A.S.I.
campaigns become more regulated
By Brian Brannon
On-line Forty-Niner
While
campaign reform has proven a slow process
in Washington D.C., the Associated Student
Senate showed Wednesday that it is not afraid
to make timely changes in the way student
candidates at Cal State Long Beach are elected.
Election Commissioner Lauren Leahy presented
changes proposed by the commission for the
Senate’s consideration.
The Senate approved additions to the Candidates
Handbook regarding income and expenses,
campaign material and endorsements. It also
ratified the addendum of matters it had
suggested in March regarding the definition
of minor and major campaign violations and
subsequent sanctions.
The additions stated that the controller
in the AS business office has the responsibility
to verify any or all campaign income and
expense reports at the request of the Elections
Commission.
A provision requiring all campaign posters
to be placed a minimum of three feet apart,
except those placed back-to-back was also
added.
“The ones that are spelling out people’s
names, we want those to be three feet apart
as well,” Leahy said.
Photos, names or drawings depicting staff,
faculty, administrators or university-sponsored
teams used on campaign materials are now
considered endorsements. Prior to any candidate
printing an endorsement on campaign material,
the candidate will first have to show that
they have consented to do so.
Senator Sam Murarka said he believed staff
and faculty was already prohibited from
endorsing candidates, but Leahy said the
commission could find nothing pertaining
to that on record.
“They are allowed to do that as long as
they fill out a public endorsement form
and as long as they show it to us before
it is posted,” she said.
Minor violations of the Candidate Handbook
were clarified to include: overspending
by $100 or less; campaigning within 50 feet
of polls, sending unsolicited campaign e-mails,
improper posting, and failure to correct
any violation within the specified time.
Major violations were clarified to include:
overspending by more than $100, falsifying
or fraudulently reporting campaign receipts,
sending e-mails in violation of Cal State
Long Beach rules and policies, and multiple
minor violations.
Punishment for minor violations can include
covering or removing posters and loss of
campaign privileges for up to one day. Sanctions
for major violations can include loss of
campaign privileges for more than one day,
while multiple or flagrant major violations
can initiate procedures for dismissal of
a candidate from the election.
Associated Students Vice President Shahrokh
Sheik thanked the commission for responding
to problems it found in the recent election
and submitting the changes to the Senate.
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