Section 1: General Standards for Student Votes and Elections

1.1 The Geoduck Student Union will hire three student elections commissioners who will recruit student poll workers, supervise polling stations post unbiased voting information, enforce elections and voting policies, recognize violations and take appropriate action, tally votes at the end of week nine, announce the results of the votes at beginning of week ten, and present these results at the Geoduck Union meeting during week ten of the quarter. The elections commissioners will make decisions by consensus.

1.2  Current Geoduck Student Union Representatives and candidates may not be elections commissioners or poll workers.

1.3 No campaigning or loitering is allowed within twenty feet of a designated polling site. At least two polling sites will be designated on the Olympia campus, one in the CAB building and one in the Library building. The elections commissioners will make arrangements with Evergreen’s other campuses to facilitate voter participation from all campuses.

1.4 Voting begins online week eight of the quarter, at the same time online registration, and lasts through the end of week nine. All currently registered (enrolled) students are eligible to vote; however, the Union may decide that some ballot issues affect only one of Evergreen’s campuses and exclude the other campuses from voting on that specific issue. (for instance, CAB Redesign or Transit fees affect Olympia campus only.

1.5 Elections commissioners and the Geoduck Union will agree on the language of unbiased voting information available to students regarding initiatives, student fees, and elections at least two weeks prior to voting and will distribute such information at that time.

1.6 During the voting sessions, the number of students who have votes so far must be released to the public upon request; however, no information will be released to anyone (including election commissioners, candidates and administrators) about how students have votes (for or against issues, for certain candidates) until voting has officially ended and all votes have been tallied. The Geoduck Union will certify that an election or vote is valid during it’s week 10 meeting, after hearing any concerns about the validity of said election or vote from the Evergreen community.

Section 2: Geoduck Student Representative Elections

2.1 Students will elect the Geoduck Student Union representative for the following academic year toward the end of spring quarter.

2.2 The Geoduck Student Union will make declaration of candidacy forms available to students by week one of spring quarter.

2.3 Only currently enrolled students may run as candidates for the Union.

2.4 Candidates may begin campaigning week six of spring quarter.

2.5 Candidates may use paint and butcher paper in Student Activites to make posters for their campaigns. The elections commissioners will allocate each candidate thirty 8.5″ X 11″ copies for campaign flyers. Candidates will submit their flyers to one of the elections commissioners, who will take the flyer to the Copy Center. These flyers may only endorse the candidate who submits the flyer and cannot put down another candidate. These flyers must be posted in accord with S&A and college policies regarding flyer posting.

2.6 Candidates may hand out campaign materials such as handbills, pamphlets  stickers or buttons that state their platform. Candidates may not hand out conditional gifts of incentives – that is, any good exchanged for voting. For example, candidates may hand out buttons to prospective voters, but they may not withhold buttons from any prospective voter, or from voter who had already voted. Campaigns are limited to a total cost of $30.00 per candidate, including in-kind donations. If a candidate’s campaign expenditures appear to exceed $30.00 cap, elections commissioners will ask candidates to provide campaign finance report.

2.7 There is no minimum participation level for student elections to be valid.

2.8 Candidates who do not officially declare their candidacy and run as write-in candidates must follow these elections policies and the decisions of the election commissioners; however write-in candidates are not eligible for 30 free copies for their campaigns.

Section 3: Votes on Student Initiatives and Student Fees

3.1 The Geoduck Student Union Representatives must decide what issues will be voted on by week five of winter quarter in which the vote will take place. The Geoduck Student Union must decide these ballot

3.2 Students may propose initiatives to the Geoduck Student Union on a standard proposal form. If the Geoduck Student Union does not accept the proposal, students may petition to put the initiative on the ballot. Such a petition must be signed by 10% of the student body and must include students’ names, signatures, and an additional piece of information allowing S&A staff to verify that the student is currently enrolled, i.e A-Number or address. A standard proposal form should be submitted with the petition that describes the need for this initiative, history related to the initiative, a description of what the initiative would do, and a plan for enacting it. The petition and proposal form must be submitted to the elections commissioners by week six of winter quarter.

3.3 Anyone proposing a student fee must confer with Evergreen’s budget officers to ensure that the fee is feasible, properly budgeted, legal, etc. before the fee is eligible to place on the ballot.

3.4 Twenty-five percent of the eligible voting population must vote on an initiative for fee in order for the vote to be valid. A majority of that 25% must vote in favor in order to pass that initiative or fee.

3.5 No individual or group may distribute conditional gifts or incentives to students in exchange for votes. Individuals or groups may sponsor events that promote voter participation, but these events must be open to all eligible voters, including students who have already voted. For example, if a group wants to sponsor a chili cookout in Red Square to promote voter participation, said group may not withhold chili from any student.

3.6 Elections for all fees will happen during the winter quarter. It will go on during week eight through week nine and results will be released week ten.