MUNSU - Elections 2010 - Rules and Regulations

To read the MUNSU Constitution, read this link: http://munsu.ca/section/112

Download MUNSU's Election Policy: Rules and Regulations

CHMR FM Regulations for the MUNSU 2010 General Election

If MUNSU wants to advertise the election as a whole, there is no charge. If a candidate wants to advertise with us for their own campaign, they are entitled to a certain amount of free airtime depending on the position:

- Executive positions receive 5 minutes of free airtime.
- Non-executive positions receive 2 minutes of free airtime.

This free airtime can be used in one block, or broken down into a number of shorter adds, run over a period of time. If a candidate wishes to advertise beyond their free airtime, they are charged according to our regular advertising rate card (1 15-second ad = $5, 1 30-second ad = $10, 1 60-second ad = $15).

A. APPLICATION FOR NOMINATIONS

Nomination forms will apply to all elected positions of the Board of Directors.
On the day nominations close, nomination sheets, list of nominees, name of campaign manager and phone number must be presented to the Chief Returning Officer in a sealed envelope by 12 noon. No one is considered a candidate for any office until 5:00 P.M. of the same day and at this time they may begin campaigning.
The Chief Returning Officer may extend the nomination period for a period no longer than three working days. This extension shall only apply for those positions for which there were not enough candidates declared to fill all the vacant seats within that position.
Should only one candidate apply for an elective position, that candidate shall be acclaimed. A yes/no vote will not be held. Should a number of persons nominated for Director-at-large or Faculty Representative be less than the total number of positions available, that number of persons shall be acclaimed upon the close of the first nominations.
a) Nomination forms for the position of Executive Director must be signed by at least 50 union members and no more than 100.
- b) Nomination forms for all positions except those in part (a) must be signed by at least 20 union members and no more than 40.
- c) Each nominator must supply his/her student number in order to be considered a valid nominator.
- d) For specific ward representatives, only persons registered in that ward may nominate or be nominated.
A nomination paper is invalid only by reason that;
- a) the signature of the candidate is a forgery; or
- b) one of the minimum required nominators is not a valid union member; or
- c) the nomination paper is void of the nominees signature; or
- d) does not have at least the required number of nominators signatures.
- e) the candidate is not in clear standing in the semester in which they are nominated.
Candidates for Executive positions must be at least part-time students in the semester in which the election is held.
In a by-election, any member of the Board of Directors intending to run for another position of the Board of Directors, before submitting a nomination form, must resign from their current position.
a. The Chief Returning Officer and the Deputy Chief Returning Officer, all poll captains and ballot counters are restricted in accordance with these bylaws and shall not be eligible as a candidate in the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students' Union elections or by-elections.
- b.The Chief Returning Officer and Deputy Chief Returning Officer shall not be eligible as a candidate in the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students' Union elections or by-elections for a period of one year from their date of hire, even if they resign or are terminated.
Present elected officials of the Board of Directors cannot be the Chief Returning Officer, Deputy Chief Returning Officer, poll captains or ballot counters.
For a By-election, nominations must be open for at least five (5) consecutive business days and nominations should be closed for at least five (5) consecutive business days before the By-election takes place.
A candidate may take out only one set of nomination papers for 1 position. If a candidate decides to change to another position, the candidate must sign a withdrawal from position form in front of the CRO and hand over the old nomination forms intact. The candidate must then take out new nomination papers.
A candidate may change his/her nomination papers only once.

B. WITHDRAWAL OF NOMINATIONS

Until such a time that the ballots are officially printed, a candidate may withdraw his/her nomination form and have their name removed from the election. Upon declaration of their intent to withdraw, a candidate must immediately and at the first possible opportunity meet with the CRO to sign a declaration of withdrawal in their presence. The CRO retains the right to remove a candidate's name from the ballot once that candidate has confirmed their intent to withdraw, with the approval of the Elections Committee.
A person who, before or during an election, for the purpose of preventing the election of a candidate, knowingly publishes a false statement of withdrawal of another candidate at the election is guilty of an offense as defined in the Offenses section of this policy.
If an executive candidate withdraws from position, the nomination fee is non-refundable.

C. DEATH OF A CANDIDATE

If a candidate dies before the close of nominations, during the election, or on election days, a by-election will be held for this position.
If the candidate dies on the Election Day and the final results favour the deceased, the results will be void and a by-election must be held to fill the position.

D. CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES

a. Candidates for Executive Director positions shall each be eligible for a $150.00 election credit.
- b. Candidates for Director positions shall each be eligible for a $50.00 election credit.
- c. Election credits can only be used at MUNSU's Copy Centre. Candidates may spend a maximum of $50 out of their spending limit on the purchase of materials that cannot reasonably be obtained at the Copy Centre. Their Copy Centre credit will be deducted accordingly.
- d. Election credits are non-transferable and can only be used for the current election in which the person is seeking office.
The amounts stated in Section D (1) may be considered for an increase or decrease by the Board. This increase or decrease shall be limited to 20% of the amounts assigned above.
The Chief Returning Officer has the right to place a fair market value upon any election material used by a candidate if he/she feels that the value placed on that material by the candidate is not representative of fair market value.
A complete, documented list of all expenditures and receipts from each candidate must be provided to the Chief Returning Officer no later than 5 pm on the second working day after the close of the election. Failure to do so by an elected official will result in the forfeit of the Board seat and failure to do so by unsuccessful candidates denies them the right to appeal any part of the election.

E. CAMPAIGN RULES AND REGULATIONS

Under no circumstances is any pre-campaigning to occur between the opening of nominations and the official CRO candidates meeting. If the Chief Returning Officer feels that such practices are evident, the matter will be brought to the Board for an immediate decision.
Campaigning shall be permitted after the official CRO candidates meeting with the Chief Returning Office, until polling stations close on the last day of voting.
There shall be no campaigning before the official CRO candidates’ meeting at which time the Chief Returning Officer shall verify each nominee’s eligibility to run.
Candidates and/or supporters of a candidate who deliberately cover, destroy, damage, deface, or remove any campaign material of another election candidate shall be penalized as per Section M.
a) Distribution of campaign material by the candidates will be restricted to those areas as designated by the Chief Returning Officer at the official CRO candidates’ meeting on the day nominations close.
- b) All Campaign Posters shall meet the regulations presented by the Chief Returning Officer at the official CRO candidates’ meeting.
All candidates shall comply with:
- a) All building regulations on and off campus.
- b) The regulations of the university as it pertains to the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union elections.
- c) The regulations of MUN Radio pertaining to the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union elections.
a) For the duration of the electoral period, no candidate shall use the logo, corporate seal, copyrighted material or other materials produced for promotional purposes of MUNSU or MUN on any material for his/her campaign.
- b) Any non-election publicity materials, including but not limited to any materials produced by MUNSU or MUN, may not be presented for the duration of the electoral period.
- c) It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that any parties, groups, or organizations who present non-election publicity materials concerning that candidate have such materials removed or covered for the duration of the electoral period unless otherwise determined by the CRO.
- d) Any non-election publicity materials which cannot reasonably be removed must be brought to the attention of the CRO.
- e) If a candidate who has attempted to have non-election publicity materials removed is unable to do so, the candidate must bring any such materials to the attention of the CRO. The CRO then has the discretion as to whether or not any further action need be taken concerning said materials.
Candidates who are presently elected or appointed members of the Board of Directors or employees of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union, may not use their position for the promotion of their candidacy.
a) Any campaign material remaining within sight of the polling station will be removed by the poll captain.
- b) Verbal campaigning in an area where a polling station is located shall not be within a 20-metre radius of that polling station, and the polling captains must not be able to hear such campaigning from that distance.
Any candidate who violates, breaks or contravenes any of these campaign rules and regulations as stated in Section 4 of these by-laws, or any other section of the policy, is guilty of an offense and will be subject to the penalties outlined in the Offenses Section.
If a candidate is expelled from the election by the Chief Returning Officer, the procedure for expulsion shall follow the procedures as stated in subsection N.
There will be no campaigning within the MUNSU office complex. No campaign materials of any sort will be stored in any of the offices of MUNSU overnight.
Debates, forums or public assemblies must be first approved by the Chief Returning Officer.
All candidates in addition to submitting their receipts at the designated time, must also ensure that all campaign materials are removed at the same time as well.
a. Only Executive candidates will be permitted to display a large banner in the University Centre. The banner for Executive candidates may not exceed 16 square feet in area, with a minimum of two feet on any side.
- b. The location of the banner must be booked with the CRO. If more than one candidate requests the same banner location and have so indicated before the close of the nomination period, a draw will take place at the official CRO candidates meeting. No banners may be hung from the ceilings or attached to the floors, and the dates of the election and web vote website must be clearly visible.
The Chief Returning Officer will be autonomous from the executive of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union. The Chief Returning Officer will be responsible only to the Board of Directors.
Any candidate found to be using profane language or unruly behavior to Election/MUNSU staff shall be subject to penalty as outlined in subsection M.
During an election, candidates with Breezeway privileges will have all Breezeway privileges temporarily suspended, in order to maintain fairness for all candidates involved.
MUNSU staff and/or volunteers are not permitted to wear any campaign material while working; however they may work on campaigns, provided that campaign work is not done while they are working / volunteering.
Candidates shall not pepper with election paraphernalia, which includes, but is not limited to, pamphlets, leaflets, posters, or any documents dealing with the election.

F. ELECTION PUBLICITY

The Editor(s) of the student newspaper shall be responsible to ensure that no person reads any of the candidates’ platforms before publication.
Each candidate will be allowed a maximum number of words to be set by the editor of the student newspaper.
The Chief Returning Officer shall ask the CHMR station manager to submit to his/her office, a MUN Radio election policy concerning the subject of election commercials. This policy shall include which candidates will be allowed to have an election commercial played on air and the procedure for candidates to explain their platforms on air. This will be included in the candidates' information package available at the official CRO candidates’ meeting.
All candidates must clearly place the dates of the election on all material he/she has printed or copied for distribution, as well as the URL (universal resource locator) address for the MUNSU Webvote site.
Any Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union staff or volunteer who is a candidate in the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union elections, shall not be allowed to talk about his/her candidacy while performing his/her duties.
The Chief Returning Officer shall ensure that all nominees receive a copy of all student media election policies on or before the day nominations close.
Posters that measure 8 1/2" by 11" or less are allowed one per bulletin board. No poster exceeding this measurement will be allowed to be displayed.
Posters are not to go anywhere but on campus bulletin boards, unless the Chief Returning Officer instructs a candidate that he/she may do otherwise.
A bulletin board is defined as cork-like board framed by four distinct borders, for example, wooden or steel.
Candidates are not permitted to cover other current posters on any of the bulletin boards.
Candidates may develop a website or homepage for the purposes of advertising their platform and their campaign. These sites shall follow university guidelines as well as current MUNSU poster policy regulations concerning election dates, use of logos, profanity, etcetera.
No campaign materials, with the exception of executive banners in the Food Court, shall be permitted within visual sight of polling stations.

G. ELECTION OFFICIALS

The Chief Returning Officer shall be responsible, along with the Students' Union Elections Committee, for the hiring of poll captains and ballot counters.
The Chief Returning Officer shall be responsible to organize a meeting of all poll captains before the election.
No election official shall be a supporter of any candidate in any way. All election officials shall be impartial throughout an election.
5. The responsibilities of each poll captain shall be to:

a) make sure the ballot box is sealed at all times
b) maintain a voters list
c) maintain the ballot in an organized and secure manner
d) instruct the voter only in the manner in which the ballot is to be marked
e) stay at the poll station at all times, unless relieved by an election official or another poll captain
f) bring all the election material to the office of the Chief Returning Officer when the poll station closes
g) ensure that all campaign material is removed from sight of the poll station
h) ensure that no candidate or supporter campaigns within hearing distance of the poll station
ensure that the ballots are properly stamped and ID’s properly checked, as well as entered into the computer system
j) ensure that no voter leaves the vicinity of the poll station with ballots
k) ensure unmarked ballots are returned to the Chief Returning Officer to be destroyed.

6. The responsibility of the ballot counters shall be:
- a) to help count and record the ballots
- b) to be present when the ballot boxes are opened
- c) not to inform the public of any election results unless authorized by the Chief Returning Officer.
The responsibilities of the Chief Returning Officer and Deputy Chief Returning Officer are stated in Section O and P of this Section.
- a. All polling captains must wear numbered badges provided by the CRO at all times while staffing a polling station.
- b. Each badge must clearly identify the bearer as an official MUNSU polling captain.
In addition, each badge must be stamped with its own number. Badges must be signed out by the polling captains, thereby linking them to a polling station and ballot box.

H. VOTING RIGHTS

The Chief Returning Officer’s and the Deputy Chief Returning Officer’s right to vote in an election shall be waived. They shall not be permitted to vote.

I. POLL STATIONS

The Chief Returning Officer shall be responsible for the location of all poll stations.
For General Elections and By-Elections at least four polling stations locations shall be established.
At least three polling stations must be operated at any one time.
A minimum of one polling captain per station, but no more than two polling captains per station shall be followed for all elections.
As much as possible, secrecy of voting will be ensured.
Except to cast his/her vote, no candidate or campaign worker shall be permitted to loiter in the vicinity of a polling station.
Where possible, regular business hours will be kept for all polling stations. At least four polling stations shall be open until 9:00 p.m.
The Chief Returning Officer may not extend polling station hours.
In the event of closure of the University on election days, the Chief Returning Officer, in conjunction with any Executive that are not candidates in the election, may extend polling.
For the days of actual voting of the election, all Memorial University computer rooms and terminals for the purposes of the election shall be considered to be polling stations for the purpose of restricting candidates/campaign worker activity around these sites.
The World Wide Web for the purposes of MUNSU Elections/Referenda/By-Elections shall be considered as a polling station with all the polling station regulations applied to it for the purposes of the MUNSU Webvote System.
The Webvote system shall be in operation continuously from the start of the election until closing of the polls at 9pm on the second day of voting with the exception of system downtime that will occur during the night of Day 1.

J. COUNTING BALLOTS

When a poll station closes, the poll captain shall be responsible to bring the voters list, ballot box, all unused ballots and other material assigned to him/ her to the Chief Returning Officer.
The Chief Returning Officer will be responsible for booking a room for the counting of ballots. It will be closed to the public.
The ballots will be counted by hired ballot counters. The counting will be overseen by the Chief Returning Officer, Deputy Chief Returning Officer, and other union staff as allowed by the Chief Returning Officer.
Each executive candidate shall be allowed to provide one person to act as a scrutineer during the counting of the ballots. The scrutineer shall not be allowed to assist in the counting of ballots. Barring extenuating circumstances, the candidate must submit the name of his/her scrutineer no later than 5:00 pm on the Friday before elections.
The Chief Returning Officer may begin the process of counting when the first polling station closes on the second day of polling.
No person shall communicate results from the voting room once the counting has started, and no person shall leave the counting room once the counting has started.
7. No scrutineer will be allowed to leave the room once the counting has started.
A scrutineer may enter the room at any time but the ballots already counted will not be recounted nor will the scrutineer be allowed to look through previously counted ballots.
9. Ballots will be counted at least twice to ensure accuracy.
During the counting of ballots, the Chief Returning Officer only shall reject and place in a separate envelope for each poll station, a ballot:
- a) that is not marked for any candidate.
- b) on which votes have been given for more candidates than are to be elected
- c) that it is so marked to render it uncertain for which candidate or candidates the voter has voted or
- d) upon which there is any writing or mark by which the voter/elector can be identified.
- e) on which no ballot box stamp is clearly present on the reverse side of the ballot paper.
If the number of votes separating the candidate receiving the highest number of votes and any other candidate is fewer than 15, the ballots shall be recounted within a 48-hour period after the close of the polling station.
Election results will be revealed to the public by the Chief Returning Officer, as soon as she/he feels the results are accurate for all elected positions.
The Chief Returning Officer shall ensure that all used and unused ballots are stored safely away until such time when appeals or recounts are no longer possible. All ballots must then be destroyed.
a) For executive positions, voters shall place a distinguishably clear mark beside the name of the preferred candidate. The candidate with the highest number of votes will be declared elected.
- b) In an election for Board of Director positions, the voters shall place a distinguishably clear mark for the candidate(s) preferred. The candidate(s) with the highest number(s) of votes will be declared elected. (Note: some Director positions have more than one seat for the position and therefore more than one candidate will be elected).
In the case of a tie vote, a new election for the position shall be called.
The Chief Returning Officer shall have final say as to a ballots validity.

K. EVENT OF A TIE

In the event of a tie, a By-election shall be held as soon as the Board sanctions such a By-election.
If the By-election results in a tie, the Chief Returning Officer, in consultation with the Elections Committee, shall break the tie.

L. RECOUNTING OF BALLOTS

A Candidate may submit to the Chief Returning Officer a signed statement requesting a recount of the ballots of the elective position requested. A fee of $25.00 must be submitted with the written request and is forfeited if the result is not changed. This fee may be waived by the Chief Returning Officer and any Executive that are not candidates in the election, or by the Board of Directors, if it is deemed appropriate.
A request for a recount must be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer no later than three business days after the election. The Chief Returning Officer shall then set a time, date and place for the recount of ballots.
The following persons may be present at a recount:
- a) Chief Returning Officer
- b) Deputy Returning Officer
- c) any hired ballot counters the Chief Returning Officer deems necessary for the recount.
- d) and all candidates for position being recounted or his/her delegate.
The candidates shall not be involved in the actual recounting of ballots.
The results of the recount will be recorded by the Chief Returning Officer.
If the recount alters the candidates declaration of election, the Chief Returning Officer will inform the Board of Directors and the public immediately.
The recount shall be completed within 5 days after the recount was initiated.
A recount will not be held unless the appealing candidate passed in his/her complete expense form due in to the Chief Returning Officer within the specified time frame as per Section D.3

M. OFFENSES

Any person or candidate who contravenes or breaks any part of this Policy is guilty of an offense and is liable:
- a) If already a member of the Board of Directors, subject to Section 14 of these by-laws.
- To be disqualified as a candidate in a Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union election by the Chief Returning Officer.
- c) If an employee of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union, to be dismissed.
- d) To be penalized as per this section.
2. An offense of a candidate in this Section is defined as the following:
- a) Any part of this by-law / policy that has been broken or contravened by a candidate.
- b) A conspiracy to stuff a ballot box or stuff ballot boxes.
- c) To bribe or hire an election official to stuff a ballot box or to campaign for a candidate.
- d) breaking any elections policy as set out by the student media sources.
- e) defames another candidate.
a) If a candidate is penalized, as per this section, the decision of the Chief Returning Officer shall stand until it can be ratified at the next Board Meeting. In the case of the aforementioned, the Chief Returning Officer must consult with any Executive that are not candidates in the election, and if they deem it necessary, the Chief Returning Officer will call an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors within 48 hours to endorse the penalties.
- b) Notwithstanding the aforementioned, if a candidate is forced to withdraw, the decision must be endorsed by an emergency meeting of the Board within 48 hours.

N. EXPULSION FROM ELECTION

Any candidate(s) who breaks or contravenes any Section, Subsection, item or any part of these By-laws, or has committed any offense as described in Section M, is subject to expulsion from the election by the Chief Returning Officer.
If the Chief Returning Officer is aware that a candidate(s) has broken any part of this Section, he/she shall set up a meeting with himself/herself, the candidates, and the Deputy Chief Returning Officer.
After consultation with the candidate(s) and the Deputy Chief Returning Officer, the Chief Returning Officer shall determine if the candidate(s) has broken or contravened any part of this Section.
If the Chief Returning Officer has concluded that the candidate(s) has broken or contravened any part of this By-law, the Chief Returning Officer may:
- a) expel the candidate(s) from the election, or
- b) follow section M.
If a candidate(s) has been expelled from the election by the Chief Returning Officer, the candidate may appeal the decision by submitting a written request of appeal to the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union Executive within three business days of the expulsion.
If the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union Executive, after hearing all the evidence, decides that the expulsion is not warranted, the executive may reinstate the candidate(s). The decision of the executive shall be made within 5 business days of the appeal.
If the reinstatement of a candidate(s) is decided after the date of the election, then the Chief Returning Officer shall redo the process of the election of that particular elective position as stated in Section A of the by-law, by process of a by-election.
Any candidates who publicly endorses another candidate in an effort to increase their chances of being elected, will be penalized as per the offenses section of this policy.
If a candidate exceeds his/her expense limit due to fines or overspending then, with Board approval, and based on the CRO’s recommendation, that candidate shall be expelled from the election.

O. CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER

a. There shall be a Chief Returning Officer and Deputy Chief Returning Officer hired to conduct all MUNSU Elections, referenda and plebiscites. These positions shall be hired by the Elections Committee no later than the third week of classes in the fall semester, and shall hold office until the end of the winter semester.
- a) In the event that the Chief Returning Officer or Deputy Chief Returning Officer resigns or is terminated prior to the end of their appointment, the Elections Committee shall immediately initiate a hiring process to fill the vacated position.
- b) The Chief Returning Officer will be paid an honorarium of $600 in the fall semester and $800 in the winter semester. The Deputy Chief Returning Officer will be paid an honorarium of $400 in the fall semester and $600 in the winter semester.
- c) The Chief Returning Officer and Deputy Chief Returning Officer must be members of the Students' Union. They will not be eligible for employment at any other services of the Students' Union for the duration of their appointment.
The Chief Returning Officer shall:

be responsible for all advertising of all elections, plebiscites, and referenda through posters, flyers, banners and student media.
be responsible for the hiring of all Poll Captains and Ballot Counters
be responsible for the scheduling of the hours of the Poll Stations, in conjunction with the Board.
be responsible for the location of each Poll Station during the election.
be responsible for holding an official CRO candidates’ meeting on the day nominations close.
be responsible for the setting up of meetings with all Poll Captains and Ballot Counters.
be responsible for booking a suitable room for counting the ballots.
organize and publicize Executive debates, to be held in the University Centre or other room.
shall ensure that the debate is publicized. The debates shall be held on one day, with a schedule publicized through the normal means of campus publicity.
hire student security to watch the room where the ballots will be counted.
be responsible for having the ballots printed and the number of ballots distributed correctly for each individual poll station. At the same time, the Chief Returning Officer must ensure that the candidates’ last names are listed in alphabetical order before they go to print. The Chief Returning Officer shall ensure that there are no blank entries on the ballots.
be responsible to ensure that no person has access to the ballot boxes, ballots or any other material before, or during the night between, the two election days.
be responsible for the destruction of the ballots after such time that appeals and recounts are no longer possible, and Board of Directors has accepted the Chief Returning Officer’s report.
be responsible for keeping the public, the Board of Directors, and all election candidates informed of issues relating to the election.
be responsible for ensuring that all Poll Captains and Ballot Counters are paid for the hours worked and that candidates receive their proper reimbursements.
oversee the campaigning of each candidate and ensure that it is in accordance with this by-law.
supervise the work of all election officials as stated in Section G.
carry out his/her duties in a fair, unbiased, objective manner, in conjunction with the Deputy Chief Returning Officer
be, along with the Deputy Chief Returning Officer, the only union members not eligible to vote.
be responsible for overseeing the counting of ballots and announcing the election results when the counting is finished.
be responsible for making a final report of the results of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union election or referenda at the next regular Board meeting after the election.
have the responsibility to ensure that all election officials remain impartial and unbiased. If they are found not to be doing so the Chief Returning Officer may terminate his/her employment.
immediately inform the building managers, department heads and the university administration that an election/referenda/plebiscite has been called.
shall arrange tours by candidates to all residences. These shall be arranged with house presidents, and the schedule shall be publicized at least one week in advance.
shall arrange a forum for clubs and societies. This shall be arranged with society presidents, and the schedule shall be publicized at least one week in advance.
ensure during the residence tours that questions are first taken from members of the house.
ensure that all complaints are kept confidential.
Have unhindered access to the Breezeway Bar to ensure candidates comply with election guidelines concerning conduct in the Breezeway Bar.
A decision by the Chief Returning Officer may be overturned by a 2/3 majority vote at a regular or emergency Board meeting.

P. DEPUTY CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER

The Deputy Chief Returning Officer shall be responsible to the Chief Returning Officer.
The Deputy Chief Returning Officer shall assist the Chief Returning Officer in all the Chief Returning Officer’s duties.
If the Deputy Chief Returning Officer is removed or resigns during the election, another Deputy Chief Returning Officer will be hired immediately.
In the event that the Chief Returning Officer cannot fulfill his/her duties, then the Deputy Chief Returning Officer will immediately take the Chief Returning Officer’s place.

Q. VIOLATION OR CONTRAVENTION OF POLICY

If any clauses of this section are violated, the following procedure shall apply for each clause violated or contravened:

The candidate can be fined a maximum of $10.00 per violation, which will be added to their expenses. The amount of the fine shall be at the discretion of the CRO and based on the severity of the violation. Repeated violations of the same offense may result in a fine with a minimum value of $10.00 and a maximum value of $25.00 per offense.
If after a), there are further instances of the violation of the clause, a letter shall be presented to the candidate or the candidate’s campaign manager, informing him/her that a further violation or contravention of the bylaw shall result in immediate expulsion from the election.
If after b), there is a further instance of the violation of the clause, the candidate shall be informed in writing that she/he has been expelled from the election.
In the case of infractions which are designated by the CRO to be especially serious, the CRO may, upon approval by the Elections Committee, charge the candidate a cash fine, with the monies to be donated to the Campus Food Bank. The amount of the cash fine may not exceed the candidate's spending limit. The candidate's election credit will also be deducted accordingly.
2. Any penalties instituted by this subsection are still subject to Section M.

R. ELECTRONIC VOTING

The purpose of providing electronic balloting is to increase voter participation by providing maximum convenience for the voter while ensuring that the principles of an anonymous, democratic free vote are upheld. Voting is meant to be a personal, anonymous action and should not take place in a group setting, or in the presence of persons whose presence might influence a candidate to vote in a particular way.
Electronic balloting provides opportunities for abuse, intentioned or not, by voters, candidates and campaign workers.

Abuse of electronic balloting includes, but is not limited to, the following types of action:

- efforts by voters to vote more than once
- efforts by candidates or their campaign workers to influence votes by holding parties or social events at which individuals are encouraged to vote on the premises.
- offering favors or gifts in exchange for votes
- pressuring individuals to vote in the presence of a candidate, campaign worker or any other individual
- bringing the means of electronic voting to a voter

In determining whether abuse of electronic balloting has occurred, the Chief Returning Officer must consider potential abuses on a case by case basis. Abuse is not limited to the types of actions outlined above but must be interpreted in the spirit of this section and in the spirit of upholding the principle of an anonymous, secret-ballot vote. The Chief Returning Officer shall exercise the right to determine whether abuse of electronic voting has taken place and shall have the discretion of imposing or recommending any and all punitive actions as necessary, including disqualification from the election or by-election.