1. Candidate Seminar
Spring 2018

2. Basic Rules

3. Basic Rules
All candidates must adhere to the qualifications set forth in the Student Government Association Constitution, this Code (By-Laws), University policies, and all statutes enforceable by the Judicial Branch.
Organizing a campaign shall be defined as gathering volunteers/workers to help with a campaign, creating publicity for a campaign, announcing your intent to run, and scheduling meetings with people about your campaign.
Candidates and their campaign staff are subject to governance by this Code both before and after they have filed for candidacy.

4. What Does This Mean?
EVERYONE (including campaign staff) is subject to SGA Constitution, SGA By-Laws, University Policy, ect.
Everyone is subject to these rules before and after filing candidacy

5. Campaigning

6. Campaign
No distribution of unsolicited campaign material, including but not limited to literature, flyers, , or social media will be allowed prior to 12:01 AM on the day following the Candidate Seminar. This prohibition includes posting of banners or posters. Candidates are not prohibited from organizing their campaign.
All posted campaign materials must be stamped and placed on file by Student Activities, with the stamp “Approved for Posting.” The Judicial Branch and/or Student Activities Staff reserve the right to remove unauthorized or improperly posted items.
No campaigning or distribution of campaign materials shall be permitted in classrooms while class is in session.
On election days, no campaigning shall be permitted within twenty-five (25) feet of the SGA Office.

7. Campaign
No candidate, or their agents or volunteers/workers, shall make use of any University mails (including and Blackboard) for campaign purposes. Please note that University s are those with an .edu extension or any that is controlled by any office or department at UTSA.
Candidates and their agents may not claim the endorsement of any student organization unless the highest-ranking Officer of that organization signs an endorsement form. All endorsements must be filed in Student Activities.

8. Endorsement What is endorsement? What are the benefits?
How do you become endorsed?
Can an organization endorse more than one candidate?
Can SSO’s endorse? (Voices, UTSA Ambassadors, Roadrunner Productions, and departments)
What do you do if you are the president of your own organization?
Can a business endorse you?
-SSO and departments can’t endorse

9. Some Do’s and Don’ts Do Don’t Can
DO Set up an SGA
DO Submit copies of your posters and fliers to Student Activities (UC 1.210)
DO check out a table in advance if you want to borrow table from the UC (You can bring your own onto campus too)
DON’T Send a blackboard blast to all your classmates.
DON’T Use your abc123 address
DON’T USE ANY UTSA OR SGA LOGOS (including other SSO logos)
DON’T withhold food/merchandise in exchange for a student vote.
DON’T announce or speak in front of your class while in session.
DON’T post in any location that is not an official Student Activities Office posting location.
DON’T provide any electronics for students to vote with for voting during election days.
Can
Use any unofficial GroupMe or any other messaging app (not moderated by professor, TA, or UTSA faculty)
Distribute food/merchandise while tabling
Table and campaign during election days
Speak in front of your or other classes with permission from the professors.

10. After Elections
All campaign materials should be removed within twenty-four (24) hours after the election results are posted.
A candidate involved in a runoff or recall election may leave the campaign material posted, but should remove it within 24 hours after the runoff or recall election results are posted.
Failure to do so will result in a nonmonetary action as deemed appropriate by the Justices.

11. Campaigning Ideas

12. Campaigning Tabling Distributing merchandise/ food
Talk to organizations/ RSO
Endorsements

13. Remedies and Sanctions

14. Remedies and Sanctions
The Judicial Branch will determine appropriate remedies and sanctions for violations of the election code. Actions of the judicial branch in the process of reconciling violations of this by-law are final. The judicial branch may make but is not limited to the following actions:
1. Disqualification of a Candidate; should the Judicial Branch determine that a violation is egregious and not able to be fairly remedied in any other way, a candidate can be disqualified. Disqualification should only be used when there is unanimous consent with all justices.
2. Subtraction of a certain number or certain percentage of votes; the Branch may determine that a certain percentage or certain number of votes be subtracted from the overall total of votes received. The subtraction of votes should attempt to reflect the votes that were potentially impacted.
3. Restrictions; the Judicial Branch can place restriction on candidates including but not limited to advertising, campaigning, or participation in election events such as a debate, or future elections. Restrictions from running in future elections should only be used when there is unanimous consent for all justices. The timeline of restriction shall last no longer than one academic year.
4. Other remedies as needed; the Judicial Branch may determine additional remedies and sanctions with the exception of monetary fines.

15. What Does This Mean?
The Judicial Branch has explicit power to place any remedies and sanctions and/or disqualify on any candidate who breaks any rules outlined in the By-Laws

16. Appeals

17. Advisor Reports