Elections Policy

Last Updated February 14th, 2011 

The Management Undergraduate Society, hereinafter addressed, as “the MUS” will endeavor to ensure an equitable, sustainable, and transparent voting procedure for various elections conducted within itself. These procedures must be obeyed by the members of the Elections Committee, all candidates, and voters to guarantee the elections are conducted in an efficient manner; this ensures that all candidates are equally represented and that all voters have the ability to gain sufficient knowledge to make an educated vote. 

1. The Elections Committee 
   1. The Elections Committee shall be composed of the Chief Returning Officer and two (2) Deputy Returning Officers 
   2. The structure, powers, and duties of the Elections Committee shall be consistent with the rules outlined in the MUS Constitution (Article XXI, Section A) 
   3. With respect to the MUS Elections Policy, the Chief Returning Officer shall have supreme authority on all matters relating to elections and maintain a fair and equitable elections process at all times 
2. Candidate Eligibility 
   1. All students who are currently members of the MUS, by definition of the MUS Constitution (Article II), in the year of their candidacy may be nominated for election 
   2. Exchange students shall not be permitted to run in the MUS elections 
   3. Candidates must declare any plans, confirmed or otherwise, in the next year for exchange or co-op placements prior to election 
   4. In the case where elections overlap the standard appointment period, no candidate actively running in an election shall be considered for an Executive Council position 
3. Pre-Nomination Procedures 
   1. The Chief Returning Officer shall organize an informational meeting for all members of the MUS who are interested in running for a position in the upcoming elections
      1. The informational meeting has a purely informative purpose and attendance is optional 
   2. The informational meeting shall take place in the first two weeks of the second term for the winter elections 
   3. At the informational meeting, the Chief Returning Officer shall provide students with information including, but not limited to:
      1. Availability and description of positions 
      2. Electoral and turnover procedures 
      3. The MUS Elections Policy 
      4. Position duties as outlined in the MUS Constitution and any related policies 
4. Nomination Process 
   1. Every eligible member of the MUS shall be permitted to run for only one position in a given election 
   2. The deadline for all nominations shall be announced by the Chief Returning Officer at least seven days prior to the determined date 
   3. The deadline for all nominations shall start by the third week of January each year and shall encompass at least 5 school days 
   4. In order to be nominated, each candidate shall submit the following items as proof of intent prior to the nomination deadline:
      1. An endorsement sheet, available online, with 40 student signatures for candidates running for Academic Area Representatives; with 80 signatures for candidates running for Representative to SSMU and Executive Council; and with 120 signatures for candidates running for President
         1. Endorsers’ eligibility is defined by MUS membership, as outlined in the MUS constitution (Article II) 
      2. A 150 word write-up stating their platform and/or autobiography 
      3. A professional photograph 
      4. A signed copy of the Candidate’s Agreement agreeing to all its contents 
   5. No less than two candidates shall run for the positions of President, Representative to SSMU and Academic Area Representatives 
   6. If there are not enough candidates intending to run for each position by the nomination deadline, as determined by the Election Officer, a further election shall be conducted for the affected positions after the principal elections 
   7. If there are still not enough candidates indenting to run for each position by the extended deadline, the position concerned shall be acclaimed
   8. If there is no candidate by the extended deadline, the position shall remain vacant for no longer than 20 school days until the position can be filled in a by-election
      1. Responsibilities of this position shall be absorbed by the Board of Directors until the position is filled 
   9. Candidates may withdraw from the elections at any time prior to, but not after, the ballot opening by submitting a letter of resignation to the Elections Committee 
5. Campaign Conduct and Procedures 
   1. Campaigning is defined as an active attempt to advertise one’s candidacy or intentions to run in an election, including any form of online, print, or verbal communication 
   2. Prior to campaigning and no more than 24 hours after the nomination deadline, a Candidates’ Meeting shall be held to review elections procedures 
   3. The official campaigning period shall begin immediately after the conclusion of the Candidates’ Meeting and last until such time as defined by the Chief Returning Officer 
   4. If it is found that a candidate or any individual or organization acting on behalf of a particular candidate has campaigned in any form in support of a candidate or against a candidate in support of other candidates, directly stated or otherwise, before the conclusion of the Candidates Meeting, the offending or supported candidate(s) will be disqualified from the election
      1. If it found that a member of the MUS has campaigned in support or against a candidate in an attempt to disqualify another candidate before the conclusion of the Candidates Meeting, the affected candidate(s) shall be allowed to run in the election
         1. This decision shall be made at the discretion of the Chief Returning Officer 
   5. All campaign material, printed or otherwise, must be approved by the Chief Returning Officer before use 
   6. Candidates shall submit all posters to the Chief Returning Officer, or a designated representative, before the Candidates’ Meeting, to be marked by a unique stamp ensuring all posters have been approved to be posted 
   7. Campaign materials shall not be added or changed without approval from the Chief Returning Officer
      1. The Elections Committee may, at their discretion, specify a time during the campaigning period where candidates may resubmit posters or new materials for approval
   8. The maximum number and size of approved posters per candidate shall be established by the Chief Returning Officer prior to the nomination deadline 
   9. The distribution of leaflets is forbidden
      1. Leaflets are defined as printed or handwritten pieces of paper of various sizes, sometimes folded, containing any information or advertisement 
   10. Classroom speeches shall be governed by the following conditions:
       1. Candidates may make a speech before and after class time if permitted explicitly by the instructor 
       2. Classroom speeches must be limited to 60 seconds per candidate 
   11. Candidates may not form or participate in a slate or party
       1. A slate or a party is defined as an organization to gain political power comprised of persons united in opinion or action that makes a concerted effort to promote itself as an organization or each other member 
       2. Any candidate found to be in a slate or party, as determined by the Chief Returning Officer, shall be disqualified immediately 
   12. Candidates shall ensure that all campaigning materials are removed by the end of the campaigning period 
6. Candidate’s Debate Procedures 
   1. A debate system shall be used with the intent of making it simpler for voters to gain sufficient knowledge and make an educated vote 
   2. A debate shall be held for all candidates running for the positions of the President, Representative to SSMU, and Academic Area Representative
      1. If there are five or more candidates running for the same position, there may be one more separate debate held for these candidates at the discretion of the Chief Returning Officer 
   3. All candidates running for the same position shall be present for the duration of their respective debate
   4. The location and time of a debate shall be publically announced by the Chief Returning Officer at least seven days prior to the first debate 
   5. Length of speeches shall be determined by the Chief Returning Officer contingent on the number of candidates 
   6. If a certain candidate is more than 30 minutes late from the beginning of the debate, this candidate shall be disqualified from the elections
      1. Any exceptions to this shall only be made by the Chief Returning Officer 
7. Voting Procedures 
   1. All voting in the MUS shall be conducted as follows:
      1. Voting shall be conducted online through a secure website or a secure paper ballot 
      2. Each ballot form, online or otherwise, shall have a only a single page per position with all candidates for whom the student is eligible to vote 
      3. The names of the candidates shall appear on the page surname first, alphabetized by surname 
      4. The voting system shall have the names of all candidates shown only once and of equivalent typography 
      5. A “none of the above” or “no” option shall be displayed at the bottom and counted as one vote
      6. Voters may choose only one candidate from the list when voting for the positions of President, Representative to SSMU, and Academic Area Representative 
      7. The voting system shall be thoroughly tested before each election to ensure quality control, accuracy, and security
   2. The Chief Returning Officer shall determine the number, location, and hours of operation of any polling stations for the duration of the voting period 
   3. The use of electronic devices (e.g. laptops, cell phones, etc.) with the intention of using them as voting devices to solicit other students without the permission of the Chief Returning Officer is strictly prohibited 
   4. All members of the Election Committee including the Chief Returning Officer are not allowed to vote 
8. Voting Results 
   1. The accuracy of the voting results shall be verified by the Chief Returning Officer prior to public release 
   2. A breakdown of the results shall be distributed to the outgoing MUS Board of Directors within 12 hours of the final results becoming available to the Chief Returning Officer 
   3. The Chief Returning Officer shall individually contact each candidate immediately after voting results have been compiled to inform them of the election results 
   4. The voting results shall be publically released only after the Chief Returning Officer contacts all candidates or 24 hours after the results have become available for the Chief Returning Officer, whichever comes first 
   5. Results shall be publically released via the MUS website, the Bull and Bear, mass email and public announcement 
   6. If elected for a position in the MUS Board of Directors, a certain individual cannot apply for a position in either the Executive Council or a position of Chair or committee 
   7. In the case of a tie, the following procedures shall be followed:
      1. A tie is defined as a situation in which two or more candidates received exactly the same number of votes in a given election 
      2. If there is a tie, the tied candidates have the highest number of votes, and the number of tied candidates is less than or equal to the number of available positions, where the winner of the election is impossible to determine, all tied candidates shall be declared the winner, and the next highest-vote getting candidates shall be declared winners until all available positions are filled 
      3. If there is a tie, the tied candidates have the highest number of votes, and the number of tied candidates is greater than the number of available positions, where the winner of the election is impossible to determine, the Chief Returning Officer shall determine the winner of the election by allowing the Board of Directors to revote in an in camera session 
9. Appeal Procedure 
   1. Any candidate may challenge the results of the elections by submitting a written letter of appeal to the Chief Returning Officer. Reasons for appealing the election procedure include but are not limited to:
      1. Breaking of the elections policy 
      2. Mishandling of electoral procedure by the Elections Committee or Chief Returning Officer 
   2. The appeal should include clearly stated reasons for candidate’s appeal as well as the following information:
      1. Full name
      2. Student number
      3. Phone number 
      4. Email address
      5. Mailing address 
   3. Appeals shall be submitted within 24 hours after the results of the election have been publically released 
   4. The Elections Committee shall make a ruling within 24 hours of receiving an appeal
      1. Should the Elections Committee find ethical cause to recuse itself from the appeal decision, the Ombudsperson shall make a ruling 
   5. Candidate may object to the decision made by the Elections Committee relating to his/her appeal by submitting another written appeal to the outgoing Ombudsperson within 24 hours after the Elections Committee ruling has been released 
   6. The outgoing Ombudsperson must decide on the verdict within 24 hours after the applicant has submitted the appeal
      1. Should the Ombudsperson find ethical cause to recuse him or herself from the appeal decision, the Board of Directors shall make a final ruling 
10. Penalties for Policy and Elections Infractions 
    1. Any penalties for the violations of the Elections Policy, or any other MUS Policy during elections, shall be at the discretion of the Elections Committee except penalties as specified in articles 1) through 8) 
    2. All penalties shall be in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and consistently applied to all similar offences 
    3. Evidence of any offences shall be attested by the Elections Committee prior to the penalty imposition 
    4. Depending on severity and likelihood of repeated offences, a progressive sanction system shall be effectuated by the Elections Committee, as defined by the following:
       1. A formal warning 
       2. Removal of one campaign right including, but not limited to, the right to poster, make classroom speeches, or have online content 
       3. A prohibition on campaigning 
       4. A disqualification from the election
    5. In situations where offences or irregularities may have seriously skewed the election results, the Elections Committee may declare the election invalid and call for a re-election 
    6. Any deduction and/or reallocation of votes shall not be permitted 
    7. No unwritten rules shall be valid
    8. New policies or rules adopted during the election will not be valid during said election 
11. Enforcement of the Elections Policy 
    1. Deviations from the Elections Policy shall not be tolerated at any time 
    2. The Chief Returning Officer and the Elections Committee are consultants and enforcers of the Elections Policy 
    3. Any concerns with the Elections Policy should be directed towards the Chief Returning Officer 
12. Referenda 
    1. All referenda shall be conducted in accordance with the MUS Constitution (Article XXII) 
    2. During the campaigning period, a “yes” campaign and a “no” campaign can be conducted 
    3. With exception to the MUS Elections Committee, any student within the general membership of the MUS shall be allowed to campaign in favor or against the referendum question
    4. All procedures in Sections 5 through 11 of the Elections Policy shall apply and any adaptations of the Elections Policy shall apply with consultation of the Elections Committee