Fall 2009 Elections Packet

Fall 2009 Student Government Candidate Information

Positions Available and Descriptions
To be included on the election ballot, candidates petitioning for Student Senator and/or Class Officer Positions will need to collect twenty-five (25) student signatures from each constituency they seek to represent. Student Body Representatives need one hundred (100) student signatures. Below are the positions open for the 2009-2010 academic year:


Student Senators
---------------------------------------
Senior Class Representative (1)
Junior Class Representatives (2)
Sophomore Class Representative (1)
First Year Class Representatives (2)
Grafton Hall Representative
Smith Hall Representative
Blair Hall Representative
Belknap Hall Representative
Pemigewassett Hall Representative
Langdon Woods Representative
On-Campus Apartment Representatives (3)
Off-Campus Representatives (4)
At-Large Representatives (1)
Graduate Class Representative (1)


Class Officers
---------------------------------------
Junior Class Secretary
First Year Class President
First Year Class Vice President
First Year Class Treasurer
First Year Class Secretary



Important Dates for Candidates to Remember

Petitions Available at HUB Info Booth and online @ plymouthstatesenate.org
Tuesday, September 8th to Friday, September 18th at 5:00pm Begins @ 8am
Public Campaign Financing Funds Available through HUB Print Shop
Tuesday, September 8th to Monday, September 21st Begins @ 8am
NOTE: Please allow 3 days to process your petition before going to the Print Shop.
Petitions to be included on Fall Ballot are Due at 5:00pm at the HUB Info Booth
Friday, September 18th @5:00 pm SHARP!
Attend MANDATORY Senate meeting for all new petitioning Senators
Sunday, September 20th @6:00pm HUB Student Senate Room
Fall 2009 Election Stations:
Tuesday, September 22nd
HUB- 9am-6pm
Prospect: 11:30am-1pm & 5:30pm-6:30pm
Announcement of SGA Winners Fall 2009
Tuesday, September 22nd @8:00 pm HUB FPL
Student Senate Retreat
Friday, September 25th & Saturday, September 26th
Student Government Association’s Inauguration
Friday, October 16th @6:00 pm

Description of Student Senator Positions

Class Representatives: Each class will be allowed two (2) Senators, elected by their respective class. Class standing is determined by credit hours as defined in the Student Handbook and is determined by credit hours at the beginning of the term. Senators will represent those constituents that elected them.

Mid-Year Class Transition Policy:If a candidate’s credit status makes it so that he/she is a member of one class in the Fall Semester and a different class in the Spring Semester, the candidate will only be allowed to run for the class in which his/her current number of credits identifies the candidate as being a member of. The candidate will stay in that position until his/her term of office expires.

Residence Hall Representatives: Each Residence Hall shall be allowed one (1) Senate seat. A Senator must reside in the Residence Hall that they represent or they must forfeit their membership as a Senator.

On-Campus Apartment Representatives: Students living in the White Mountain Apartment Complex or Non-Traditional Student Apartments, along with any other college-owned auxiliary housing, will be represented by four (4) Senators elected by the constituents whom they represent. These Senators must reside in said housing or forfeit their membership as a Senator.

Off-Campus Representatives: Five (5) Senators will represent these students, each off-campus Senator must reside in said housing or forfeit their membership as a Senator.

Graduate Student Representative: Shall be represented by one (1) Senator. They must be a student who is currently accepted into a Graduate degree program at PSU.

At-Large Representatives: Two (2) senators will serve as at-large senators. Their constituency shall consist of all matriculated students. The two senators must remain matriculated students.

Description of Class Officer Positions

Each class has the opportunity to elect four representatives to deal with the functions of the class. The following are the basic outlines for each position; however each class may add or take away responsibilities as they see fit:

President: Runs class officer meetings and is the overall representative for their class.
Vice President: Assumes the duties of the President at the request of the President or when the President is absent or has been removed.
Secretary: Takes minutes/notes of class officer meetings. The Secretary may also be in charge of overall publicity.
Treasurer: Handles the monies of the Class and prepares CEA and Allocation requests. The Treasurer may also head fundraising efforts.











Campaign Assistance from the Election Committee

Public Campaign Financing
Candidates should feel free to start campaigning whenever they choose, but beginning on Tuesday, September 8th , the HUB print shop will have the names of individuals that have turned in their petitions and their eligibility has been verified. This list will be updated continually throughout the campaign period as petitions are returned and verification checked. The HUB Print Shop will charge the Election Committee up to $5.00 in expenses (one visit/candidate). Candidates running for more than one position are only eligible for one (1) $5.00 credit. Choosing to take advantage of public financing or not, all candidates are expected to comply with the Student Organization Posting Policy posted on the Student Activities Website at http://plymouth.edu/hub/administration/posting_policy.html. Please allow 3 days for processing.


Instant Runoff Voting (IRV)
IRV is a winner-take-all; constitutionally protected voting system that ensures a winning candidate will receive an absolute majority of votes rather than a simple plurality in a single election. IRV eliminates the need for runoff elections by allowing voters to rank their candidates in order of preference.

How IRV Works
IRV uses ranked ballots to simulate a traditional runoff in a single round of voting. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. They may rank as many or as few candidates as they wish, with lower rankings never counting against higher rankings.
First choices are tabulated. If a candidate receives a majority of first choices, he or she is elected.
If no candidate receives a majority of first choices, the candidate receiving the fewest first choices is eliminated. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are now counted toward those voters’ second choices.
This process continues until one candidate receives a majority and is elected.

Thank you for your interest, let us know if we can help, and good luck!

Sincerely,
The Elections Committee

PLEASE NOTE:
Any and all questions should be directed towards the Election Committee Co-Chairs
Stef Webb (siwebb@plymouth.edu) or Annie Gagne (amgagne3@plymouth.edu)


















Candidate Guidelines for Elections

1. This petition, once complete with the necessary number of signatures from your constituency, must be returned to the HUB Info Booth no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, September 18th, 2009. You are responsible for making sure that a copy of your completed petition as well as this form (which must be dated, timed, and signed by the Student Worker) is on file and put in the manila envelope marked “Student Government Petitions”.

2. You may petition for one (1) seat on the Student Senate/Student Body as well as one (1) Class Officer Position.

3. Names will appear on the ballot in the order that the petitions were turned into the HUB Info Booth.

4. You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 (of 4.00), unless you are in your first semester at PSU.

5. No campaign posters shall be posted within one hundred (100) feet and/or within sight of the polling area.

6. Candidates shall not be allowed to actively campaign in any way, within sight of and/or within one hundred (100) feet of the polling area on Election Day.

7. The type of campaigning is the decision to be made by each individual candidate for a Student Government position. Please refer to the following posting policies:
http://plymouth.edu/hub/administration/posting_policy.html

8. The amount of Campaign fliers is limited to a certain number per building. Please refer to the following website for exact numbers.
http://plymouth.edu/hub/administration/publicity_distribution.html

Expectations of Elected Student Senators

1. Attend weekly Senate meetings on Sundays at 6:00 PM.
2. Serve one (1) weekly office hour in the Student Government Office.
3. Serve on one (1) of Student Senate’s internal “core four” committees by attending weekly meetings
4. Serve on one (1) external Plymouth State University campus committee by attending regular meetings (as scheduled).
5. Attend the fall 2009 Senate Retreat.
6. Attend the fall 2009 Student Government Association’s Inauguration.
7. Act as a liaison to various student organizations.
8. Complete constituent reports on a periodic basis.
9. Note that the Student Senate meetings will be videotaped and are intended to air on PBACT20.
10. Participate in other Student Senate events, as voted on, planned, and organized throughout the year. (Student Senate also mandates a few events through out the year. All Senators and Executive board members are expected to attend, unless the absence is approved).







Election Violation Procedure

Upon witnessing an election violation, you must report it within 12 hours to one of the co-chairs of the Elections Committee. An emergency meeting of the Committee will then be called. A meeting will only be able to take place if a quorum (50 percent +1) is available to hear the evidence presented. At least one Student Senate advisor or Assistant Director for Student Activities must be present.

At this emergency meeting the witness(es), candidate, and anyone working on the candidate’s behalf who may be involved will meet with the committee individually to answer questions and then meet as a whole for final statements and questions.

Immediately following this meeting the Committee will go into private session to deliberate and decide upon an action. The rationale for the decision will be shared with the parties involved immediately after it has been voted upon with a written account to be prepared and sent to the respective parties by the Co-Chairs of the Elections Committee. Due to the time sensitive nature of these violations the committee’s decision is final and unable to be appealed.






My signature below certifies that I have read and understand the Campaign Guidelines and Expectations of Elected Student Government Officials. If I do not follow the Campaign Guidelines, then my petition will be considered void and my name will be removed from the ballot.

CANDIDATE’S FULL NAME: __________________________________________
POSITION PEITIONING FOR: ________________________________________
CANDIDATE’S SIGNATURE: __________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS: __________________________________________________
CELL PHONE #: ___________________________________________________

HUB INFO DESK WORKER’S INITIALS: ______ DATE: ______ TIME: ______






**** Please provide a 100 word (max) description of your running platform. The description will be available at the election tables for the Student Body to read. Also, please provide a picture no larger than 4X6 inches, which will be displayed next to your running platform. ****

















Official Fall 2009 Student Government Petition

CANDIDATE’S NAME: _______________________________________
S.G.A. POSITION: _______________________________________

Constituent’s NAME Constituent’s SIGNATURE
01 ________________________________
02 ________________________________
03 ________________________________
04 ________________________________
05 ________________________________
06 ________________________________
07 ________________________________
08 ________________________________
09 ________________________________
10 ________________________________
11 ________________________________
12 ________________________________
13 ________________________________
14 ________________________________
15 ________________________________
16 ________________________________
17 ________________________________
18 ________________________________
19 ________________________________
20 ________________________________
21 ________________________________
22 ________________________________
23 ________________________________
24 ________________________________
25 ________________________________


NOTE: Petitioners should reflect the candidate’s potential 2009-2010 constituency group.

Welcome!

Greetings! And welcome to the PSUSGA Blog page! Here is where you will able to find vital information about the Student Government and its happenings!

I hope you all a wonderful summer and are ready for the year ahead of us!

A few things to keep in mind:

The President's and Treasurer's meeting is TONIGHT at 4pm in the HUB MPR. Someone from your organization must be present in order to have a table at the Student Activities Fair!

Also, the Student Activities Fair is NEXT Wednesday on the Alumni Green at 4pm. Be there to get to know people from the organizations on campus and become a part of some great experiences!

SAVE THE DATE: Elections Day and Voting will be taking place in the HUB on Tuesday September 22nd! Everyone who votes will recieve a FREE T-Shirt!

And lastly, ELECTIONS PACKETS are available in the Student Government Office and at the INFO BOOTH in the HUB! Grab one today! There are also available online on this blog! Print one out!