4.01 Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Statement of Responsibility

4.01.01 The CEO shall enforce the contents of this policy. Where a situation arises that is not explicitly considered by this Constitution, the CEO may interpret the policy in a manner consistent with its intentions. 

4.01.02 Should the CEO be unable to complete their duties, those responsibilities shall be assumed by the Executive Administrator. 

4.02 The Chief Electoral Officer 

4.02.01 The Chief Electoral Officer shall:

(a) be a position held by the Speaker in addition to the responsibilities listed in the Job Description Policy Manual, 

(b) be responsible for organizing the elections in conjunction with AMS voting days, when possible, and is ultimately responsible for all campaigning procedures, and dispute resolutions, 

(c) publicize the positions to be nominated, deadlines for such nominations and other pertinent information to all members of the Association, 

(d) in making rulings, consult with the Executive and the AMS Election Team, 

i) All such rulings may be appealed to the AMS Judicial Committee. 

(e) be empowered to alter, extend, or cancel previously set election dates or election procedures, should it be necessary due to unforeseen circumstances, 

(f) be responsible for identifying policy infractions and notifying the offending party, 

(g) make available on the first day of the nomination period:

i) Nomination Forms, 

ii) the latest version of Article 4 of this Constitution and the Elections Policy Manual, 

iii) the positions available and their corresponding job descriptions, 

iv) dates of the nomination period, campaigning period, and voting days, 

v) their contact information. 

(h) be responsible for planning, advertising, and conducting the Election Information Meeting, as described in Subsection 4.04.09, 

(i) be responsible for sending out the Platform Email to all members of the Association, 

(j) be responsible for planning, advertising, and conducting the Candidates Forum, 

(k) coordinate the creation of all CESA ballots in conjunction with the AMS Election Team, 

(l) ensure that there is notification of the election in an email to members of the Association and on the Association website at least one week prior to elections, 

(m) complete a ballot to be sealed in an envelope at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to voting days in the presence of at least two (2) members of the Executive, 

i) This ballot shall only be opened in the event of a tie, in the presence of the President, in order to determine the result of an election. 

ii) This ballot shall be locked in the lock-box located in the Con-Ed Office. 

iii) Should the ballot not be required, the ballot shall be destroyed forty-eight (48) hours following the announcement of the elections results. 

(n) announce the election results to the candidates immediately after they become known, and be made public only after notification has been given to the candidates. Should the candidates not be immediately available, the results shall be made public after all other candidates have been notified. 

(o) hold a re-election if the need arises. 

4.03 Timetables for Elections

4.03.01 Elections shall consist of a nomination period, a campaigning period, and two (2) voting days.

4.03.02 The dates and lengths of each period shall be left to the discretion of the CEO and the Executive.

(a) Where possible, all efforts shall be made to have voting days in conjunction with the AMS in the winter term. 

4.03.03 In order to ensure that there is sufficient time to complete interviews for hired positions of the Council; elections shall be completed no later than Reading Week. 

4.03.04 In accordance with subsection 14.03.03, in order to ensure that there is sufficient time to complete interviews for hired positions of the Council, Fall elections shall be completed by the third week of classes in September.

4.03.05 Voting shall begin at 12:00am on the first day of voting, and shall close at 8:00pm on the final day of voting.

4.04 Nominations 

4.04.01 All nominees shall be ordinary members of the Association. 

4.04.02 Nomination forms shall be made available at the Con-Ed Office from the first day of the nomination period until the last day of nomination period. 

4.04.03 Candidates running for the positions of Executive Administrator, Senator, AMS Representative(s), or Alumni Representative(s) shall each submit a nomination form, completed with the signatures and student numbers of ten (10) members of the Association, to the CEO by the end of the nomination period. 

4.04.04 Candidate teams running for the positions of Year Representatives must submit a nomination form, completed with the signatures and student numbers of ten (10) members of the Association, to the CEO by the end of the nomination period. 

4.04.05 Candidates running for the positions of President, Vice President (Internal), Vice President (External) shall submit one (1) nomination form, completed with signatures and student numbers of seventy-five (75) members of the Association, to the CEO by the end of the nomination period. 

4.04.06 Candidates may nominate themselves. 

4.04.07 All members of the Council, with the exception of the CEO, shall be permitted to nominate candidates. 

4.04.08 Nominations shall be permitted to take place in the Con-Ed Office. 

4.04.09 An Election Information Meeting shall be hosted by CEO previous to the first day of the campaign period. 

4.04.10 All candidates shall be responsible for understanding and abiding by the contents of Article 4 of this Constitution and the Elections Policy Manual. 

4.04.11 Should a candidate currently hold a position on Council or Extended Council, they shall take a leave of absence from that position in order to be permitted to campaign in the CESA, ASUS, or AMS elections, or any other election in which they are eligible. 

4.04.12 In the event of a leave of absence, the following regulations shall take effect at 11:59 p.m. on the final day of the nomination period:

(a) Candidates are prohibited from performing any responsibilities related to their position on CESA Council and Extended Council and their respective job descriptions, as described in the Job Description Policy Manual. This includes, but is not limited to, hosting an event or meeting as well as communicating with members of CESA in their capacity as members of Council or Extended Council. 

(b) Candidates shall be prohibited from using any Association resources available by virtue of holding a position on the Council to assist their campaign in any way. 

(c) Candidates shall be permitted to speak of their positions in terms of their previous experiences. While discussing their experiences they may not, however, advertise any event that they are currently planning as a member of the Council. 

(d) All duties of candidates shall be assumed or delegated by the Umbrella Head. 

(e) Candidates shall be reinstated into their previous Council positions at 11:59pm on the day after voting ends after the election results have been announced. 

4.04.13 Should an elected position not be filled by the close of the nomination period, the position will be elected during Fall Elections as described in Article 4 of the Elections Policy Manual. 

4.04.14 A nominee may withdraw their candidacy at any time during the nomination or campaign period. A notice of withdrawal shall be given in written form to the CEO at the time of withdrawal. 

4.04.15 No individual is eligible to be a candidate in an Association election if they are simultaneously in any other elections associated with the AMS. 

4.05 Campaigning 

4.05.01 All campaigning is subject to the discretion of the CEO and the Executive. 

4.05.02 Campaigning is defined as any activity that, in and of itself, serves to publicize or promote an individual or team's candidacy in an Association election. 

4.05.03 Candidates running for the positions of President, Vice President (Internal) and Vice President (External) shall campaign as a team, subject to Subsection 2.02.10. This includes, but is not limited to, posters, websites, class talks, platforms, etc. No variance of this campaign format shall be permitted. 

4.05.04 Candidates running for the positions of Executive Administrator, Senator, AMS Representative(s), and Alumni Representative(s) shall campaign as individuals. This includes, but is not limited to, posters, websites, class talks, platforms, etc. No variance of this campaign format shall be permitted. 

4.05.05 Candidates running for the positions of Year Representatives shall campaign as a team. This includes, but is not limited to, posters, websites, class talks, platforms, etc. No variance of this campaign format shall be permitted. 

4.05.06 Campaign materials shall abide by Article 3 of the Election Policy Manual.

4.05.07 Campaigning of any form shall not commence until 12:00 a.m. of the first campaigning day. 

4.05.08 The contents and methods of campaigning shall be above reproach. Candidates shall not misrepresent the character or policies of other candidates. 

4.05.09 Candidates shall not make statements that they know are untrue. 

4.05.10 No form of campaigning shall take place in any AMS service including, but not restricted to, any campus pub, behind the Walkhome Counter, or inside the AMS offices. 

4.05.11 Campaigning shall be permitted in line-ups but shall not occur beyond the point where patrons are requested to provide identification or payment for entrance. 

4.05.12 No form of campaigning in the CESA, ASUS or AMS elections shall take place in, or immediately outside, the Con-Ed Office. This includes, but is not limited to the issuing of platform statements, distribution or posting of promotional materials or candidate information, any discussion of or on behalf of a candidate, or the emailing of any campaign related issues. 

4.05.13 No form of campaigning shall take place at any Association event. This includes, but is not limited to, Charity Events, Socials, Conference, Formal, and Workshops. 

4.05.14 No candidate may advertise through any campus media including, but not limited to, CFRC, the B.Ed Spread, The Journal or Golden Words. 

(a) Candidates are permitted to be interviewed by The Journal for an article if all candidates for the position are contacted. 

4.05.15 No unsolicited campaigning shall be permitted in the student housing area. In particular, campaign or promotional materials may not be distributed to mailboxes, nor shall any form of door to-door campaigning be permitted. 

4.05.16 No room-to-room campaigning in residence shall be permitted. 

4.05.17 All campaigning shall cease by 11:59 p.m. of the day prior to the first day of elections. 

4.06 Ballots 

4.06.01 On each ballot, the following shall appear:

(a) the heading “Concurrent Education Students’ Association”,

(b) the surnames and given name(s) of each candidate in alphabetical order for each respective position,

(c) the dates of the election, 

(d) the number of candidates each voter may or must vote for. 

4.06.02 The Executive positions of President, Vice President (Internal), and Vice-President (External) shall be voted for as a team. 

4.06.03 The positions of Executive Administrator, Senator, AMS Representative(s), and Alumni Representative(s) shall be voted for individually. 

4.06.04 The Year Representative positions shall be voted for as a team by their respective year.

4.07 Votes of Confidence 

4.07.01 Should only one candidate or candidate team be nominated for a position, a vote of confidence shall be required before the candidate or candidate team is considered acclaimed. 

4.07.02 Any votes of confidence shall take place by ballot on the predetermined voting days. 

4.07.03 Each vote of confidence will take the form, “Do you have confidence in (Surname, Given Name of candidate) to serve as (Position) for the CESA Council (Years)?” 

4.07.04 A vote of confidence shall contain boxes for both yes and no responses. 

4.07.05 In order for a vote of confidence to pass, it will require the affirmation of more than fifty (50) percent of voters. 

4.08 Ballot Counting and Announcements 

4.08.01 Each question on the ballot shall be considered to be a separate ballot, notwithstanding that it may be on the same ballot. That is, should a ballot be spoiled for one question, the other questions shall be considered separately, and shall not be automatically deemed spoiled by virtue of being on the same ballot as the spoiled question. 

4.08.02 Any ballot, which is spoiled or rejected, including a blank ballot, shall be considered in the total number of ballots cast. 

4.08.03 The CEO shall receive the voting percentages.

(a) The voting percentages for all Executive team and Executive Administrator candidates shall be made publicly available on the website. 

4.08.04 In the event of a tie, the CEO shall open the sealed ballot as described in 4.02.01(m) in the presence of the President to determine the victor. 

4.09 Complaints, and Disqualifications 

4.09.01 Complaints regarding the violation of election policy shall be brought to the attention of the CEO. 

4.09.02 Complaints shall be in writing and may be brought forward at any time during the campaigning period and voting days, but no later than seventy-two (72) hours after the final poll closes. 

4.09.03 In response to receiving a complaint, the CEO shall meet with the accused candidate(s) to discuss the allegations. The Executive may also be present at this meeting. 

4.09.04 After three (3) minor infractions of Article 4 of this Constitution or the Elections Policy Manual, which shall be at the discretion of the CEO, the CEO and the Executive shall decide on a course of action and if necessary, do so in consultation with the AMS Election Team. Courses of action may include:

(a) The offending party may be disqualified from the Association election as a result of the offence they have committed. This ruling shall be based on the severity of the offence and the extent to which the offence has compromised the election. This ruling shall be at the discretion of the CEO. 

4.09.05 In the event of a disqualification, the offending party shall be removed from the ballot. The offending party shall have twenty-four (24) hours from the time of disqualification to remove all campaign materials. 

4.09.06 Disqualification is subject to appeal to the AMS Judicial Committee and shall be handled in accordance with the AMS Constitution. 

4.09.07 Any appeals by candidates shall be made within seventy-two (72) hours of the election results being announced. No appeals shall be permitted after this point in time. 

4.10 Extended Nomination Period 

4.10.01 In the event that a position for election, at the close of the nomination period, has no candidates seeking election, the CEO shall extend the nomination period for these positions for three more week days. 

4.10.02 The CEO shall advertise to all members of the Association which positions have been extended.

4.10.03 All other positions that have candidates seeking election shall be closed to nominations as per regular election policy. 

4.10.04 The campaign period shall not begin until the extended nomination period has ended. No form of campaigning may occur during this time for any position. 

4.10.05 If, by the end of the extended nomination period some positions remain without candidates seeking election, they will either (i) be hired during the Spring Hiring Period, or (ii) become open for nomination during the Fall Elections with the exception of the Executive and Executive Administrator, for which there shall be a by-election. 

4.10.06 At the close of the extended nomination period, the elections shall continue as prescribed. 

4.11 Re-Election and By-Election 

4.11.01 In the event of a re-election or by-election, the CEO shall follow all above procedures and rules, with an allowance for shortened nomination, campaign and voting periods. 

4.11.02 All other allowances and exceptions to the above rules shall be at the discretion of the CEO and the Executive. 

4.11.03 In the event of a compromised election, a by-election shall be held only for the positions affected. 

(a) All other elections results shall remain as originally determined by the CEO and the President. 

4.12 Referendum Rules 

4.12.01 Only members of the Association may submit a CESA referendum question. 

4.12.02 Any member of the Association may submit a CESA referendum question. 

4.12.03 The Executive may submit a referendum question as a team with the support of the Council. 

4.12.04 Any current member of the Council shall be required to take a leave of absence in order to run a CESA referendum question, with the exception of the Executive submitting a referendum question as a team. In this case, all other referendum and election rules apply. 

4.12.05 The CESA referendum nomination, campaign, and voting periods shall run in conjunction with all CESA Election period dates. Where possible, all efforts shall be made to have voting days run in conjunction with the AMS in the winter term. 

4.12.06 The CESA referendum nomination forms shall be made available by the CEO upon request from the first day of the nomination period until the last day of nomination period. The CEO shall notify all members of the Association of the availability of these forms on the first day of nomination period.

4.12.07 The wording of each CESA referendum question shall be approved by the CEO and Executive prior to being nominated. 

4.12.08 Any individual running a CESA referendum question shall submit a nomination form, completed with the signatures and student numbers of fifty (50) members of the Association, to the CEO by the end of the nomination period. 

4.12.09 Upon receiving the fifty (50) nominations, each CESA referendum question shall obtain a fifty (50) percent plus one (1) vote from the Council before it may be allowed on the ballot. This vote may occur at any meeting of the Council that takes place within the Nomination or Campaign periods. 

4.12.10 All CESA referendum questions shall start with, “Do you agree…” and contain both a yes and a no box on the ballot. 

4.12.11 All other instances from those listed above, the rules for the CESA referendum are the same as those listed in Article 4.