The intent of this policy is to outline the parameters and guidelines for all IGNITE elections and by-elections. This policy exists to ensure the fair and unbiased administration of all elections and appeals processes.
Elected Positions with IGNITE
The positions considered for each election will normally be a maximum of ten (10) Directors, in accordance with the By-Laws.
Election Administration Objectivity
The elections administration team shall be comprised of the Chief Returning Officer (CRO), who is also the Corporate Secretary, and the CEO, or their staff designate. All elections administrators must be, and appear to be, objective and unbiased in their activities during elections. This is also required while considering any issue that comes before the CRO in the course of their electoral duties.
Candidate Eligibility
Any full-time member, as per the By-Laws, may run in any election for IGNITE, provided they have proven to the CRO that they are eligible as defined by By-Law No. 1 under Article 5.2.
MEMBERS REMOVED. A member of IGNITE whom has been removed from the Board of Directors may not run for a period of one (1) calendar year after the date of removal from office.
MEMBERS SUSPENDED. A member of IGNITE, whose eligibility rights have been affected by suspension from the Board of Directors, may not run in any election until the period of suspension has expired.
MEMBERS RESIGNED. Any student who has been a member of IGNITE and resigned from the Board of Directors prior to being removed or is deemed removable in accordance with the By-Laws may not run for a period of one (1) calendar year after the date of resignation.
MEMBERS ACADEMIC STANDING. Any student who has resigned or been removed from a position due to being placed on Academic Probation as defined by the candidate’s Institution may not run for and/or participate on the Board of Directors for one (1) calendar year after the date of removal from office. This is intended to safeguard a student’s access to education, above service to IGNITE.
MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING. Any student who is regarded as having complied with all expectations of the Student Code of Conduct and is deemed in good standing with the Institution may nominate or be nominated as a candidate. A student in good standing is one who has not been in violation with any Institution or IGNITE policies. Elected members are expected to maintain this good standing status throughout their term of office.
MEMBERS CAMPUS TRANSFER. Provided a written notice is received by the CRO from the Office of the Registrar prior to the close of nominations, students who are eligible, full-time members of IGNITE, and have been accepted and transferred into a program of study at any of the four (4) campuses, may run in the elections at their newly transferred to campus.
MEMBERS IMMIGRATION STATUS. Immigration status does not bar a full-time member of IGNITE from running in any IGNITE election.
EXTERNAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION OR ADVOCACY GROUP MEMBERSHIP. In accordance with and in support of the By-Laws and Director Loyalty & Commitment policy, elected students who are Directors or Executives of external student associations and/or student advocacy groups not sanctioned by IGNITE are not eligible to become Members of the Board of Directors of IGNITE.
Candidates must understand and comply with all information and requirements in this policy, IGNITE By-Laws and any additional materials and documents provided by the elections administration team on behalf of the CRO.
Election Dates
An election must be held during the winter semester to elect students to represent all vacant positions. The last voting day must occur at least five (5) days prior to the Annual General Meeting, which is deemed to be on, or near, March 31st in the winter semester.
Candidates must comply with all applicable dates that apply to them during the nomination, campaigning and voting periods.
Nomination Period
The Nomination Period for any election shall be a minimum of ten (10) consecutive business days.
Any student expressing intent to run for an elected position with IGNITE prior to the deadline will be deemed a potential candidate and therefore be subject to the provision and responsibilities outlined in this policy by the elections administration team.
Any student running for a Director position at Lakeshore or North campus must attain seventy-five (75) and Guelph-Humber University or International Graduate School campus fifty (50) full names, signatures, and student numbers from the full-time Members of the respective campus they are running to represent. Students returning nomination packages after the deadline may not be considered for candidacy in the election process.
IGNITE may verify with the Institution the eligibility of each candidate, as defined in the By-Laws, upon close of the nomination period. The CRO and CEO, or designate, will confirm each candidate’s respective eligibility for election.
Upon completing the eligibility process, the elections administration team will determine the number of positions acclaimed and the number of eligible candidates for each remaining open position.
Election Campaign Process
Campaigning begins within fifteen (15) business days following the expiry of the Nomination Period and extends a minimum of five (5) consecutive business days once started.
Campaigning is defined as: an activity that promotes a candidate, either verbally, written, or digitally. A candidate may use any number of different methods of campaigning, as long as the financial parameters, policy guidelines, and time limits are observed. All campaign materials are to be approved by the elections administration team prior to publishing or distribution. Candidates should verify with the elections administration team for guidance with respect to any campaigning material that might be considered offensive to others or against an IGNITE or Institution policy. Any campaign material found to be offensive or in violation of IGNITE or Institution policy will be dealt with immediately by the elections administration team. Any and all campaigning activities, including campaign materials, will be conducted discrimination- and stereotype-free.
INTEGRITY POLICY
Candidates for election are required to demonstrate the integrity expected of elected office within a post-secondary institution in Ontario. Candidates should demonstrate fairness and goodwill to fellow candidates at all times. Candidates are not permitted to engage in negative campaigning practices against a fellow candidate, IGNITE or the Institution. Candidates must run their respective campaigns in a positive spirit, conducive to the learning environments within which we all operate. Violations will be subject to penalty by the elections administration team. Exceptional violations may be subject to Institutional or other sanctions beyond IGNITE’s control.
EMPLOYMENT ON CAMPUS PROVISION
The elections administration team recognizes that students interested in running for elected positions may have jobs which are necessary to afford the education they are pursuing. As a result, candidates are permitted to have jobs, in any capacity, on campus during the nomination, campaigning and voting periods. Candidates are responsible for not doing any elections-related activities while they are working in a part-time capacity at the Institution. Violations of this provision will be dealt with through penalties as determined by the elections administration team.
The only exception to this provision is that current employees of IGNITE may not continue their regular duties, unless pre-approved by the elections administration team.
Candidates are responsible for removing all of their campaign materials around the Institution by the end of the voting period. In the event of non-compliance, penalties will be determined by the elections administration team.
No new campaign material can be created or posted after the opening of the polls.
Any, and all, campaign materials must be submitted to the elections administration team for approval prior to distribution.
Candidates are able to post campaign materials by abiding by the posting policies of IGNITE and both Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber as follows (see links):
- Humber: https://humber.ca/legal-and-risk-management/policies/general-administration/posting-policy.html
- Guelph-Humber: https://www.guelphhumber.ca/life/posting-policy
Candidates must post all campaign materials with the appropriate adhesives, equipment, and materials as outlined by the elections administration team. Violations of this provision are subject to penalty by the elections administration team.
Electronic Campaigning
Websites, personal email distributions, personal listserve messages, social networking sites and all other conceivable methods of electronic campaigning are permissible as a means of communicating a candidate’s profile to the student population so long as they comply with all campaign regulations with respect to the integrity provisions in this policy. Candidates must not use Humber or Guelph-Humber listserve distributions.
No new electronic campaign messages can be created or posted after the opening of polls. In questionable situations, the elections administration team will make a discretionary judgment as to the intent and harm caused should such instances occur.
Monetary Limitations
Candidates for a Director position may spend up to one hundred dollars ($100.00) in an election campaign.
Any free, or donated, materials must be itemized (verified as to its value) and verified by the elections administration team prior to the distribution of such materials. The value of such free, or donated, materials will be included in the monetary limitations set forth. All receipts for campaign expenses must be submitted to the elections administration team prior to the opening of polls to avoid disciplinary action. Written notification must still be submitted to the elections administration team should any candidate not have incurred any expenses related to their campaign. Candidates who exceed the monetary limit related to the position sought or fail to submit an expense form with required receipts, including the absence of a ‘nil report’ if no expenses were incurred, shall be subject to disqualification.
Voting Procedures
The voting period will be at least twenty-four (24) hours during any number of consecutive business days in a one-week period.
A candidate who has been disqualified by the elections administration team prior to the open of polls will not be listed on the ballot. A candidate who is disqualified after the open of polls will continue to be listed on the ballot.
Candidates must allow students to vote without undue influence or duress of any type during the voting period. Any candidate found or suspected to be participating in voter misconduct, or endorsing such behaviour on their campaign team, will be subject to immediate disqualification by the elections administration team.
All Candidates Meeting:
All candidates must attend the All Candidates Meeting, or the virtual equivalent Meeting if necessary, at the close of voting. No candidate may launch an appeal at this meeting or launch an appeal based on the electronic vote tabulation process.
Any position with a candidate who has signaled intent to appeal prior to the close of polls will not have its results reported. The CEO, or designate, will store the electronically tabulated election results until the Election and Judicial Review Committee (E&JRC) renders its final ruling.
The Director candidate(s) with the most votes per campus shall likewise be declared the winner of their respective election. In the case of a tie, and if necessary to determine the outcome of the number of Director positions per campus, a run-off election between the tied Director candidates will take place with an additional day of voting occurring by the Friday, one week following the normal close of the voting period. All eligible members of IGNITE associated with the position being contested may vote in the additional voting day.
DISPUTES
Candidates should be cognizant of the penalty process the elections administration team will use during the nomination, campaign and voting process. The elections administration team will use a three strikes protocol. Candidates are advised that the elections administration team can proceed to any of these three steps at any time in the process should the violation of policy be severe in nature.
A dispute is determined as any conflict a candidate may have with the decision, or action, taken by the elections administration team which impacts their specific candidacy. At any time during the election, a candidate who wishes to address such a decision, or action, taken by the elections administration team must make an appointment with the elections administration team. At this meeting, reasonable steps will be taken to resolve the issue, and the candidate may begin the appeals process, as outlined in the Appeals section of this policy.
Appeals must be officially submitted prior to the closing of the polls.
Appeals Process
ELECTION & JUDICIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE (E&JRC)
Members of the Election and Judicial Review Committee must not be involved in any election campaign. Involvement includes any activities that could be construed as endorsing a candidate. All Election and Judicial Review Committee Members must be, and carry the perception of, complete impartialness.
Members of the E&JRC must immediately disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the elections administration team.
THE APPEALS PROCESS
Any candidate wishing to appeal an election has until the close of polls to file a Notice to Appeal with the CEO or designate.
A Notice of Appeal must include a Letter of Reasons pertaining to the Appeal. A Letter of Reasons states, in a logical and sequential manner, the reasons for the Appeal and shall include any documentation or other evidence being used in support of the Appeal.
The CEO or designate will make the candidate’s Notice of Appeal and Letter of Reasons available to the CRO and E&JRC once received. In addition, the CRO shall provide the CEO with a summary that states, in a logical and sequential manner, why the CRO made the decision being appealed and with any documentation used in support of the CRO’s decision attached. This will include a copy or copies of the disciplinary decision(s) handed out by the CRO to the candidate.
Upon review of these documents, the E&JRC will render a decision as to whether they wish to proceed to an official Committee Hearing to evaluate the Appeal or to simply dismiss the Appeal for insufficient or illogical reasoning, or lack of grounds for Appeal.
In the event that the E&JRC elects to proceed to an official Committee Hearing, the election results for the position in question will remain sealed and be stored in a secure area until the E&JRC renders its final decision and directs the CRO to report the election results.
THE PRE-APPEAL HEARING PROCESS
The Committee shall meet to review the Appeal and must render a decision within five (5) business days of receiving the Notice of Appeal.
Upon receipt of the Appeal Package from the CEO, or designate, the E&JRC members will review the contents, consider which individuals they wish to call to appear at the Hearing proceedings as well as any additional evidence or materials available, and prepare for the Appeal Hearing.
THE APPEAL HEARING PROCESS
The Appeal Hearing shall take place at a time and location to be determined by the CEO, or designate, and disseminated to the appropriate parties a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours in advance of such a Hearing.
Each Appeal before the E&JRC shall be conducted in private. Only the appealing candidate and the CRO shall be permitted to remain in the room, or virtual room throughout the hearing, unless specific accommodation is required under the AODA, or enabling regulations.
At the Appeal Hearing, the E&JRC will inform the CRO and the appealing candidate that this is an impartial body which will listen objectively to the information from both sides, ask questions when it deems appropriate, consider its range of potential solutions, and render a decision. The E&JRC will state that its decision is final and binding.
The E&JRC will alternate statements between the appealing student and the CRO. The parties may call witnesses, if approved by the Committee Members. Each appealing candidate will be permitted a five (5) minute opening statement followed by a five (5) minute CRO rebuttal. After the CRO rebuttal, an additional five (5) minute rebuttal will be afforded to the appealing candidate. The remaining time will be allotted for witness statements, questions from Committee Members, and any necessary deliberations of the Committee.
APPEAL HEARING CONCLUSION
After hearing all submissions from the parties, the E&JRC shall meet privately to deliberate their decision. The Committee’s decision shall be made on a majority vote. In the event of a tie vote, the Committee shall continue deliberating until a majority vote is achieved.
The Committee’s decision shall include a specific direction to the CRO as to the necessary action to take, such as reporting the election results, running a new election, disqualifying a candidate or candidates, or otherwise.
Immediately after a decision has been reached, E&JRC must communicate its decision to the CEO, or designate, who shall notify the CRO and all of the affected candidates within twenty-four (24) hours of the decision.
The Appeal Process shall take no longer than five (5) business days unless unforeseen or extenuating circumstances prevent the E&JRC from completing its work within that time period. If this is the case, the appeals process will conclude as soon as reasonably possible. The Appeal Process can be undertaken virtually if necessary, to protect the health and welfare of all parties.
Date reviewed: October 12, 2016
Date reviewed: November 8, 2017
Date reviewed: December 16, 2020
Date reviewed: March 29, 2021
Date revised: April 19, 2023
