Student Election Rules & Procedures

Student Election Oversight

The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or designee shall provide oversight of Student Elections at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Illinois). Illinois does not endorse any candidate, referendum, or position presented in Student Elections.

Scope & Authority

The Student Election Rules & Procedures serve as the standard for conducting annual student elections and referenda. They shall apply to all entities that choose to have their elections conducted by the Student Election Board (SEB). Election rules shall not supersede the Illinois Student Code, Campus Administrative Manual (CAM), and local, state, and federal laws.

Integrity

All individuals – staff and students – involved in the administration of Student Elections shall commit to serving in a non-partisan and impartial manner to ensure the integrity of the process. Concerns regarding the integrity of the board members, including those involved with the coordination of the process, should be reported by submitting a submission via the Report a Concern form on the Student Elections website. Complaints shall be reviewed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or their designee.

Student Election Board (SEB)

The Student Election Board is composed of the following representatives:

• Illinois Student Council: 2 current members (not running for office)
• U-C Senate: 2 current student senators (not running for office)
• Student Organization Resource Fee (SORF) Board: 2 current members (not running for office)
• Student Trustee: 1 member (the current Trustee, if not seeking re-election)
• At-Large Members: No more than 4 students who are not associated with any of the above entities and are not running for office. At-large members must be undergraduate, graduate, or professional students in good standing and enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Advisor

• Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or their designee(s)
• The chairperson of the SEB shall be a student selected by the SEB.

SEB Election Meeting Schedule

The SEB shall hold regular meetings on business days between the publication of candidates and the Monday following the week in which the elections occur, to review complaints and appeals as necessary. The SEB may cancel the regular meeting if there are no items for discussion or review.

The SEB may have meetings prior to the publication of candidates or following the closure of voting.

Election Coordination

Student Elections are coordinated by this board on behalf of entities that wish to follow these processes. The following entities have historically had the corresponding elections coordinated. While there is no requirement for these entities to have the SEB coordinate their elections, it is the only means by which they are eligible to host university-wide elections using an official university online system.

Election Communications

Election communications shall be conducted via email using the studentelections@illinois.edu email account. Other forms of communication may include Massmails, marketing materials, and the Student Elections website. It shall be the responsibility of the Advisor to manage the Student Election email account.

Election Cycle & Timeline

View the Election Cycle & Timeline.

Candidate Eligibility

General Eligibility Requirements

All students seeking candidacy for any elected position must meet the following minimum criteria:

Enrollment Status

• Must be a part of the student electorate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• The student electorate shall consist of all individuals actively seeking a degree at this University and are not members of any other electorate.
• Must be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, as defined by the University and certified by the student’s academic dean.
  • “Satisfactory progress” means the student:
    • Is not on academic probation or drop status.
    • Is progressing within the requirements of their degree program.

Residency Requirement

• Must be physically located on the Urbana campus for the term(s) in which they seek to hold office.
• Must intend to remain a student in residence during their expected term of office.

Academic Standing

• Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative institutional GPA, regardless of major or classification.

Conduct Standing

• Must not be on Conduct Probation or subject to dismissal held in abeyance.

Compliance With Law and Policy

• All eligibility standards must comply with the Illinois Student Code and all local, state, and federal laws.
• No election body may apply eligibility criteria that conflict with these requirements.

Application & Documentation Requirements

Candidate Application / Nomination Statement

• Students must submit all required application materials by the designated deadline established by the SEB.
• All documentation must follow the procedures and instructions provided by the body conducting the election.

Information Session Requirement

• Candidates not running for a UC Senate seat are expected yet UC Senate candidates must complete the required information session detailing the nomination process, election procedures, and expectations of the position.

Certification of Eligibility

• The appropriate academic dean must certify the student’s eligibility and confirm the student’s voting unit, as applicable.

Additional Notes

• Individual governing bodies may establish additional eligibility rules only if they do not conflict with university policy or any criteria listed above.

Student Trustee

Eligibility is determined by the State of Illinois Statute 110 ILCS 310/1. Should the criteria change at the State level, it shall supersede any written or stated information published by the university.

Referenda Parameters

Referenda are questions presented to the student electorate. This may include, but is not limited to, questions about student fee proposals, adjustments, and renewals.

The following shall be the general referenda parameters:

• Referenda shall be held during the spring semester with student elections.
• Referenda are advisory in nature and are non-binding, unlike the election of students into positions.
• Referenda shall be presented in the affirmative.
• Referenda may be submitted via one of four methods: Individual Student, Registered Student Organization, Illinois Student Council, and Cyclical Fee Renewal, as outlined in the Student Code.
• Referenda submitted by an Individual Student or a Registered Student Organization require the collection of at least five hundred (500) individual signatures of currently enrolled students. Signatures are collected via an electronic petition, which is facilitated by the Student Election Board Advisor. Upon submission of the minimum signatures, the Advisors will verify that those who signed the petition are currently enrolled. Failure to meet this criterion will result in the denial of the referendum request. A deadline for referenda petitions will be provided in advance with the list of dates associated with the election cycle.

Submission of Referenda

Referenda may be submitted by the following method:

1. Individual Student 
   To submit a referendum question, a student must submit a formal request via the approved form. Submission of a referendum must be made no later than the deadline for Candidate Applications. Upon submission, a petition form will be set up, and the student must gather at least five hundred (500) signatures of currently enrolled students*.
2. Registered Student Organization 
   To submit a referendum question, the President of a student organization must submit a formal request via the approved form. To submit as a student organization, they must be registered and in compliance, which Student Engagement will verify during the submission review. The student organization must also submit minutes reflecting the vote of approval by the student org to endorse the submission of a referendum. Submission of a referendum must be made no later than the deadline for Candidate Applications. Upon submission, a petition form will be set up, and the student organization must gather at least five hundred (500) signatures of currently enrolled students*.
3. Illinois Student Council (ISC) 
   ISC may place referenda on the ballot via adopted legislation. The submission of an ISC referendum must be made no later than the deadline for Candidate Applications. This type of submission shall not require signatures, as ISC is considered the official form of the student government and represents the student body.
4. Cyclical Fee Renewal 
   Student Fees, per the Student Code, must be renewed every four (4) years. As such, during a renewal year, the department with oversight of the fee shall coordinate with the SEB to submit a renewal question for the student body. Additional questions may also be submitted if there is a desire to increase or decrease the fee or to shift the purpose of the fee.

Campaign Limitations

All campaigns are subject to a standard spending limit of $250.00. This includes campaigns for student candidacy and referenda. A student running campaigns for multiple positions shall file a single expense form with the limit of $250.00 regardless of the number of positions being ran for.

Should any materials or otherwise indicate a candidate’s association with a referendum, then any expenses for materials indicating such must also be filed with the candidate and will contribute to the $250 spending limit.

During the voting period, no candidate may campaign at an establishment that sells alcohol.

The only materials that may be physically distributed during the voting period by those campaigning in support of a candidate or referendum are paper flyers, stickers, and buttons.

Co-Campaigning

Co-campaigning shall be defined as the collaboration between multiple candidates on marketing materials, events, or other campaign related items. This includes third-party entities producing “voter guides,” or slates of candidates that the organization supports.

There shall be no restrictions imposed on co-campaigning, except for the Student Trustee, for which candidates may not co-campaign. As the Student Trustee is an official State of Illinois position, the election of the role and campaign shall be independent of all other elections and referenda.

Campaign limits shall not impact co-campaigning as they apply to the person or referendum individually. If two or more entities co-campaign, their individual contribution toward the grouping cannot exceed the general campaign limit.

Campaign Endorsements

Any entity may choose, of its own will, to endorse a candidate. This may include Registered Student Organizations and external entities. There shall be no rules or policies governing the engagement of entities endorsing candidates. However, endorsing parties should understand that they take on the responsibility of following all general Student Election rules, university policies and procedures, and local, state, and federal laws as applicable.

Campaign Finances

To ensure that candidates and referendum initiatives are transparent in their spending, a Campaign Finance form will be required for submission no later than two (2) business days following voting closure. The Student Election Board will review the submission along with the corresponding documentation to ensure compliance with the maximum standard spending limit.

University departments may not financially support any campaigns in Student Elections.

Campaigns may not receive more than fifty percent (50%) of their total campaign finance limit from external entities. All contributions from external entities must be disclosed to the Student Election Board (SEB) no later than two business days after voting closes. Any successful candidate found to be in violation of this policy shall be disqualified.

Voting

Voting shall be held for no less than forty-eight (48) hours, where the starting and ending times occur during a regular workday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Ballots shall be cast via an approved university system, which students access with standard log-in credentials (NetID).

Ballots will be populated based on the eligibility of the electorate. Students voting will only be able to see and vote for students and referenda for which they are eligible to vote during the election.

Ballot Design

Ballots will be set up in the following manner:

Student Elections

• Corresponding candidates will be listed in random order where the election system will randomize the order of candidates on all ballots.
• Ballots will include a “No Response” option for students who wish not to vote for a specific position.
• The election of the Student Body President and Vice President shall be determined by a ranked choice voting system.
• The winner of each respective election is determined by a combination of the individual who receives the greatest number of votes and the total number of positions available for election, regardless of the number of votes cast by the electorate.
• Should a tie of votes be the result, the SEB shall immediately proceed to break the tie by the drawing of names.
• Write-in candidates are not allowed. If a position does not offer the maximum number of candidates based on available positions, each respective entity for which the election is coordinated will be responsible for filling vacancies upon the election's finalization.

Referenda

• Referenda will be listed on the ballot in the order in which they were submitted.
• Each referendum will consist of the following:
  • Question written in the affirmative
  • Explanation Text
  • Possible Response: Yes, No, or No Response
• Referenda questions will include a “No Response” for students who do not wish to vote for a specific referendum.
• Questions shall be limited to twenty-five (25) words and cannot include any hyperlinks or references to other sources, including but not limited to websites.
• Explanation Text shall be limited to one hundred (100) words and cannot include any hyperlinks or references to other sources, including but not limited to websites.
• The winning decision of each respective referendum is determined by the response that receives the greatest number of votes, regardless of the number of votes cast by the electorate.
• Write-in referenda questions are not allowed.

Results

Unofficial Results

Unofficial Results will be published no later than twenty-four (24) hours after voting has closed, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Official Results

Official Results shall be published no later than six (6) business days after voting has closed.

Violation Reporting

If a student suspects a student election violation has occurred, they must submit the complaint via the approved and designated form. An Election Complaint Form shall be available upon the publishing of candidates and closed for submissions no later than 7:00 p.m., the day Unofficial Results are announced. Anyone who has submitted an Election Complaint Form is entitled to withdraw their submission at any time, before or after the close of submissions.

Submission Review

Election Complaint Forms shall be reviewed by the VCSA’s designee (“Administrative Reviewer”) within three (3) business days upon submission. The complainant and respondent shall receive notice that the complaint is under administrative review upon receipt by the Administrative Reviewer. The administrative review will consist of a review of the documents submitted in the complaint. The Administrative Reviewer may request additional documentation from either party if necessary to clarify the facts. All parties must respond within 24 hours of the request or forfeit the right to include additional information.

Submission Initial Administrative Review Decision

Within twenty-four (24) hours of the submission review, the reviewer will issue an initial decision, which may be one of the following:

• No violation was found to have been made.
• A violation was found to have been made.
• It is unclear if a violation was made, and the complaint will be submitted to the SEB for review, which may include a request for documentation from the respondent.

Student Election Board Review

Should it be determined that the Student Election Board should review an Election Complaint, the review shall occur no later than two (2) business days after the Administrative Decision. The review will be completed upon submission of the documentation with the two (2) business days timeframe. Neither the complainant nor the respondent will be allowed to be present during the review. Therefore, it will be incumbent upon both parties to submit thorough documentation supporting their case.

Should the complainant or respondent not agree with the finding of the Administrative Review Decision, they may petition the Student Election Board (SEB) to review the complaint. The SEB shall, during its regular scheduled meetings, review any such appeals and determine whether the original decision remains in effect or if a new decision should be enacted.

All appeals made against the initial Administrative Review Decision will be reviewed by the SEB, regardless of the grounds on which the appeal is made.

Student Election Board Decision Appeal

Should the complainant or respondent not agree with the decision of the SEB, they may petition the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (or their appointed designee, provided this is not the Administrative Reviewer) at studentaffairs@illinois.edu to review the complaint. The Vice Chancellor shall have five (5) business days to decide on the appeal. The decision of the Vice Chancellor is final except for the Senate seats. The Senate may review Senate related appeals. In these cases, the Senate decision is final.

Grounds for Appeal

• Procedural error that resulted in material harm or prejudice to the student body, election process, or elected bodies (i.e. the prevention of a fair, impartial, or proper hearing).
• Discovery of substantial new evidence or reasoning that was unavailable at the time of the decision and which reasonably could have affected the decision reached by the SEB.
• Sanctions imposed are grossly disproportionate to the violation(s) committed, considering the relevant aggravating and/or mitigating factors.

Sanctions

In the event a violation is determined, a sanction may be imposed on the candidate. In the event a violation is determined, a sanction may be imposed on the candidate. Sanctions for violations are tiered:

• Tier 1 - Written Warning: A minor or inadvertent violation which can be easily remedied.
• Tier 2 – Censure: A violation that was intentional or repeated, causing harm to another campaign, or repeated tier 1 sanction.
• Tier 3 - Immediate Disqualification: The most severe offenses, including but not limited to breaking laws or tampering with election impartiality. These violations lead to disqualification.

Student Election Rule Modifications

Following each election, the Student Election Board (SEB) will request written recommendations no later than two (2) weeks after the conclusion of the election cycle. Recommendations will be solicited from the Illinois Student Council, the Student Organization Resource Fee (SORF) Board, the Student Trustee, and the Senate as part of the annual review of the Student Election Board Rules and Procedures. The governing bodies will have three (3) weeks to submit their recommendations.

The SEB will compile all formal recommendations, including those submitted directly by the SEB, for consideration as potential modifications to the Rules and Procedures. These recommendations will be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for review no later than four (4) weeks following the close of the recommendation period.

The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs will review the recommendations and issue a written decision within thirty (30) days of receipt. Any accepted modifications, along with the rationale for the decision, will be shared with the Student Election Board and communicated to the Illinois Student Council, SORF Board, Student Trustee, and Senate.

This review process is intended to strengthen the integrity and inclusiveness of the election system, promote procedural clarity, and ensure that election rules reflect the evolving needs and perspectives of the student body.