Rules of the race – The ins and outs of CU's election code

Specific regulations guide UCSU candidates in spring election

Every semester the University of Colorado Student Union, CU’s student government, holds elections to determine who CU’s next student leaders will be. Controlling over $30 million dollars in student fees, UCSU is the most powerful student union in the nation. They fund and control 12 student cost centers, the largest of which are the UMC, Wardenburg and the Rec Center, and they form and debate policy that guides the campus and its students.

The Campus Press will break down the positions, the process and the people in an 11-part series that will run through April 20, the last day of voting. Stay with The Campus Press during this time for developments and results regarding the 2007 UCSU elections.

The UCSU elections are just around the corner and will take place April 16 through 20. Students vote for a Tri-executive ticket and four Representatives at large in the spring elections. All fee-paying students are eligible to vote and can easily vote online from any computer.

UCSU Elections 2007: CP’s 11-day Series
Part 1 | Rules of the race – The ins and outs of CU’s election code

Part 2 | Taking office – The elected officials and what they do

Part 3 | Repeat runners – What they’ve accomplished, why they’re back

Part 4 | An apathetic audience – What UCSU is doing to make you care

Part 5 | Showing support – A look at CU’s student groups and the candidates they endorse

Part 6 | The candidates – An in-depth look at the election hopefuls

Part 7 | The voters – Students who vote, and why they care

Part 8 | Voting trends – A look at the winning tickets of the past, and the stronghold of the campaigners

Part 9 | $30 million strong – An analysis of UCSU and how it differs from other student governments in the region

Part 10 | Autonomy – A look at the 1985 agreement that gave UCSU its power today

Part 11 | The campaign trail – Candidate experiences from the 2007 campaigning process

Any student is eligible to run for the open offices. The deadline to turn in petitions was April 2, and students can still run as a write-in candidate as long as they turn in a written letter of their intent the week before voting begins.

With the election weeks coming up, getting enough signatures for the ballot will soon seem like a cakewalk. It may seem easy to run for student government office, but there are actually dozens of rules and regulations campaigners must follow to be eligible.

The first job the Legislative Council faces before elections begin is choosing an election commissioner. The commissioner oversees the entire election to make sure it runs smoothly. The commissioner is also in charge of promoting the elections and finding qualified candidates to run, according to the 2007 election code.

All candidates must attend a meeting to review the election code and procedures. They are also required to submit a campaign finance report detailing their expenses to ensure no one goes over the campaign spending limit.

Each candidate can’t spend more than $500 on the campaign. Candidates are not allowed to use student fee money for campaigns and student groups can’t use their money to support a single referendum or person.

Candidates who receive the most votes fill the open representative seats. If there is a tie between two candidates, a random drawing selects the winner.

Any eligible voter can file a complaint against a candidate for violating the election code once the winners are identified. The case then goes through a trial and the election commissioner will write a conclusion of the findings. If there is a case, it goes before the UCSU appellate court.

As long as everything goes smoothly, the election commissioner will certify the results and present them to the Legislative Council so the new representatives and Tri-executives can be sworn in.

Monday: The Campus Press goes beyond the job descriptions to carefully examine the roles that comprise your student government.