The University Board of Elections recently updated its rules and regulations for the 2016 student elections to align rules with University policy and change campaign expense reporting.
UBE Chair Sara Kropp, a third-year Curry student, said the rules and regulations were last updated in 2011 and the changes made at the time were minor.
“There hasn’t been much reflection on the rules and regulations,” Kropp said. “They were very outdated.”
Three changes were proposed and accepted by UBE for 2016: changing control over social media platforms, altering existing policies to coincide with University-wide policies and changing the expenditure reporting process.
Social media platforms — like Facebook and student email listservs — are widely used by student candidates to promote their campaigns. The use of these platforms was previously monitored by UBE, but regulation now falls partially to the University administration, Kropp said.
For example, Kropp said rules regarding posting on University “Class of” pages now rest with University administration to regulate. However, UBE still has regulations for using listservs for existing organizations and University-affiliated groups.
A candidate is allowed to create his own listserv but must personally know every student on the lists they utilize and those they contact, Kropp said.
UBE also altered certain stipulations to reflect University regulations, including limiting the size of flyers posted around Grounds and updating the rules to be in accordance with the University Exterior Posting and Chalking Policy.
In past elections, all candidates have been required to submit an expenditure report for expenses on their campaigns. With the currently updated rules and regulations, student candidates are now required to provide an expenditure report in the interim of campaigning as well.
“We require one that will go with the ballot and one that will be after the campaigns are over,” Kropp said.
Second-year College student and voter Arrietta van der Voort said she doubts the updated rules on expenditure reportings will have an impact on student voting, but she supports the principle behind the idea.
“The more transparency the better,” van der Voort said.
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