2 Vice-president Finances, Vice-president Equity, Vice-president University Affairs, Vice
        President Social

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“3.4.2. (b), 3.5.2. (b), 3.6.2. (b), 3.7.2(b): is bilingual, that is to say, achieves a grade of
         two (2) out of four (4) on the reading test and of four (4) out of five (5) on the
         speaking test in both official languages. Tests are to be administered by the Official
         Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of Ottawa using the “French
         Proficiency test,” the “English Proficiency Test” and the “CanTEST.” Each potential
         candidate must take the tests scheduled for her by the Chief Electoral Officer.”

3.1.2.3 Vice-President Services and Communications

         “3.8.2. (b) is bilingual, that is to say, achieves a grade of three (3) out of four (4) on
         the reading test, of five (5) out of five (5) on the speaking test and of four and a half
         (4.5) out of five (5) on the writing test in both official languages. Tests are to be
         administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of the University of
         Ottawa using the “French Proficiency test,” the “English Proficiency Test” and the
         “CanTEST.” Each potential candidate must take the tests scheduled for her by the
         Chief Electoral Officer.”

3.1.3 Any other sections of the SFUO constitution pertaining to eligibility must be
      respected.

3.1.4 Candidates may run for a position on the Senate of the University along with
      running for a SFUO executive or Board of Administration position, at the same time.

3.1.5 Candidates may not run for an executive position and a Board of Administration
      position at the same time.

3.1.6   University Senate

3.1.6.1 Any regular, full-time, undergraduate student intending to study during the 2014-
        2015 academic year may run for a position on the University Senate.

3.1.7   Bilingualism exam

3.1.7.1 Candidates will be tested in both languages by the Official Languages and
        Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) of the University of Ottawa.

3.1.7.2 Candidates must submit to the tests scheduled for them by the OLBI. Candidates
        are prohibited from discussing or debating their test language(s) with the
        employees of the OLBI. Candidates must show respect and compliance with the
        demands of the OLBI employees at all times.

  3.2 Nomination
3.2.1 SFUO executive positions: SFUO members must present their nominations for
      candidacy by submitting the nomination form to the SFUO offices or to the Elections
      Office, indicating the support of fifty (50) members (including their student
      numbers and signatures), no later than the time and date stipulated in the elections
      Timetable (section 7 of the electoral regulations).

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3.2.2 SFUO Faculty Director positions: SFUO members must present their nominations
      for candidacy by submitting the nomination form to the SFUO offices or to the
      Elections Office, indicating the support of twenty-five (25) members of their faculty
      (including their student numbers and signatures), no later than the time and date
      stipulated in the elections Timetable (section 7 of the electoral regulations).

3.2.3 University Senate: Regular, full-time, undergraduate students must submit the
      candidature form to the SFUO main office (University Centre, room 07). The form
      must demonstrate the support of at least five (5) regular, full-time, undergraduate
      students in the same faculty as the candidate (as well as their signatures and
      student numbers) and must be handed in before the date and time indicated on the
      elections schedule (Section 7 of the electoral regulations)

   3.3 Positions for which there is no runoff
3.3.1 An SFUO executive or BOA candidate for whom their candidature is the only one for
      the position must all the same satisfy the admission conditions beforehand, as
      articulated by the SFUO Constitution and elections rules. She must duly run a
      campaign as though they were running against other candidates for the same
      position. The ballot will present the candidate’s name and the choice of “yes” and
      “no”. The candidate must obtain a majority under the conditions in the SFUO
      Constitution.

3.3.2   In the case of the Senate, a candidate who has no competition will not have to be
        subjected to a vote of confidence. They will simply be elected.

   3.4 Duties and obligations of candidates and committees
3.4.1 A candidate must, from the moment of the publication of the list of official
      candidates:

3.4.1.1 read the electoral regulations and the SFUO Constitution and follow these rules until
        the end of the electoral process.
3.4.1.2 avoid any conflicts of interest (see section 9).

3.4.1.3 ensure that her electoral team including volunteers and official representatives
        follows the regulations and its responsibilities.

   3.5 Referendum questions
3.5.1 A referendum question can be presented to the student population if it is proposed
      in accordance to section 4.17 of the SFUO Constitution and is supported by;

3.5.1.1 a resolution adopted by two-thirds of the votes cast at the meeting of the Board of
        Administration; or

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3.5.1.2 a petition duly signed by fifteen hundred (1500) members of the SFUO or five percent
        (5%), whichever is less, that clearly indicates the proposed question and is written in
        accordance to section 4.17 of the SFUO Constitution.

3.5.2 The question must be presented and communicated to the Board of Administration
      Chair on time (according to the SFUO Constitution) to be presented at the Board of
      Administration meeting indicated in the SFUO Constitution.

  3.6 Referendum Committee

3.6.1 Any member of the SFUO can create a referendum committee promoting a “YES” or
      a “NO” vote on a valid referendum question if a Referendum Committee Attestation
      Form is signed by two (2) official representatives and is submitted to the Elections
      Office no later than the time and date stipulated in the elections Timetable (section
      7 of the electoral regulations). The Attestation Form will be available at the SFUO
      office (UCU 07).

3.6.2 In the case of a referendum seeking to create a new Federated Body, only students
      who would be represented by the new Federated Body may be members of either the
      “Yes” or “No” committees.

  3.7 Affiliation
3.7.1 Candidates may choose to affiliate with other candidates per section 4.7 of the
      Constitution:

        4.7.1 Candidates must declare any affiliation with other candidates prior to the start
        of the campaign. To this effect, candidates must submit a list of names and signatures
        of any candidates they are affiliated with to the CEO prior to the official start of the
        campaign.

        4.7.2 Candidates shall appear on the ballot individually.

        4.7.3 Affiliation with other candidates is optional.

        4.7.4 All campaign expenses must be filed individually by all candidates.

3.7.2 Candidates for the Senate and the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa
      cannot affiliate, unless they are also running for another position, in which case they
      can choose to affiliate for the purposes of that position (i.e. the BOA).

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4 OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES
 4.1   All official representatives must be members of the SFUO.

 4.2   Each candidate and each committee has the right to name two (2) official
       representatives.

 4.3   Each official representative represents her candidate or her committee.

 4.4   Candidates and committees may be penalized in the manner hereinafter described
       for a regulatory infraction committed by their official representatives.

 4.5   When an official representative receives written information from the Elections
       Office, the official representative is expected to inform her candidate or her
       committee of the existence and of the content of the communication.

 4.6   Each candidate and each committee is allowed to have one (1) official
       representative at any given polling station to observe the polling process. The
       official representative must present herself to the poll clerks working at said
       station.

 4.7   No more than a total of two (2) official representatives will be allowed at any
       polling station at the same time.

 4.8   The official representatives will be required to wear identification provided by the
       Elections Office when present at a polling station.

 4.9   Each candidate and each committee is allowed to have one (1) official
       representative present during the tabulation of votes.

 4.10 Official representatives are bound to the same rules as the candidates.

5 VOLUNTEERS
 5.1   The maximum value of professional volunteer labour is $350. This amount is the
       maximum limit; it is non-refundable and is separate from the election expenses
       limit. The lowest possible cost of professional volunteer labour is the lowest cost
       available to all candidates; if asked, candidates must prove the price they have is
       available to all candidates.

 5.2   Volunteers are people who provide their personal services free of charge under the
       condition that they are doing this work voluntarily and separate from their
       regular, paid employment.

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5.3   Each candidate and committee must submit a list of volunteers to the Elections
        Office. No person may work on the electoral campaign of a candidate or of a
        committee in any way without first being added to the list of volunteers in the
        Elections Office and approved by the Elections Office. Volunteers for candidates
        who are affiliated may campaign for the candidate’s affiliations.

  5.4   A single person may be a registered volunteer for one campaign at each level. A
        volunteer for a candidate who is affiliated with other candidates may promote the
        affiliated candidates.

  5.5   Candidates, affiliations and committees may be penalized in the manner
        hereinafter described for a regulatory infraction committed by their volunteers.

6 RIGHTS OF SFUO MEMBERS
  6.1 Rights of SFUO members
6.1.1 SFUO members have the right to:

6.1.1.1 Campaign for a candidate, affiliation or a committee.

6.1.1.2 Canvass votes for a particular candidate, affiliation or a committee.

6.1.1.3 Entice electors to vote for a candidate, affiliation or committee.

6.1.1.4 Support a candidate’s nomination.

  6.2 Rights of members of the current SFUO Executive
6.2.1 A member of the executive who is running for re-election can, if they so wish,
      affiliate with other candidates per section 4.7 of the Constitution.

6.2.2 Members of the current SFUO executive can, if they so wish, participate actively in a
      campaign at any level, including referendums.

6.2.3 A member of the elections committee cannot take a stand in favour or opposed to
      one or more candidates during the election period.

7 TIMETABLE
  7.1 Nominations
7.1.1 Nomination Forms for executive and Board of Administration positions must be
      submitted to the SFUO main office (UCU 07) no later than 4:00 PM on Friday,
      October 10, 2014.

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7.1.2 Nomination Forms for University Senate and Board of Governors positions must be
      submitted to the SFUO main office (UCU 07) no later than 4:00 PM on Friday,
      October 10, 2014.

7.1.3 Referendum committee forms must be submitted to the SFUO main office (UCU 07)
      no later than 4:00 PM on Friday, October 10, 2014.

7.1.4 Candidates may choose to affiliate with other candidates. To be considered official,
      any affiliation form must be submitted to the CEO by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October
      25, 2014. An official affiliation form will be made available to all candidates.

  7.2 Mandatory meetings
7.2.1 An information session for all candidates and their official representative will be
      held on Monday, October 20, 2014.

7.2.1.1 Attendance at this meeting is mandatory. As such, unjustified absences shall result in
        the candidate’s disqualification. Justification for an absence to the information
        session must be presented or communicated to the Chief Elections Officer no later
        than 10 AM on Monday October 20, 2014. In case of an emergency, justification must
        be communicated by 10 AM Wednesday, October 22, 2014.

  7.3 Bilingualism evaluations (for executive candidates only)
7.3.1 The bilingualism evaluations will take place on TBD at times determined by the
      Elections Office. This will be administered to all candidates running for a position
      within the executive. A written bilingualism test will be administered to candidates
      running for the position of Vice-president, Services and Communications.

7.3.1.1 Candidates must abide strictly by the scheduled bilingualism exam date as specified by
        the Chief Electoral Officer and the OLBI. Any foreseen conflicts with the exams must be
        communicated with the Chief Electoral Officer at least 3 days in advance for
        rescheduling. Any unjustified absences on the day of the exam will automatically lead to
        disqualification; an appeal can be made to the elections committee, which would then
        assess the event on the basis ‘extraordinary’ and ‘unprecedented’.

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7.3.2   All candidates running for a position within the executive will also have to
        successfully pass an oral component for the bilingualism assessment.

   7.4 Information sessions
7.4.1 In accordance with the SFUO Constitution: s. 4.13.5 Within five (5) working days
      following the deadline for nominations, each member of the outgoing Executive
      must hold an information session with all of the candidates running for her position.

7.4.2 Within five (5) working days following the deadline for nominations, the Chair of
      the Board of Administration must hold an information session with all of the
      candidates running for a faculty director position.

7.4.3 Times and locations for these information sessions will be communicated at the
      mandatory candidate meetings and on the elections website.

   7.5 Official candidates list
7.5.1 The list of official candidates will be available as of 9 am, Monday October 13, 2014.

   7.6 Official representatives and volunteers
7.6.1 The official representative attestation form must be submitted to the Elections
      Office no later than Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 5PM.

7.6.2 The volunteer list must be submitted to the Elections Office no later than Tuesday,
      October 21, 2014 at 5PM.

7.6.3 Candidates will not be permitted to sign up new volunteers between 5PM Tuesday,
      October 21, 2014 and 8AM on Wednesday, October 22, 2014.

   7.7 Electoral platforms
7.7.1 Electoral platforms must be submitted to the Elections Office no later than Tuesday,
      October 21, 2014 at 5PM, and are considered final. These platforms must not exceed
      two hundred fifty (250) words per language and must be written in flawless
      language, both in English and in French, as platforms will be posted ‘As-Is’.

7.7.2 These platforms will be made available on the elections website.

   7.8 Withdrawals
7.8.1 The deadline to withdraw from the elections without the candidate’s name
      appearing on the ballot is Tuesday October 21 at 5PM.

   7.9 Electoral campaign
7.9.1 The electoral campaign will begin on Wednesday October 22, 2014, at 8 AM and will
      end when the last polling station closes on Thursday October 30, 2014 at 6 PM.

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7.10 Polling days
7.10.1 Voting will take place on October 29 & 30 at locations and times to be determined
       by the Board of Administration of the SFUO.

8 ELECTORAL AND REFERENDUM EXPENSES
  8.1 Definitions
8.1.1 An electoral expense is the cost of goods or services used during the election period
      to: support, directly or indirectly, the election of a candidate, affiliation or
      committee, or promote the platform or the politics of a candidate, affiliation or
      committee.

8.1.2 Election expenses include, but are not limited to: amounts paid; liabilities incurred;
      the commercial value of goods or services donated or provided, other than
      volunteer labour, for the purpose of promoting or supporting, directly or indirectly,
      before or during the election of a particular candidate.

8.1.3 Election materials are any and all materials used for the purpose of promoting,
      directly or indirectly, during campaigns, the election of a particular candidate or
      affiliation.

8.1.4 Referendum materials are any and all materials used for the purpose of promoting,
      directly or indirectly, during campaigns, a referendum committee.

8.1.5 Professional volunteer labour is any service provided free of charge by a person
      who works or is self-employed in the field of service provided and that is normally
      sold or otherwise charged for by that person.

  8.2 Expenses & Materials
8.2.1 The Elections Office must approve materials before distribution and they must be
      identified by means of the elections stamp supplied in the Elections Office.
      Candidates will be responsible for stamping approved materials in such a way that
      the stamp is clearly visible. (i.e. stamping on black backgrounds or on the reverse
      sides of posters will not be permitted). It is up to the candidates and committees to
      ensure that all their material has a space for the elections stamp.

8.2.2 All election expenses must be justified by receipts presented to the elections office
      no later than 5 PM on Thursday, November 20, 2014.

8.2.3 The value of all goods and services received at less than market value will be
      declared, for the purpose of calculating the election expenses limit, at the lowest
      retail price available to all candidates and committees.

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8.2.4 The Elections Office will determine the lowest printing costs. Receipts that indicate
      a lower price than that quoted by the Elections Office will be rejected unless the
      candidate or the committee can prove conclusively that such prices were available
      to all candidates and committees prior to the beginning of the campaign. In the
      absence of such proof, the price quoted by the Elections Office will be applied to the
      printed or photocopied goods for the purpose of calculating the election expenses
      limit. The disputed goods will nonetheless be reimbursed at the price quoted on the
      receipt.

8.2.5 The election expenses limit for candidates of executive positions is $300. Candidates
      will be reimbursed for expenses incurred up to $300, except for certain cases, with
      respect to section 17.

8.2.6 The election expenses limit for candidates of Board of Administration, Senate, and
      Board of Governor seats is $100. Candidates will be reimbursed for expenses
      incurred up to $100, except for certain cases, with respect to section 17.

8.2.7 The election expenses limit for referendum committees is $300. Candidates will be
      reimbursed for expenses incurred up to $300, except for certain cases, with respect
      to section 17.

8.2.8 All candidates and committees must file campaign expenses individually. Affiliated
      candidates must equally split the cost and amount of materials marked against their
      campaign in the case of resources that have more than one candidate featured on
      them.

  8.3 Donations
8.3.1 All candidates and committees may receive donations of goods and services. These
      donations must be declared at their market value.

8.3.2 Donations will be counted as expenses when calculating the election expenses limit.

8.3.3 Donations shall not, either individually or in the aggregate, exceed the maximum
      election expenses limit.

8.3.4 Donations will not be reimbursed.

8.3.5 Candidates are not allowed to collect subsidies from the SFUO, Federated Bodies,
      SFUO clubs, campus media or any other organizations financed, in whole or in part,
      by the students or the University of Ottawa.

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9 USE OF UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATIONS
 9.1   Notwithstanding article 21.1, candidates, official representatives and volunteers
       are not allowed, under any circumstances, to obtain financing or make use of
       resources, including but not limited to photocopies, supplies, email lists and office
       equipment from the SFUO offices or from any other organization financed, in
       whole or in part, by the students of the University of Ottawa. However, SFUO clubs
       and campus media can endorse a candidate, affiliation or referendum question to
       their membership and/or readership.

 9.2   Students may seek and make use of information from University and SFUO
       organizations as long as the information is free and available to all students.

 9.3   Candidates may not campaign in SFUO services, SFUO Offices, or Federated Body
       Offices.

 9.4   Student organizations are encouraged to use their websites, newsletters, etc. to
       advertise the election in general (encouraging students to run & to vote but in a
       non-partisan manner), and will be provided with material from the elections office
       in order to do this.

10 COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ELECTIONS OFFICE
 10.1 The Elections Office will be located in room 309 of the University Centre. Office
      hours will be posted at the Elections Office, and on the elections web site. Office
      Phone number: 613-562-5800 x 2625 E-mail: elections@sfuo.ca

 10.2 It is preferable to make an appointment. The above contact information must be
      used to communicate with the Elections Office.

 10.3 Each candidate, committee and official representative will have to provide an
      email address to the Elections Office. They will be responsible for checking their
      emails so as not to be penalized with respect to delays incurred.

 10.4 The Elections Office, by means of an audio recorder, may record all
      communications with the Elections Office by any candidate, official representative
      or volunteer, representing either a candidate or a referendum committee. Any
      meeting, interview, general discussion or question, either formal or informal, may
      also be recorded. The Elections Office may keep any recording made on file. A copy
      of any recording made may be brought as evidence during an appeal or made
      available to members of the SFUO.

 10.5 Correct language should be used when addressing members of the Executive,
      employees and representatives of the Elections Office. Abusive language and
      inappropriate suggestions or tone will not be tolerated. Offending parties will be
      subject to sanctions as specified in section 17 by a decision rendered by the CEO.

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11 POSTING RULES
  11.1 General University Regulations
11.1.1 All postings must be done in compliance with the regulations stipulated in the
       posting rules for the Elections which will be distributed to all candidates.

11.1.2 All candidates and committees must comply with the posting regulations stipulated
       by each individual University building as well as the regulations of the University of
       Ottawa with regard to posting on University grounds. It is forbidden to post in
       staircases, on doors, on floors, on painted walls, on wood, on any transparent
       surface or over any material already posted, unless specifically indicated in the
       posting rules.

11.1.3 It is strictly prohibited to post publicity materials that cannot be removed without
       damaging the surface on which they are located. This includes stickers, decals and
       glues. All costs to clean or repair damages caused by the candidates, their
       representatives and volunteers will be deducted from the candidate's budget and
       refund, and may lead to the SFUO invoicing the candidate.

11.1.4 Notwithstanding the wearing of buttons or clothing items, off-campus advertising of
       any kind is prohibited. Posted advertisements are only allowed inside University
       buildings and all other advertisements must be confined to University grounds.

11.1.5 Candidates and committees are prohibited from advertising and organizing house
       parties or campaigning around alcohol or in licensed establishments.

11.1.6 Candidates and committees may not use paint or other products to write their
       names in the snow, grass or any such surface during the campaign period. The
       candidates and committees must comply with the University of Ottawa
       environmental regulations.

11.1.7 All banners and electoral materials must be posted in a way that does not represent
       a traffic or fire hazard. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that all
       banners and posters are placed in a safe manner.

  11.2 Content
11.2.1 All publicity materials pertaining to the elections shall include, in a legible form, the
       name of the candidate, affiliation or the committee that sponsored it.

11.2.2 Campaign materials must not be libellous, racist, sexist, homophobic or
       discriminatory in any way.

11.2.3 Campaign materials must be in good taste. Determination of good taste is at the
       Chief Electoral Officer’s discretion.

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11.2.4 Candidates may not use any form of logo, letterhead or material similar to those
       used by the SFUO, the Elections Office, the university, any Federated Body or SFUO
       club or other campus organization on their advertisements. This includes but is not
       limited to the color scheme used by the elections office. Candidates are required to
       send any material to the Chief Returning Officer before printing; she will approve
       the said material does not contravene this rule (elections@sfuo.ca)

11.2.5 All electoral materials must respect the bilingual posting policies of the University of
       Ottawa. The French text does not need to appear first, but the equivalent content
       must be written in both English and French and appear in the same size.

11.2.6 All candidates must ensure that all advertising materials are perfectly bilingual and
       do not contain errors.

11.2.7 All candidates are responsible for the accuracy of information included in all
       advertising materials.

11.2.8 The elections office is not responsible for advertising that is found to be in non-
       compliance with the regulations after it has been posted; it will be up to the
       candidate or committee to remove said material upon request and they may not be
       reimbursed if this is the case.

11.2.9 Every advertisement must include the polling days, unless authorized by Elections
       Office.

  11.3 Definitions
11.3.1 A “poster” has the maximum dimensions of 11 inches by 17 inches.

11.3.2 A “banner” is defined as a poster larger than 11 inches by 17 inches and a maximum
       of three feet in height and 8 feet in length.

11.3.3 A “handbill” is defined as a leaflet smaller than 8.5 inches by 11 inches.

11.3.4 From this point forward, any reference to posters shall include posters and banners
       of any size within the limitations expressed in paragraphs 11.3.1 and 11.3.2.

  11.4 Rules
11.4.1 Between 8 AM on Wednesday, October 22, 2014, and 6 PM on Thursday, October 30,
       2014, candidates for the executive, Board of Governors and referendum committees
       will be allowed to post up to a total of 100 posters and 2 banners.

11.4.2 Between 8 AM on Wednesday, October 22, 2014, and 6 PM on Thursday, October 30,
       2014, candidates for the Board of Administration and Senate may post up to a total
       of 30 posters and 1 banner.

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11.4.3 A candidate for an executive position, Board of Governors or a referendum
       committee can post a limit of 150 posters and 4 banners (excluding the 100 posters
       and 2 banners mentioned in paragraph 11.4.1), as of 8 AM on Wednesday, October
       22, 2014 and can distribute a total of:

11.4.3.1 2000 handbills over the duration of the campaign period.

11.4.4 A candidate for a Board of Administration and Senate position can post a limit of 60
       posters and 2 banners (excluding the 30 posters and 1 banner mentioned in
       paragraph 11.4.2) as of 8 AM on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 and can distribute a
       total of :

11.4.4.1 1000 handbills over the duration of the campaign period.

11.4.5 Vandalized posters may be replaced on the condition that they are exact replicas of
       those that were destroyed. For the purpose of this section, the cost of replacement
       will not be factored into the expense limits.

11.4.6 No campaign advertisement will be allowed before 8 AM on Wednesday October 22,
       2014.

11.4.7 There is a limit of one (1) poster per candidate or per committee for every Info
       Campus billboard on campus, except in the University Centre, where none are
       permitted.

11.4.8 There is a limit of one (1) poster per candidate or per committee for every wooden-
       covered concrete pillar in the University Centre.

11.4.9 Candidates and committees shall post no more than one banner per building on
       campus.

11.4.10 Any form of advertisement must be approved and/or stamped by the Elections
       Office before distribution. The Elections Office will also reserve the right to keep a
       copy of the approved material at the time of approval. These measures are
       necessary in order to prove adherence to the candidate’s election expenses limit,
       which the candidates are responsible for adhering to.

11.4.11 Printed materials must not be “high-gloss” or laminated, as these materials are not
       recyclable.

11.4.12 Materials must not make unverified accusations of views and/or acts of another
       candidate, affiliation or committee.

11.4.13 Authorization will be refused to anyone having reached his or her election
       expenses or volunteer labour limit, depending on the limit thereby affected.

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11.4.14 Any participant in a campaign must have a permit enabling her to post. These
       permits will be issued at the Elections Office. Candidates and committees must
       obtain a permit for each member of the campaign that will post material having
       reference to an election campaign.

11.4.15 Notwithstanding any of the other stipulations of this section, the Chief Electoral
       Officer reserves the right to order, at her discretion and with valid reason, any
       posted publicity removed, or any distribution of publicity to cease.

12 RESIDENCE CAMPAIGNING
  12.1 General
12.1.1 Posters are allowed on the main poster boards on each floor in each residence.
       These posters must be stamped and approved by the Resource Centre (as well as
       being approved by the elections office). For the purpose of this paragraph,
       candidates are allowed a total of 24 posters that must be no larger than 8.5 inches
       by 14 inches for the residences’ main entrances and a total of 100 posters no larger
       than 8.5 inches by 11 inches for the residences’ floor postings. Posters must be
       bilingual.

12.1.2 Posting on residence walls is prohibited.

  12.2 Campaigning in residences
12.2.1 To have materials distributed in mailboxes, candidates and committees must get
       written permission from the residence director.

12.2.2 Any and all forms of advertisements other than those stipulated in section 12 are
       prohibited in residences.

13 CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS
  13.1 Any candidates, official representatives or volunteers wanting to make a classroom
       presentation must first obtain permission from the professor before the beginning
       of the class.

  13.2 Classroom presentations may continue throughout polling times.

  13.3 Writing on chalkboard must respect section 11 of the electoral regulations.

14 POLLING DAYS
  14.1 Voting

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14.1.1 The members of the SFUO who are allowed to vote can do so by presenting
       themselves to one of the official polling stations during polling days.

14.1.2 Those whose names do not appear on the electoral list can vote using a double
       envelope system, available at all polling stations. If the voter is deemed eligible, the
       ballot will be counted with other ballots. If the voter is deemed not eligible, the
       ballot will be destroyed.

14.1.3 Any person who is allowed to vote can do so only once. A person who votes or tries
       to vote more than once, deceitfully modifies an ID card or votes in the name of
       another person, is perpetrating a fraud and liable to penalty by virtue of sections 16
       and 17.

  14.2 Rules during voting days
14.2.1 Campaigning must not occur within 12 metres of any polling station. Campaigning
       must not be heard at polling stations.

14.2.2 Candidates and official representatives shall not converse with, nor ask questions to,
       any of the poll clerks. If they have a question or complaint they must contact the
       Chief Electoral Officer. The only exception to this rule is section 4.6.

14.2.3 Candidates and committees will be responsible for the actions of their
       representatives and volunteers with regard to campaigning in sight and hearing
       range of polling stations.

14.2.4 Poll clerks will remove all election publicity within 12 meters of polling stations.
       Material removed in this fashion will not be returned to candidates and may not be
       replaced by candidates or committees during the voting period.

14.2.5 A violation of any of these rules could be considered a major violation and could
       result in the immediate disqualification of any candidate, in accordance with
       sections 16 and 17.
14.2.6 Candidates, volunteers & official representatives cannot, under any circumstances,
       solicit votes within 12 meters of a polling station or in a manner in which a
       candidate may be heard campaigning at the polling station.

15 BALLOTS
  15.1 Ballots
15.1.1 The names of candidates will appear alphabetically arranged by surname on each
       ballot. The referendum questions will be presented in random order on each ballot.

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15.1.2 The names on the ballots for SFUO executive positions shall be as they appear in the
       student directory, and per the stipulations of the Constitution. Shortened names (i.e.
       Michael – Mike) may be permitted if authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer within
       three days of nominations closing.

15.1.3 For the Board of Administration ballots, names shall be as they appear on their
       respective nomination form. Changes may be made within three days of
       nominations closing, if approved by the Chief Electoral Officer.

  15.2 Ballot counting
15.2.1 Announcements concerning the final vote tallies will not begin until all candidates,
       referendum committees, their respective representatives and agents remove all
       posted publicity during the evening of the final day of polling.

15.2.2 Candidates and referendum representatives are responsible for removing their own
       materials.

15.2.3 Any official representative or person assigned to view the ballot audit must be
       present at the time and place assigned by the Chief Electoral Officer on the final day
       of polling

15.2.4 A maximum of one (1) person from each campaign team may observe the ballot
       audit.

15.2.5 No one shall leave the ballot audit room until the last ballot has been audited and
       the results tabulated, unless the Chief Electoral Officer or the Chief Returning Officer
       has authorized otherwise.

15.2.6 The Chief Returning Officer is responsible for the system and organization of the
       ballot audit.

15.2.7 The Chief Electoral Officer will relay preliminary results as soon as she sees fit. If
       the ballot audit starts before the last day of the elections, the Chief Returning Officer
       will do all in her power to ensure that results do not get out before the end of
       elections.

15.2.8 No cell phones, laptops, or other electronics will be permitted in the ballot audit
       room, except those used by the Elections Office.

16 VIOLATIONS
  16.1 Statements
16.1.1 Any official candidate, committee, official representative, or volunteer who makes or
       publishes any false statement of fact in relation to the character or conduct of a
       candidate shall be guilty of a violation.

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16.1.2 Any official candidate, committee, official representative or volunteer who brings an
       unverified election complaint to the media shall be guilty of a violation.

16.1.3 All posters, banners, and other election materials shall not be used against another
       candidate.

16.1.4 A proper use of language will be required at all times in regards to communication
       with the Elections Office and its representatives.

  16.2 Conduct
16.2.1 Any person who by herself, with another or by any another person, during an
       election, directly or indirectly offers, procures, provides or promises to procure or
       provide money, valuable consideration, office, employment, food or drink (alcoholic
       beverages or non-alcoholic) to induce any person to vote or refrain from voting,
       shall be guilty of violation of these Regulations and will be subject to section17.

16.2.2 Any person who accepts, receives, agrees to accept or receive any money, valuable
       consideration, office, employment, food or drink (alcoholic beverages or non-
       alcoholic) for the purposes of paragraph 16.2.1 is guilty of a violation of these
       Regulations and is subject to penalties in accordance with section 17.

  16.3 Conduct during scheduled voting days
16.3.1 Any candidate or official representative is guilty of a violation of these Regulations if
       she, by herself, with another or by any other person, directly or indirectly, during an
       election before the closing of polls on ordinary polling days:

16.3.1.1 offers, procures, provides or promises to procure or provide alcoholic or non-
         alcoholic beverages to any person; pays, indemnifies or promises to pay or indemnify
         any person for loss of wages or other earnings suffered by that person in going to,
         being at, or returning from a polling station or the neighbourhood of a polling
         station, with intent to influence that person to vote or refrain from voting.

16.3.2 Any person who either votes or attempts to vote more than once is guilty of a
       violation of these Regulations and may be sanctioned by the Chief Electoral Officer.

16.3.3 The vote is by secret ballot. Any attempt to violate, and any violation of, the
       principle of the secrecy of the vote is a violation of these Regulations.

  16.4 Violations related to voting ballots

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16.4.1 Any person is guilty of a violation of these Regulations if she: fabricates forged
       voting ballots; defrauds, alters, deteriorates or destroys any part of a voting ballot;
       supplies a voter with a voting ballot without authorization; fraudulently deposits or
       arranges the deposit of, in a ballot box, a voting ballot or any other piece of paper;
       fraudulently withdraws a voting ballot from the Elections Office; destroys, takes,
       opens or otherwise manipulates, without authorization, a ballot box, a booklet or a
       package of vote ballots; without authorization prints out a voting ballot, a document
       that could be produced in lieu of a voting ballot or any document that could be given
       out as a voting ballot; modifies a voting ballot with a number or a mark so that the
       elector who voted on that ballot becomes recognizable or susceptible of being
       recognized or that the ballot thus modified can no longer be included in the counts.

17 PENALTIES
  17.1 Minor penalties
17.1.1 A minor penalty is one that interferes with a disposition of form, described in these
       regulations. This would include, but is not necessarily limited to, actions that do not
       directly affect the actual outcome of the election.

17.1.2 Candidates may be penalized for minor penalties at the discretion of the Chief
       Elections Officer, depending on the severity of the minor penalty, in one or more of
       the following ways:

17.1.2.1 A candidate may receive a written or verbal warning and may be asked to correct the
         penalty, for example by moving posters placed incorrectly.

17.1.2.2 A candidate may be asked to remove a number of posters or limit the amount of
         materials such as banner or handbills by a certain percentage, which could increase
         with repeated infractions.

17.1.2.3 A candidate may have her expenses limit reduced if she has not already spent the
         maximum amount.
17.1.3 A candidate may be disqualified and removed from the ballot if she repeatedly
       violates the Electoral Regulations whether they are considered a minor or major
       violation at the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

  17.2 Major penalties
17.2.1 A major penalty is one that interferes with a disposition of substance described in
       these Electoral Regulations. This would include, but is not necessarily limited to,
       actions that would have a direct effect on the outcome of the elections.

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17.2.2 In the case of a major penalty, a meeting between the Chief Electoral Officer and the
       official candidate or their official representative shall immediately be held to inform
       the candidate or the referendum committee leader of the consequences of her
       actions.

17.2.3 The ultimate course of action for any major breach of these Electoral Regulations
       shall be the immediate disqualification of the official candidate and the immediate
       removal of official candidate from the ballot.

17.2.4 In all circumstances, the Chief Electoral Officer shall not remove a candidate or a
       committee without having followed the due process. The official candidate or
       committee shall have recourse to the Elections committee.

  17.3 General
17.3.1 Unless otherwise indicated, penalties will be imposed through warnings and
       through the means of a reduction in the limit of electoral campaign expenses.
       Penalties will be carried out in a progressive and cumulative manner.

17.3.2 If a candidate or a committee spends more than their limit of election expenses
       without justifiable explanation, they will, as a consequence, receive no
       reimbursement and will be disqualified immediately. A candidate disqualified in this
       manner may be liable for the cost of reprinting the ballots.

17.3.3 A penalty may be attributed to a candidate or a committee if a candidate, official
       representative, or any other campaign volunteer breaches the Electoral Regulations.

17.3.4 Cases of fraud will receive immediate penalty. There will be no warning. If a
       company participates in a case of fraud the Chief Electoral Officer will submit a
       motion for the policy manual to the Board of Administration, proposing that the
       SFUO boycott the company in question. If a case of fraud is found before the polling
       dates, the candidate could be disqualified. The existence of fraud will depend on the
       SFUO Constitution, the effective Canadian laws and at the discretion of the Chief
       Electoral Officer.

17.3.5 If a candidate is disqualified at a point when ballots cannot be reprinted, any votes
       cast to the disqualified candidate will not be counted.

  17.4 Complaints
17.4.1 Any member, election officer, or employee of the SFUO may lodge a complaint with
       the Elections Office.

17.4.2 A complaint can be filed by filling out a form that is available at the Elections Office
       and SFUO office. Two witnesses and the time, location, and date of the infraction are
       needed to render the form acceptable. Photographic evidence and witness
       statements are encouraged in order to give legitimacy to the complaint.

17.4.3 It is up to the person making the complaint to prove the accusations.

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17.4.4 Any complaint made by a candidate or her campaign team, which is proven to be
       unfounded, may result in a minor penalty being imposed upon them. In addition,
       any candidate or committee who lodges frequent and frivolous complaints will be
       reviewed by the Elections Office and may be penalised.

17.4.5 A candidate, her official representative or volunteers may not ask, directly or
       indirectly, another person to submit a complaint, which she would not have done
       without their intervention.

  17.5 Powers of the Chief Electoral Officer
17.5.1 The Chief Electoral Officer will use any and all powers available to her to ensure that
       the Electoral Regulations are respected and adhered to by all candidates and
       committees, in a spirit of integrity of the electoral procedures. If a candidate refuses
       to adhere to the Electoral Regulations, or refuse to submit to the penalties given by
       the Elections Office, the candidate may be removed from the ballot and be liable for
       the cost of reprinting. Alternately, the candidate may be given a major penalty on
       their electoral expenses.

17.5.2 The discretionary powers of the Chief Electoral Officer are given on the basis of
       good judgment on her part and shall always reflect fairness with the integrity of the
       elections procedures in mind.

  17.6 Appeals
17.6.1 All decisions made by the Elections Office may be appealed, with justification, in
       front of the Elections Committee in accordance with the procedures defined by the
       SFUO Constitution.

17.6.2 All decisions made by the Elections Committee may be appealed, with justification,
       to the Board of Administration of the SFUO. The decision of the Board of
       Administration is final and may be altered only by the Board of Administration in
       case of exceptional circumstances.

18 INTERNET POLICY
  18.1 Web sites
18.1.1 A website is a collection of web pages common to a particular server. For the
       purpose of this section, blog-type websites such as “blogspot.com” may be used as a
       candidate’s official website.

18.1.2 All candidates are entitled to have one (1) official website. All affiliations are
       entitled to have one (1) official website.

18.1.3 All Website content must in good taste and flawlessly bilingual, including but not
       limited to the Website address(es). For the purpose of these rules, “good taste” is at
       the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

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18.1.4 The Website is to be considered an advertisement and its contents must respect
       section 11.2 of the Electoral Regulations.

18.1.5 The receipts for the Website must be submitted to the elections office on the first
       day of campaigning. In cases where the Website has not yet been created on that
       day, receipts must be submitted when the Website becomes active.

  18.2 Virtual communities
18.2.1 The use of virtual communities is permitted. All candidates are entitles of having a
       limit of one (1) official site on a given virtual community. All affiliations are entitles
       of having a limit of one (1) official site on a given virtual community.

18.2.2 Any paid use of virtual communities must be claimed as electoral expenses.

18.2.3 All content on virtual communities is to be considered an advertisement and its
       contents must respect section 11.2 of the Electoral Regulations.

18.2.4 Sending messages to group members on virtual communities is permitted, however
       is considered to be “email.” Please refer to section 20 of the Electoral regulations.

19 E-MAIL
  19.1 Campaign emails are emails that are phrased in such a way as to encourage a
       student to vote for a candidate or used for other campaign purposes, including
       election awareness. E-mails sent exclusively to campaign volunteers are exempted
       from this requirement. Campaign e-mails must be in good taste. For the purpose of
       these rules, good taste is at the discretion of the Chief Electoral Officer.

  19.2 Campaign emails must respect section 11.2 of the Electoral Regulations

  19.3 All campaign emails sent to more than 20 recipients shall be carbon-copied to the
       Elections Office at elections@sfuo.ca whenever they are sent, including those sent
       through virtual communities. All candidates, affiliations and committees must add
       the Elections Office Facebook account as a “friend”.

  19.4 CC’d campaign e-mails will not be redistributed by the Elections Office, but are
       intended strictly for archival purposes.

  19.5 Campaign e-mails may not be used to promote or benefit candidates,
       organizations, associations, or events other than the originator.

  19.6 Candidates are not permitted to use “pyramid” or “chain” style e-mails that invite
       recipients to forward the e-mail to other students.

  19.7 Campaign e-mails shall not be sent outside the Campaign Period.

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19.8 Candidates are responsible for all campaign-type emails sent by friends, family,
      and groups of which they are a part. Volunteers and Official representatives are
      equally responsible for campaign-type emails sent by their friends, family and
      groups of which they are a part.

 19.9 Candidates are not permitted to use the resources, including email listserves, of
      any of the groups, clubs or associations on campus, per the electoral regulations.

20 CLUBS AND SOCIETIES
 20.1 SFUO clubs and societies have the right to support specific candidates and to send
      e-mail messages to inform their members.

 20.2 If the candidate supported by a certain club or society is themselves member of the
      club or of the club executive, this candidate must not themselves send an e-mail
      demonstrating the support of the club. Another member of the club or society in
      question must send the e-mail.

21 GENERAL CAMPAIGN RULES

 21.1 Campaigning at campus bars or restaurants in which alcohol is served is
      prohibited.

 21.2 Campaigning off campus is prohibited.

 21.3 Campaigning in the libraries of the University of Ottawa is prohibited.

 21.4 Campaigning in the computer labs of the University of Ottawa is prohibited.

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