The Student Government Summer Planning Committee went over the codes for elections Wednesday, making revisions for future campaigns.
Tyler Loga, senator for the University Center for Freshman Year, and Amelia Burns, commissioner of elections, made the presentation, outlining changes to the election codes.
The election season will now be referred to by the academic weeks, rather than by the day.
Burns explained an added a pre-qualifying period and the break down of the campaign period into two weeks of passive campaigning and one week of active campaigning.
Loca said the pre-qualifying period will assist those who register with the wrong sections or colleges, by allowing them the opportunity to fix the situation.
The committee discussed a change that would put the general election period over the course of two days, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.
Loca said campaigns would be hitting a wider range of people and the two-day period would increase turnout.
Burns presented the idea of posting sample ballots by paying to put it in the newspaper, but the issue will be readdressed at a later date.
One of the biggest topics for discussion at the meeting was how to handle social media during campaign periods. The committee decided University software should not be used in campaigning, and the use of social media should be strictly defined and regulated.
Social media may be used by any campaign during both passive and active periods, only pages or groups created and run by a recognized ticket or individual candidate campaign may be used to disseminate campaign material, and campaign material may only be sent to those who have expressly consented to receiving any communications on the application.
The committee also adjusted spending limits, increasing the limit for a ticket president and vice president pair from $1,000 to $2,000 and for a ticket University Court Associate Justice candidate from $250 to $300.
The limit for independent candidates for a president and vice president pair was increased from $2,350 to $3,000 and for independent University Court Associate Justice candidates from $600 to $800.
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]