Article I: Definitions

1. Mudslinging: The attempt to damage an opponent’s reputation based on insults, accusations, and/or false information.
2. Slander: the action of purposefully making false accusations to damage another candidate or student’s reputation.
3. Harassment: consistent aggressive nature towards another candidate.
4. Campaigning: the operation undertaken for promotion and/or solicitation to achieve election to said position.
5. Cyberbullying: the use of any electronic device to bully or harass another person.
6. Elections Board: The Elections Board shall oversee the Student Government Association elections. Members of the Elections Board will be referred to as Student Members.
7. Elections Board Advisor: The Elections Board Advisor is a professional staff or administration liaison from the Office of the Dean of Students or equivalent chosen to advise the Elections Board.
8. Elections Chair of the Student Government Association:
   1. This role will be filled no later than the second week of the Spring semester. During the first SGA Body meeting of the Spring semester nominations for Elections Chair of the Student Government Association (referred to as the Elections Chair) shall occur. The Elections Chair must be a Student Government Representative and may not be running for a presidential executive ticket position during the upcoming election.
   2. After nominated, the Elections Chair will be excused from prior committee responsibilities, their focus at this time will be on elections duties.
   3. The Elections Chair will have the responsibility of planning events pertaining to the elections such as, but not limited to, advertising upcoming elections, planning polling events, scheduling debates or open discussions for Presidential candidates, and mediating student organizations endorsement requests.

Article II: Candidate Requirements

1. All candidates must comply with the rules outlined by the Student Code of Conduct.
2. Candidates must attend at least one Elections Rules meeting.
3. Candidates must run an ethical campaign; mudslinging and attacks on other candidates, campaigns, organizations, or individuals will not be tolerated. Candidates and their campaign are subject to review by the Elections Board Advisor.
4. Candidates must be a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student at YSU.
5. Candidates for Representative positions must submit a Declaration of Candidacy form providing their Y-number, college, major(s), status, and GPA. The candidate must be registered for six (6) semester hours or more and in good academic standing with an overall GPA equal to greater than a 2.5 and will be able to fulfill the requirements of the desired position should the candidate obtain the sought position.
6. Candidates for President and Executive Vice President must run as a ticket, those students:
   1. Must be full-time students in good academic standing having completed at least 49 semester hours completed, 24 of which must be at YSU
   2. Must not have been elected to the Office of the President more than twice
   3. Must have one hundred fifty (150) full or part-time, graduate or undergraduate students complete the Presidential & Executive Vice President Petition Form electronically via the Student Organization Management System (CampusGroups). Each Presidential ticket must have secured 150 or more forms verified by Elections Board Advisor to be added to the ballot.
   4. Must complete the Declaration of Candidacy which requires the students to provide their Y-number, college, major(s), status, and GPA. The candidates must be in good academic standing with an overall GPA greater than a 2.75 and will be able to fulfill the requirements of the desired position should the candidate obtain the sought position.
7. No persons that have been impeached by the removal process outlined in Article X of The Constitution of the YSU Student Government shall be eligible for election, appointment, or re-appointment.

Article III: Campaigning Guidelines

1. Candidates are permitted to campaign both on and off campus. Off-campus locations must ensure to the best of their ability that they are advertised and accessible to the student body as well as other candidates.
2. Any campaigning material to be posted on campus must comply with YSU board policies, including 3356-4-17 Posting on Campus and 3356-4-21 Campus Free Speech. Posters and materials on designated bulletin boards located in Kilcawley Center, Residence and Dining Hall locations, Courtyard Apartments, and the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center must be reviewed and stamped by Kilcawley Center Guest Servies on the second floor of Kilcawley Center. Please refer to YSU’s Posting Guidelines an additional resource. Posters in educational buildings must then be reapproved by the Dean of that building before posting. Only candidates themselves may bring their campaign posters and signs to be approved at these designated locations.
3. Other campaigning items that are permitted include but are not limited to, t-shirts, pins, stickers, sidewalk chalk (chalk must be used in an area that the rain can wash it away: not under overhangs, on steps, or on walls), and electronic campaigning materials.
4. Approved materials may be displayed in any on-campus location so long as it abides by university policies.
5. Promoting a candidate or soliciting votes in any academic classroom is prohibited.
6. Posting materials around campus on trees, lamp posts, doors, or any exterior building is prohibited.
7. Candidates will not create and/or post campaigning material that violates the code of conduct, insights violence, or violates YSU’s non-discrimination notice.
8. Candidates must abide by the following provisions in posting materials on campus:
   1. Candidates are held responsible for all of their approved campaign material. Approved materials shall be displayed in any location so long as such a posting is in compliance with university policies.
   2. Items to be displayed as posters must be no larger than eight-point-five (8.5) by eleven (11) inches.
   3. Candidates shall not post approved materials until 8am on the returning day to classes following the conclusion of Spring Break.
   4. All candidates must be aware of the specific guidelines of each building on campus in which the candidate is campaigning. All campaigning and campaign materials must abide by all university policies.
9. Negative campaigning or “mudslinging” is not appropriate through any media (including but not limited to posters, flyers, stickers, email, social media). Issues may be discussed candidly, but personal attacks on candidates are not tolerated. Candidates, as well as campaign teams, should be mindful of their potential liability in making statements that may not be able to be fully supported with factual evidence.

Article IV: Campaigning in Student Organizations

1. Student led groups may only endorse Presidential Tickets.
2. University sponsored groups, such as athletics, may not endorse a Presidential Ticket or campaign on the candidate’s behalf.
3. Presidential Tickets may not campaign on student organization time such as during meetings and sponsored events outside of an allotted two (2) minutes given if an organization is endorsing a candidate.
4. For a student organization to officially endorse a Presidential Ticket they must file a request to the Elections Chair to endorse a candidate. The Student Organizations must then set a time for a meeting to endorse the Presidential Candidate. At this meeting two (2) minutes of speaking time will be given to each candidate. Concluding the speeches, a vote by members of the organization will be taken. A two thirds (2/3) majority of the total membership in attendance of the organization is needed to confirm the endorsement of a candidate.
5. The Elections Chair is responsible for the overseeing of candidate endorsement. They must ensure that two (2) minutes of speaking time are given to each candidate and ensure that a two thirds (2/3) majority was held by the winner.
6. When an official endorsement is made the organization will now be able to use the candidates’ campaigning materials and the candidate will be able to acknowledge said organization in their campaign materials. All rules from the Elections Rules, Student Code of Conduct, and University Policies will still apply to these materials.
7. The Presidential Candidates are fully responsible for any campaigning done by an organization that has officially endorsed them.
8. A candidate shall not use any student organization’s funds to support their campaign.

Article V: Social Media Guidelines

1. Candidates are permitted to use social media for campaigning under the following circumstances:
   1. Social media accounts are made public
   2. Social media does not make any unwarranted outreach to students
   3. The social media account abides by all University policies as well as policies put forth by the platform being utilized.
2. Any electronic campaigning messages or emails must have the option to unsubscribe from the senders list.
3. Candidates shall not campaign in a manner that violates University policies, as outlined in The Student Code of Conduct.

Article VI: Timeline

1. 3rd week of the Spring Semester: elections chair shall be planning events and advertising for the election.
2. 5th week of the Spring Semester: declaration of candidacy shall be made available on Monday.
3. 6th week of the Spring Semester: declaration of candidacy shall be submitted by 5pm EST on Thursday.
4. 7th week of the Spring Semester: all candidates must attend one of the Elections Rules Meetings sponsored by the Elections Board and Student Government Association held for two consecutive days. Candidates will be notified by the Office of Community Standards & Student Conduct if they are ineligible to run (see Article II for eligibility requirements).
5. At 8am of the first day of classes returning from Spring Break: students may begin campaigning and posting materials.
6. 12th week of the Spring Semester: the Elections Board Advisor or designee shall open polls for two consecutive days for the student body to elect, from among those certified candidates, their representatives in the Student Government Association.

Article VII: Election Board Procedures

Section 1: Election Board

1. The Elections Board shall have the jurisdiction to oversee all elections for Student Government Association President and Executive Vice President, Legislative Assembly representatives, and Academic Senators, as well as campaigns for student-sponsored legislation.
2. The Elections Board has the power to enforce all election rules established by the Student Government Association and to impose sanctions on those candidates who violate the rules and the rulings of the Elections Board.
3. The Elections Board shall set the timeline for the candidate verification process as deemed appropriate. This timeline will be based off the method used for petitions, while considering deadlines for elections.

Section 2: Election Board Membership

1. The Elections Board shall consist of one (1) Student Government Association advisor, one (1) liaison from the Office of the Dean of Students, as well as five (5) student members and one (1) alternate student. Members will be appointed based on their ability to perform the tasks delegated to them in a professional, unbiased, and accurate fashion. The members will be chosen from both the Student Conduct Board and the Student Academic Grievance Subcommittee.
2. The Elections Board Advisor and the Student Government Association advisor shall be granted the same rights and privileges as members of the Elections Board, including engagement in discussion, but will not be permitted to vote on any matter. All other members of the Elections Board shall vote on any matter. Decisions will be made based on a simple majority. Any Youngstown State University undergraduate or graduate student may serve on the Elections Board, with exception to those who are seeking an elected position within the Student Government Association, including the Academic Senate, during the upcoming regular election. Furthermore, appointees to the Elections Board will be vetted by the advisor for any conflicts of interest that would arise. An individual may not serve on the board if conflicts of interest arise.
3. The Elections Board shall not convene for any purpose unless a majority of the student members and the advisor are present. If necessary, the Elections Board may vote on any matter via private email correspondence. The advisor shall be included in any such discussion but will not be permitted to vote on any matter.

Section 3: Board Independence

1. An independent and honorable Elections Board is indispensable to promoting student body confidence in the Board. Members should participate in establishing, maintaining, and enforcing high standards of conduct and personally observe those standards to preserve the integrity and independence of the Board. The provisions of these By-Laws are to be construed and applied to further this objective.
2. Any student, faculty, or staff may bring charges of partiality or impropriety against any Elections Board member to the Dean of Students. Any charges must be filed in writing to the Elections Board Advisor, who will present it to the member of the Elections Board in question.
3. After the presentation of evidence and testimony against the member and the member is granted a fair amount of time to rebut the accusations made against them, the Elections Board Advisor, with the advice and consent of the Dean of Students, will form a decision on whether to remove the member from the Board. The decision of the Elections Board Advisor is final, and such removal will qualify as a vacancy and will be treated as enumerated in Section 1, subsection 3.

Article VIII. Election Rules Meetings

1. All candidates, after attending one of the Election Rules Meetings, must sign a statement acknowledging that they have read and fully ascribe to the election rules. This shall be required to be certified as a candidate by the Elections Board.
2. Once made aware of the identities of the members, a candidate may bring charges of partiality or impropriety against any member of the Elections Board. The candidate must file the charges in writing to the Advisor of the Elections Board within 24 hours of the Election Rules Meeting which they attend. Within the written charges, a candidate must provide a clearly outlined reason to remove the member from the Board. The Elections Board member in question will be granted 24 hours from the time notified of the accusation, to rebut the charges filed against him or her. Once the time for accusation and rebuttal has elapsed, the Advisor of the Elections Board, with the advice and consent of the Dean of Students or equivalent, will form a decision on whether to remove the member from the Board. The decision of the Elections Board Advisor is final, and such removal will qualify as a vacancy and will be treated as enumerated in Section 1, subsection 3.
3. If a Student Member position is vacated, then the Elections Board Advisor shall appoint the alternate member as a Student Member. If the Elections Chair position is vacated, then the remaining Student Members shall appoint a new Elections Chair from amongst themselves, and the vacated Student Member seat shall be filled by the alternate member. If the Elections Board Advisor vacates their position, the Dean of Students, equivalent, or designee, shall fill the vacancy.
4. Submission of a declaration of candidacy constitutes an agreement to accept all Elections Board decisions, except as provided in Article VII, Section 2, 4(b), 4(c), and 4(d) of these By-Laws.
5. All candidates are strongly encouraged to attend at least one of the Student Government Association body meetings during the spring semester.
6. Only those students whose declarations of candidacy, petitions for President and Executive Vice President have been verified by the Division of Student Experience shall be certified as candidates for the position that they are seeking and are permitted to campaign for that position. While soliciting signatures for their petitions, candidates may discuss their own platforms but may not discuss the platforms of any other candidates.

Article IX: Voting Procedures

1. The Student Organization Management System (Campus Groups) will be the sole provider of ballots for any election and the Student Government Advisor(s) will be responsible for ballot security.
2. During online elections, a student voting will be responsible for logging in with their YSU credentials in order to submit their ballot.
3. Following the closure of the polls, the Student Government Advisor(s) will access the results of the online election. The Student Government Advisor(s) will certify the vote count in the contested races and seal the certified results. Any ties shall be determined by lot, as designated by the Elections Board in consultation with the candidates.

Article X: Grievance Procedures

1. Any student may file a grievance to the Elections Board against an individual for violation of any election by-law or University Policy. All grievances must be filed online using the appropriate form located on the Student Government website (sga.ysu.edu) no later than eighteen (18) hours following the closure of the polls. All grievances warranting a hearing will be made available to the public for the sake of maintaining transparency. Sensitive or personal information of the filer will be omitted. Grievances must contain the following:
   1. The name(s) of the individual(s) filing the grievance, heretofore referred to as the “petitioner”.
   2. The name(s) of the individual(s) against whom the grievance is being filed, heretofore referred to as the “respondent”.
   3. The rules which the respondent(s) is alleged to have broken, and,
   4. A description of how and when the respondent(s) allegedly violated those rules.
2. Following the receipt of a grievance, the Elections Board shall convene to determine whether the grievance warrants a hearing. If it does, the Elections Board shall notify the respondent(s) that a grievance has been filed within twenty-four hours (24) and that a response to the grievance must be filed with the Elections Board no later than forty-eight (48) hours before the scheduled hearing. The respondent shall receive a copy of the grievance.
3. The seventy-two (72) hours prior to the scheduled grievance hearing will be divided in the following way: within the first forty-eight (48) hours, both petitioner and respondent must compile all relevant grievance materials and forward them to the Elections Board, and the final twenty-four (24) hours are given to allow both petitioner and respondent time to review the opposing side’s materials.
4. A hearing shall be scheduled no sooner than seventy-two (72) hours following the notification of the respondent(s).
5. The Elections Board shall oversee and adjudicate all hearings. Each party shall be permitted to have advisement during these hearings.
6. Both parties are given the opportunity to reschedule the grievance hearing one (1) time, if a scheduling conflict would arise in regard to the initial date. The rescheduled hearing must occur within three (3) business days of the initial hearing date. Rescheduling is only warranted for a family emergency, a medical emergency, or for unavoidable academic reasons. If either party’s advisor is unable to attend the initial hearing, this does not warrant a rescheduled hearing. Furthermore, if either party’s witness(es) are unable to attend the initial hearing, this also does not warrant a rescheduled hearing. If a party’s witness is unable to attend the hearing, written testimony from the absent witness(es) is permissible.
7. The petitioners shall be permitted an amount of time determined by the Elections Board to present their case. They may present witnesses. Witnesses may be cross-examined by the respondents. The Elections Board may permit redirect and re-cross-examination, so long as both sides have an equal number of times to question the witness. The Elections Board may also question both parties and all witnesses.
8. Following the petitioner’s case, the respondent shall present their defense against the grievance and shall be afforded the same opportunities as the petitioner.
9. Following the respondent’s case, both sides shall be permitted a short closing statement, with the length to be determined by the Elections Board.
10. Following the closing statements, the Elections Board shall recess the hearing and convene in private for the purpose of deliberating the judgment in the grievance. Any finding must be finalized within twenty-four (24) hours of the hearing. If the respondent is found to be responsible for the violations brought forth by the petitioner, then the Elections Board shall determine an appropriate sanction for the actions, including but not limited to the following: Removal of campaign literature; suspension of a candidate’s campaign privileges; removal of a candidate; cancellation or invalidation of any or all races; referral to the Student Conduct Board. Such sanctions shall be imposed to ensure the fair conduction of the election and restore any imbalance caused by the violations.
11. The Elections Board shall have the power to impose such sanctions on any member of the Youngstown State University undergraduate or graduate community who violates election regulations. This includes campaign workers or supporters who have campaigned for another in any way.
12. If a hearing is conducted, the Elections Board must file a finding that will be posted on the Student Government website for the sake of maintaining transparency. Sensitive or personal information pertaining to the students involved will be omitted.
13. Grievance hearings are separate from the University Conduct process and shall not preclude any further action that may be taken through the University Conduct process.
14. The scheduling of the grievance hearing is at the final discretion of the Elections Board and the Elections Board Advisor. This discretion does not extend to the privileges granted to both petitioner and respondent.
15. Potential sanctions that may be determined on by the Elections Board include:
    1. Removal of percentage of candidates vote ranging from 1% (one percent) to 7% (seven percent).
    2. Suspension of social media accounts.
    3. Suspension of advertising and campaigning (either indefinitely or concluding hearing).
    4. Disqualification from race as a ticket.