Draft of USC-CSC Elections 2019 Guidelines

Clarification: Previously, the UPLB Perspective indicated that Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD) has not responded to the request for a digital copy on April 8, 2019. SOAD clarified that the request was not immediately accommodated because the guidelines as a whole have not yet been signed by all the members of the Central Electoral Board (CEB). The standard operation procedure is that the CEB guidelines have to be signed and approved by all the members through signing the document in person prior to publishing the document. Therefore, UPLB Perspective’s copy of the guidelines is a draft of the guidelines and was immediately published due to public interest on a matter that arose on the abolishment of Section C, Number 6. UPLB Perspective would like to apologize as some readers have been misled to thinking that it is the final and approved copy of the guidelines and that the request was deliberately ignored by SOAD. Furthermore, there are additional footnotes that have not been included in UPLB Perspective’s transcription of the guidelines which has been pointed out by members of the CEB.

(April 8, 2019 – Note: These guidelines have been approved by the Central Electoral Board (CEB) last April 5, 2019. This is a digital transcription of the printed material from the Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD) as the office wasn’t responsive to requests from UPLB Perspective for a digital copy of the guidelines.)

THE 2019 UNIVERSITY STUDENT COUNCIL (USC)

And COLLEGE STUDENT COUNCIL (CSC) ELECTIONS

1. PRE-ELECTION
   1. The Certificate of Candidacy (COC) can be downloaded online (uplbosa.org or fb.com), or it may be photocopied. An original copy is available upon request at the Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD), and the Office of the College Secretary (OCS) of each College. The following guidelines should be strictly complied with:
      • 1. COC should be filed at respective OCS on or before March 25, 2019, 11:30AM
      • 2. Once the COC is received by the OCS, the information cannot be changed but the COC can be withdrawn until 5:00pm of March 25, 2019.
      • 3. The following requirements should be strictly submitted to the OCS:
        1. Completely filled-out COC form
        2. A 2×2 colored picture
        3. Current Form 5/Promissory note approved by the OC
      • 4. Incomplete requirements will not be accepted by the OCS.
      • 5. COCs and requirements must be personally submitted by the candidate to the OCS. An authorization letter must be presented if COCs and the requirements of the candidate cannot be submitted personally.
   2. The list of candidates approved by the CEB shall be final.
   3. Independent candidates cannot campaign as slate.
   4. Any incumbent CEB who is running for a position must immediately resign from the CEB.
   5. Only registered students will be allowed to run. Registered students should have a registered Form 5 or a promissory note approved by the Office of the Chancellor.
   6. Deadline for the submission of COCs should be strictly implemented.
   7. The official ELECTION PERIOD starts on March 1, 2019, 8:00A and ends on May 06, 2019, 5:00PM.
   8. The official CAMPAIGN PERIOD (offline and online, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.) starts on March 26, 2019, 1pm and ends on April 10, 2019, 11:59 pm.
   9. Campaign materials such as posters should have a maximum size of a cartolina (28×22 inches) and streamers must have a maximum size of 4m x 1m for an individual candidate, and 4m x 2m for party streamers. The use of tarpaulins is highly discouraged.
      • 1. These materials must be posted only in designated areas inside the University as specified by the College Deans and building administrators. No campaign materials must be posted/placed outside the University.
      • 2. Posters, ribbons and other campaign materials posted on painted walls, posts, trees, and bridges are strictly prohibited. Only flyers, leaflets, bookmarks and creative materials donated by sponsors, organizations, and benefactors may be given to the voters during the campaign period.
      • 3. Centralized poster areas shall be designated per college
      • 4. Centralized poster area for USC candidates: DL Umali Bulletin Board.
   10. Vote buying is strictly prohibited
   11. Each party is allowed to spend a maximum of P3.00 for every registered student as financial expenses for all the campaign materials used.
   12. Candidates profiles and parties platforms which can help the voters decide who to vote before the elections and the voter’s guide (UPLB students voting procedure flow chart) shall be posted at the UPLB website in order to save time during the actual voting.
   13. Black propaganda materials, both offline or online, as determined by the Central Electoral Board are prohibited.
   14. The incumbent members of the University Student Council and the UPLB Perspective are responsible in organizing the University Level Miting de Avance on April 10, 2019. The incumbent College Student Councils are responsible for their College Level Miting de Avance, which shall be held before the USC’s Miting de Avance. Foot parade is allowed on the day of the Miting de Avance. However, it should be held after office hours.
2. ELECTION PROPER
   1. All voting precincts as determined by the CEB shall be open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on April 11, 2019 and 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on April 12, 2019. Only those who have signed in by 5:00 pm on April 11, 2019 and 4:00pm on April 12, 2019 are allowed to proceed with the voting.
   2. The voting area must provide privacy to voters. The voter’s guide (UPLB students voting procedure flow chart) must be posted in the designated college level and major polling precincts (c/o USC).
   3. Every College Level Precinct shall be supervised by at least one election officer (UPLB staff) and one student volunteer (authorized by the College Student Council) while in the Major polling Precinct at last two election officers officers and two student volunteers (authorized by either College or University Student Council and not a candidate for any position in the election) shall serve as supervisors.
      • 1. The number of election officers and student volunteers may be increased depending on the number of available computers as long as the ratio of one election officer to one student volunteer is always maintained.
      • 2. A member of the technical staff should always be present in every polling precinct. Only one poll watcher per party is allowed in the poll watchers’ designated area in every polling precinct.
   4. All forms of campaigning during the election days are prohibited. No sample ballot shall be distributed during the election days. The CEB shall provide the official list of candidates in the polling precinct.
   5. Candidates may monitor the conduct of the elections as long as they do not violate any of the provisions of the election code and guidelines and should be 15 meters away from the polling place.
   6. A Form 5 or Certification of Enrollment from the College Secretary together with any valid ID will be required before the issuance of the authentication code. The voter must sign the official voter’s list with his/her name.
   7. In case of power interruption and/or computer malfunction (i.e., zero working computer unit in a precinct), the election hours will be extended in proportion to the numbers of hours missed. If not possible, the CEB shall decide when to reschedule the election date.
   8. Disqualification: A student who is serving a penalty of suspension (as distinguished from mere preventive suspension) as of the day of the elections shall not be qualified as an elector.
3. POST ELECTION
   1. Canvassing of votes shall immediately follow after the election is official closed. It will be done by encoding the computer-generated keys. The keys shall be held by the USC Chair, Perspective Editor-in-Chief, SOAD Head and the OSA Director, and shall be given to them at the start of the election day.
   2. Breaking a Tie. When two or more candidates have received an equal number of votes which would entitle them to a position, the winner shall be chosen between or among them: by tossing a coin for 2 winners; and by drawing lots for 3 or more winners.
   3. Notarized financial statement (per party/independent candidate) should be submitted one week after the election to SOAD-OSA. This deadline is set on April 22, 2019 at 5:00 pm.
   4. Official candidates are responsible in the clean-up of campaign materials immediately after the election period. All campaign materials must be removed by April 22, 2019. SOAD will check that all campaign materials will be removed not more than five days after the last day of election.
   5. The candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate is elected.
   6. A special election should be held immediately after the last day of late registration for the vacant positions.
4. PROTEST PERIOD
   1. Formal protest with evidence on the results will be entertained by the CEB only until 5:00 pm of May 2, 2019. Official protests should be submitted to the SOAD office, copies of which are to be forwarded immediately to members of the CEB.
   2. The CEB must resolve all official complaints. Protest must therefore be properly documented upon submission. Witnesses and complainants must be available during the deliberations.
   3. The CEB’s decision on the complaints is final and irrevocable.
   4. In cases of complaints not resolved within the specified period, the CEB shall proclaim the winners as soon as cases are resolved.
5. REQUIRED NUMBER OF CANDIDATES
   1. For USC: It shall be composed of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, ten (10) University Councilors, and one (1) College Representative for each unit with a College Secretary.
   2. For CSC: It shall be composed of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and College Councilors relative to the actual College population to be determined by the CEB.
      • 1. Ten (10) for each college with population of 1,500 and below.
      • 2. Additional one (1) councilor for every 500 in excess of 1,500.

 

REGISTERED NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER COLLEE

DATA FROM REGISTRAR OFFICE

	CAFS	CAS	CDC	CEAT	CEM	CFNR	CHE	CVM	GS
No. of students	930	2337	354	1818	779	668	593	613	2340
No. of councilors	10	11	10	10	10	10	10	10	11

 

1. POLLING PRECINCTS
   1. One per College Level Precinct
      • 1. CAFS OCS
      • 2. CDC Integrated Laboratory
      • 3. CEM Computer Laboratory A
      • 4. CEAT Library
      • 5. CFNR Library
      • 6. CHE OCS Reading Room
      • 7. CVM Library
      • 8. GS Façade
   2. Five Major Polling Precincts
      • 1. Old Humanities Building Lobby
      • 2. ICS, Physical Sciences Building Wing C Lobby
      • 3. Interactive Learning Center
      • 4. Math Building (Room 104)
      • 5. OSA (SU Lobby)
   3. PENALTIES (Lifted from Article XIII of the University of the Philippines Los Banos Student Council Election Code).

 

SECTION 1. Penalties for cases of violations decided before the day/s of election are the following:

A. The penalty for a violation committed by a candidate for any UPLB Student Council position that is decided before the day of the election shall be: (1) reprimand, or (2) disqualification as such candidate, or (3) disqualification as such candidate and as elector in the forthcoming UPLB Student Council Elections, depending on the gravity of the offense.

If his/her disqualification as candidate stems only from his/her failure to submit any of the requirements prescribed in Article VII of this Code, such disqualification shall not include disqualification as an elector.

However, if the act committed falls under the category of misrepresentation of facts, or tampering with/falsifying official records, or the like, the penalty is disqualification both as a candidate and as an elector in the forthcoming elections and the submission of the case to the Student Disciplinary Tribunal.

B. The penalty for violations committed by a qualified elector or by a student who is not a qualified elector that is decided before the day of the elections shall be: (1) reprimand or (2) total disqualification in the forthcoming UPLB Student Council Elections, depending on the gravity of the offense.

SECTION 2. Penalties for cases of violations decided after the day/s of election are the following:

A. The penalty of violations committed by a candidate who has been proclaimed a winner that is decided after the day of the election shall be: (1) reprimand, or (2) forfeiture of position and disqualification as a possible candidate in the UPLB Student Council Elections to be held the following academic year or (3) forfeiture of the position and the total disqualification from participating in the aforesaid future elections, depending on the gravity of the offense.

B. The penalty of violation/s committed by a candidate who lost that is decided after the day of the election shall be: (1) reprimand, or (2) disqualification as a possible candidate in the UPLB Student Council elections to be held the following academic year, or (3) total disqualification from participating in the aforesaid future elections, depending on the gravity of the offense.