General Elections

OFFICIAL RULES
2012-2013 Edition
Harvard Undergraduate Council Election Commission

ELECTIONS FOR GENERAL COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

These rules are issued bv the Election Commission in accordance with Section 72.2 of the
Bvlaws and are in governance of the election of representatives to the Harvard Undergraduate
Council.
Part I: Districts
1.1 First-Year Districts. The Iour Iirst-year districts shall be (1) Oak Yard, consisting oI Canaday
and Thayer Halls; (2) Ivy Yard, consisting oI Holworthy, Hollis, Lionel, Massachusetts,
Mower, Stoughton, Straus Halls and Apley Court; (3) Crimson Yard, consisting oI
Greenough, Hurlbut, Pennypacker, and Wigglesworth Halls; and (4) Elm Yard, consisting
oI Grays, Matthews, and Weld Halls.
1.2 Upperclass Districts. Each oI the twelve residential houses shall constitute an upperclass
district.
1.3 Special District. Dudley House shall constitute a special district.
1.4 Modification of Districts. The Election Commission may make minor shiIts in district
designs iI absolutely necessary Ior the completion oI the election.
1.5 Membership in a District. An individual shall be considered a member oI a district iI the
records oI the Registrar oI the Faculty oI Arts and Sciences reIlect that that individual is
assigned, residentially or administratively, to a building or house in that district at the time
oI the election. The Election Commission shall adjudicate any disputes in regard to district
membership.
Part II: Rules of Procedure
2.1 Number of Representatives. Three representatives Irom each Iirst-year district shall be
elected. In upperclass districts, the number oI representatives elected shall be equal to three
minus the number oI Executive Board members currently representing the district. One
representative Irom Dudley House shall be elected.
2.2 Eligibilitv for Candidacv. Any student enrolled in Harvard College at the time oI the election
shall be eligible Ior election to the Council as a representative Ior the district oI which that
student is a member.
2.3 Declaration of Candidacv. Any person intending to run Ior election to the Council
must declare their candidacy by e-mailing the Election Commission Chair at
harvarducelections¸gmail.com between 12:00 PM on Sunday, September 9, 2012 and
12:00 PM on Friday, September 14, 2012. The Election Commission will list all declared
candidates as oI this time on the ballot, and will not list any candidates who declare their
candidacy aIter this time.
2.4 Means of Election. Delegates to the Council will be elected by the Hare-Clark proportional
voting system. Each eligible voter shall rank candidates Ior election in order oI preIerence.

The result oI the election shall be determined by the Election Commission through the
online election soItware.
2.5 Write-In Candidates. Voters may choose to vote Ior a candidate not on the oIIicial ballot
by entering that individual's name into the online election program in accordance with
the instructions provided at the time oI voting. A write-in candidate may be ranked
preIerentially along with other candidates. Write-in candidates must conIirm their
willingness to serve prior to installment as representative; iI an elected write-in candidate
is not willing to serve, the candidate receiving the next most votes shall serve instead. Any
write-in votes Ior ineligible individuals will be excluded.
2.6 Conduct of Election. The Election Commission will conduct the election by electronic
ballot Irom 12:01 PM on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 through 11:59 AM on Friday,
September 21, 2012.
2.7 Eligibilitv for Joting. The persons eligible to vote in the elections Ior each district shall
be those whom the Faculty oI Arts and Sciences Registrar`s OIIice deIines to be both
registered undergraduate students and aIIiliated with that district at any time during the
election. II a person is determined by the Registrar`s OIIice to be eligible to vote in any
district, he or she may not later be declared ineligible or later be declared eligible in a
diIIerent district. Potential voters shall be responsible Ior conIirming their status with the
Registrar`s OIIice prior to the commencement oI the election.
2.8 Results. Upon tallying the results and the aIIirmative vote oI at least Iour members, the
Election Commission shall certiIy the returns and inIorm all candidates and the public as to
the outcome. The Election Commission reserves the right to decertiIy the results Ior up to
72 hours aIter releasing them iI it becomes aware oI any voting discrepancies or campaign
rule violations in the intervening period. II the Election Commission has not certiIied the
results within 168 hours oI the completion oI voting, the Executive Board may vote to
certiIy the results independently.
Part III: Rules of Conduct
3.1 Compliance with Harvard College Rules. Candidates will abide by all rules and regulations
oI Harvard College, oI the several Houses, and oI the City oI Cambridge, in addition to any
applicable Local, State, and Federal laws.
3.2 Unsolicited messages. Candidates may not send unsolicited campaign-related messages
via email or any other online system. Unsolicited messages are any messages sent to
individuals whom the sender does not know personally and who has not speciIically
requested inIormation Irom the candidate. Students may only send messages to groups
oI which they are a member, and such messages must conIorm to the community
standards oI that group. Such messages may only be sent once a day by candidates to each
individual email list. The Election Commission shall be the Iinal arbiter oI what constitutes
unsolicited messages, and candidates are encouraged to ask questions beIore sending

messages that may be unsolicited. In general, common sense should be applied to avoid
making campaign e-mails a nuisance.
3.3 Postering. All normal college rules regarding postering apply. In particular, posters
advertising a candidate may be placed only in locations specially designated Ior student
posters by the College. Proctors` announcements boards and similarly reserved areas
are not to be used Ior campaigning purposes, and any place where posters are normally
prohibited (eg. railings, building doors, sidewalks, empty walls, etc.) may not be used Ior
campaign posters. In addition, no posters may be placed on personal property (eg. dorm
room doors, dorm room windows, etc.) without the consent oI all those who control that
property (eg. all roommates in the room.) In particular, candidates should not aIIix posters
to dorm room doors as door drops, but should use the door drop box. Also, in addition
to normal college rules, candidates may not put more than one 11x17 inch poster or two
8.5x11 inch posters on any one poster board, and may not cover over any poster Ior an
event that has not yet taken place. In general, common sense should be applied to avoid
making postering a nuisance.
3.4 Place of Campaigning. Candidates may not poster, set up 'table tents,¨ or distribute
campaign literature in any other tangible Iorm in any residential dining hall, any computer
lab, or any library. Note that general use poster boards present in dining halls are exempt
Irom this rule. Classrooms shall remain Iree Irom campaigning, both during and outside
oI class times, including but not limited to writing on chalkboards and whiteboards.
Candidates may not impede access to any University building nor disrupt classes in any
way. No disruption oI the academic Iunction oI the University will be tolerated.
3.5 Prohibition on the Use of Universitv Mail. Candidates may not transmit any campaign related
material via Harvard University Mail Services.
3.6 Time of Campaigning. A candidate may begin campaigning at 12:00 noon on Monday,
September 17, 2012 unless the Election Commission takes speciIic action to the contrary.
3.7 Definition of Campaigning. Campaigning includes but is not limited to: vote soliciting;
emails, internet posts, internet groups, distributing videos, websites, or any other electronic
media in which a potential candidate declares his intention oI candidacy; print materials
that declare candidacy; announcements Ior candidacy via a proxy; and/or interviews with
a media source in which the potential candidate declares her or his Iuture candidacy, talks
about her or his potential Ior candidacy, or talks about her or his Iuture plans (concrete
or hypothetical) as a member oI the UC. The Election Commission reserves the right to
make the ultimate decision oI what actions are classiIied as campaigning, and candidates
are encouraged to ask questions beIore engaging in any activity that may constitute
campaigning when or where it is not permitted.
3.8 Restrictions on Campaign Materials. Candidates may not distribute candy, Iood,
merchandise, prizes, or otherwise indirectly-related campaign materials to voters in their

election district. Acceptable materials include posters, door drops, and pamphlets/brochures
that conIorm to Election Commission standards. Electronic media and communications
shall not come under restrictions beyond what the Election Commission establishes so long
as no direct cost is associated with the electronic campaign. Restricted materials thereIore
include paid election campaign websites or online giIt giving.
3.9 Reimbursement for Printing Costs. Candidates shall be reimbursed up to $10 in campaign
printing costs upon submission oI receipts to the Treasurer provided that the materials do
not violate any election rule.
3.10 Responsibilitv. A candidate is presumed to be responsible Ior all aspects oI any material
advertising or promoting that candidate`s campaign, and Ior the actions oI any individual
engaging in the advertising or promotion oI that candidate`s campaign, unless the Election
Commission Iinds signiIicant good reason to believe otherwise. Actions oI the agents oI
any candidate shall be treated the same as actions oI that candidate Ior the purposes oI
these rules, where an agent shall be considered a person who has contributed signiIicantly
towards the candidate`s campaign, as determined by the Election Commission. Candidates
should ensure that their agents understand all oI these rules and abide by them.
3.11 Requirements on Literature. All campaign materials must bear the name oI the candidate
they are endorsing in easily legible type. All campaign literature must also be labeled
with the Undergraduate Council`s website URL, http://www.uc.Ias.harvard.edu and
with the election dates, in order to advertise the time and place oI voting. Any electronic
communications or literature produced by candidates must similarly bear the name oI
the candidate and the same inIormation about the time and manner oI voting as printed
literature.
3.12 Interference. A candidate may under no circumstances intentionally interIere with the
campaign oI another candidate in any way, including but not limited to the destruction oI
campaign materials. In addition to violating these rules, interIering with another campaign
can be considered an inIringement oI Iree speech in violation oI Faculty oI Arts and
Science policies.
3.13 Ethics. Candidates are generally expected to conduct themselves in an ethically appropriate
manner. The Iinal determination oI whether or not a particular action is or is not ethically
appropriate rests with the Election Commission.
3.14 Special Instructions. Candidates are expected to abide by and comply with any and all
special instructions, requests, and orders issued by the Election Commission.
3.15 Spirit of the Rules. Candidates are expected to use common-sense and sound judgment.
Violations oI the spirit oI the election rules will be punished as harshly as violations oI the
letter oI the rules.
3.16 Reporting Jiolations. All members oI the Harvard community are encouraged
to report violations oI these rules to the Election Commission via email at

harvarducelections¸gmail.com. The Election Commission will investigate any and all

reported violations.
Part IV: Administrative Remedies
4.1 Purpose of Remedies. The Election Commission shall enIorce the above rules by appropriate
penalties. The Iinal determination oI remedies oI violations oI the above will rest with the
Election Commission, and they are not subject to appeal.
4.2 Disqualification. The Election Commission shall have authority, by a two-thirds vote, to
disqualiIy a candidate. A candidate may be disqualiIied at any time prior to the Iinal
certiIication oI results. A candidate disqualiIied prior to the commencement oI voting shall
not appear on the ballot. A candidate disqualiIied aIter the commencement oI voting shall
be excluded Irom the tabulation oI the results.
4.3 Suspension of Campaigning. The Election Commission shall have the authority, by majority
vote, to suspending any candidate`s campaign Ior a set amount oI time, or to suspend
particular campaign activities. Campaigning despite a suspension is grounds Ior immediate
disqualiIication.
4.4 Confiscation of Campaign Materials. The Election Commission shall have the authority,
by majority vote, to permanently conIiscate any campaign materials. Any agent oI the
Election Commission shall have the authority to temporarily conIiscate any campaign
materials involved in a probable violation oI any rule set Iorth above until such time as the
Election Commission may vote on its permanent conIiscation. Any material permanently
conIiscated shall be returned to its owner aIter the Iinal results oI the election are certiIied
or at the discretion oI the Election Commission. Any material temporarily conIiscated but
not ordered permanently conIiscated shall be returned to its owner in a timely manner.
4.5 Other Penalties. The Election Commission shall have authority, by a two-thirds vote, to
impose other sanctions or penalties, within reason, upon candidates as deemed necessary.
4.5 Announcement of Findings. The Election Commission shall be required to disclose publicly
any oIIicial Iinding that a candidate has violated any oI the rules set Iorth above.
4.6 Agreement. All candidates, by declaring their candidacy, agree that they have read and
understood these rules and regulations and agree to abide by them. They Iurther agree to
abide by all decisions and orders oI the Election Commission and acknowledge that there is
no right to appeal any such decisions and orders.
Part V: The Election Commission
5.1 Administration of Election. The Election Commission shall be responsible Ior the
administration oI this election and oI these rules.
5.2 Agents. The members oI the Election Commission shall be considered agents oI the Election
Commission Ior the purposes oI these rules. The Election Commission may, by two-thirds
vote, designate any person not a member oI the Election Commission an agent oI the

Election Commission Ior the purposes oI these rules.

5.3 Modification of Rules. The Election Commission may, in accordance with the UC
Constitution and Bylaws, make such changes and adjustments to these rules as necessary
Ior the Iair and legitimate conduct oI the elections. Changes made aIter the beginning
oI campaigning shall require a two-thirds vote. Any such changes and adjustments must
be announced to all candidates immediately upon their adoption. Any such changes and
adjustments made aIter the commencement oI campaigning may also be vetoed by the UC
Executive Board.
5.4 Rules of Procedure for the Election Commission. The Election Commission shall conduct
itselI during its supervision oI the election under the rules oI procedure required Ior all
elections by the Constitution and Bylaws oI the Harvard Undergraduate Council.
Contact Information
All questions, inquiries or complaints regarding the Fall 2012 General Elections should be
directed to the Election Commission at harvarducelections¸gmail.com.