Power and Jurisdiction
A. These Election Rules are created, maintained, and enforced pursuant to the principles and procedures
outlined in Article IV of the University Board of Elections Constitution, and are designed to ensure free and
fair elections.
B. These Elections are in accordance with but do not supersede the University’s Standards of Conduct, the
Honor Code, the official rules and regulations of the Housing and Residence Life, Physical Plant, Student
Council, Parking and Transportation, Student Financial Services, ITS, other applicable departments at the
University of Virginia and federal, state, and local laws. Refer to the Honor and Judiciary committees, the
Undergraduate and Graduate Records and various University departments and other sources for more
information.
C. The University Board of Elections has the express authority to define the voting population for University
of Virginia elections.
D. These rules are binding upon all student candidates, individuals working on their behalf, and organizations
endorsing candidates. Rules may be enforced by the appropriate University body including, but not limited
to, the University Board of Elections.
E. Any questions regarding these Election Rules should be submitted via electronic mail to the University
Board of Elections at [email protected].
Campaigning and Electioneering
A. General Provisions
1. The University Board of Elections shall provide an Elections Calendar establishing petition
deadlines and reporting deadlines that govern the activities of candidates, individuals and/or
organizations working on behalf of a candidate, individuals campaigning regarding a referendum,
and Endorsing Organizations. A candidate’s signature on the rules attestation form signifies
agreement to comply with the Elections Calendar.
a. Students or student organizations campaigning regarding a referendum need not conform
their outreach efforts to the dates of the campaigning window outlined in the Elections
Calendar. The campaigning window applies only to individuals running for office.
2. All Campaign messages and materials used by candidates, individuals and/or organizations
working on behalf of a candidate, and individuals campaigning regarding a referendum must
comply with these Elections Rules, application University regulations, and state, local, and federal
law. Under these rules, messages and materials include those intended to encourage voter
participation.
3. Candidates, individuals and/or organizations working on behalf of a candidate, and individuals
campaigning regarding a referendum, are strictly prohibited from obstructing or interfering with
campaign messages or materials relating to any other election, candidate, or referendum.
4. Candidates, individuals and/or organizations working on behalf of a candidate, individuals
campaigning regarding a referendum, and Endorsing Organizations , are encouraged to seek
advice from the University Board of Elections regarding compliance with these Elections Rules.
The University Board of Elections may advise candidates to consult other University Departments
if an issue is not specifically covered by these Elections Rules. Interpretations of these rules and
subsequent directions from the University Board of Elections Rules Officer or their designee, to a
candidate, candidate organization, individual campaigning regarding a referendum, or Endorsing
Organization, or other election participant are to be considered a part of these rules and adhered to
as part of a candidate’s rules attestation unless successfully appealed.
B. Specific Applications
1. Campaign Materials
a. All campaign materials or messages, except for chalk messages as described in Section
II.B.1.b), shall bear a visible or audible disclaimer stating who paid for the material or
message. Disclaimer shall specifically state “Paid for by [full name of individual(s) or
group(s) who paid for the material or message].”
b. Individuals and organizations are subject to the University’s exterior posting and chalking
policy and are encouraged to consult that policy prior to posting campaign messages or
materials. See: http://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/PRM-008
c. The use of banners in public spaces on University property is prohibited.
1. A banner is defined as a long strip of cloth or similar material with a design,
hung in a public place or carried in a public event
d. Campaign materials or messages are not permitted on chalkboards, whiteboards,
projectors, bulletin boards, or any similar publicly viewable surface within University
classrooms.
e. Use of University Mail Services mailboxes is permitted only with the permission of
University Mail Services and the manager(s) of the University Mail Station(s) involved.
The use of other University mailboxes, including those provided for students and faculty
by the various schools of the University, shall not be permitted unless in accordance with
the policies of that school.
f. Campaign messages and materials including but not limited to tables, pencils, business
cards, or table tents, are not to be left unattended in general purpose areas on University
property such as dining halls, libraries, and computer labs. The only exception to this rule
is flier and posters in accordance with Section II.B.1.b). It is permissible to distribute
campaign materials, such as pencils or business cards, provided that such materials are
not left unattended.
2. Electronic Campaigning
a. E-mail, instant messaging, text messages, personal websites, and other websites and use
of social media platforms (including but not limited to Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook)
are generally permissible subject to the limitations in these Rules.
1. Electronic campaigning efforts on behalf of individuals running for
office--including the creation of active social media accounts--may not take
place outside of the campaigning window set forth in the Elections Calendar.
2. Queries and clarifications should be directed to [email protected].
b. Email Mailing List
1. An email mailing list for the purposes of these Rules is defined as lists
containing “virginia.edu” in the full address. These include but are not limited to
“mailman.virginia.edu” lists, “toolkit.itc.virginia.edu” lists, and other official
and unofficial email lists for classes and student organizations.
2. Endorsing Organizations may send e-mail messages to their own internal lists
but may not send messages to other email mailing lists.
c. All University of Virginia ITC policies and directions from ITC staff must be followed.
3. Campaigning in University Housing
a. All campaigning in University housing areas must be in compliance with rules and
policies set forth by Housing and Residence Life and the University Record.
4. Campaigning in Other University Buildings and Facilities
a. All campaigning in University Buildings and Facilities must be in compliance with rules
set forth by the Undergraduate and Graduate Record and the appropriate University entity
charged with maintenance of that building/facility.
b. Only the University Board of Elections may establish and/or endorse public voting
stations on Grounds. Any voting stations, including tablets, whether stationary or
moving, set up by a candidate, individual and/or organization working on behalf of a
candidate, and individuals campaigning regarding a referendum are prohibited.
c. A public voting station shall be defined as any individual and or/ organization providing
the opportunity to vote in an election to any person with whom they cannot reasonably
assert a personal relationship
d. Campaigning of any nature at or near a UBE established or endorsed polling place is
prohibited.
e. Any interference with a student casting a ballot in a University facility or a UBE
established or endorsed polling place is strictly prohibited. Interference includes, but is
not limited to, physical interference with voting or verbal comments that are coercive or
harassing in nature.
Election Procedures
A. Establishment of Procedures
1. The Board shall establish the Elections Procedures for each election in a fair and reasonable
manner, respecting the free speech of students, upholding the educational environment of the
University, and maintaining the public trust in self-governance.
2. Definitions
a. The “voting population” shall be defined as all degree-seeking students enrolled at the
University of Virginia.
B. Candidate Procedures
1. Definitions
a. A “candidate” is a University of Virginia degree-seeking student who has been certified
to appear on the official ballot in an election administered by the University Board of
Elections pursuant to these rules and the
qualifications established by the appropriate governing body’s constitution.
2. Certification of Candidacy
a. The Board shall only certify an individual as a candidate for election upon:
1. Submission of a signed rules and procedures attestation statement that is approved by the
University Board of Elections as being in accordance with Section III.B.2.b) (Rules
Attestation).
2. Attendance at an online information session or successful completion of an online quiz
provided by the University Board of Elections that demonstrates an understanding of the
Elections Rules and Regulations prior to the candidate registration deadline.
3. Adherence to all University Board of Elections deadlines as outlined in the Elections
Calendar.
4. The following steps may be required of an individual, at the discretion of the UBE on an
election to election basis, in order to be certified for candidacy:
a. Submission of a completed, original petition for candidacy that is approved by
the University Board of Elections as being in accordance with Section III.B.3
(Petition for Candidacy).
b. Submission of an interim expenditure report that includes up to date
expenditures as well as projected expenditures for the upcoming election and
campaigning periods as outlined in Section III.D. 2) (Reporting).
b. Rules Attestation
1. Each candidate and endorsing organization must attest by pledged submission that they
have read, understand, and agree to abide by the Elections Rules and Regulations.
2. The registration form, which includes the attestation statement, must also include the
candidate’s phone number, address, and University e-mail identification.
3. Petition for Candidacy
a. In a given election, the UBE may require individuals to submit a Petition for Candidacy signed by
students requesting that the individual’s name be placed on the ballot for election to a particular
office.
b. The petition shall be made on a form provided by the University Board of Elections and shall
contain the school, academic year, signature, University email identification, and printed name of
each signatory and the individual to be nominated. Each page of the petition must include the
office open for election and the name of the individual to be nominated. Candidates seeking to
make modifications to the petition form must seek prior approval from the University Board of
Elections.
c. Students may only sign Petitions for Candidacy in elections in which they are eligible to vote.
Signatory information shall be reasonably legible and accurate for a signature to be held valid.
d. Student signatures do not express willingness to vote for an individual, only willingness to have
the individual appear as a candidate on the ballot. Students are permitted to sign as many petitions
for candidacy as they wish for all elections in which they are eligible to vote.
e. Petitions must be submitted in their original forms with original signatures.
f. An individual seeking multiple offices, when eligible to do so, shall submit a Petition for
Candidacy adhering to these rules for each office.
g. The Petition for Candidacy must contain the following number of valid signatures:
1. 100 for Student Council President, Vice President for Administration, and Vice President
for Organizations
2. 25 for designated positions in the College of Arts and Sciences (CLAS)
3. 25 for designated positions in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
4. 25 for Class Councils and Trustees:
a. Second Year Council President and Vice-President,
b. Third Year Council President and Vice-President, and
c. Four Year Trustees President and Vice-President
5. 10 for designated positions in the Curry School of Education (EDUC), School of
Architecture (ARCH), School of Law (LAW), Darden School of Business, School of
Nursing (NURS), and McIntire School of Commerce (COMM)
6. 10 for designated positions in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS), School of
Medicine (MED), Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy (LEAD), and School of
Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS)
7. In the event more than one of the above categories apply, it shall be at the discretion of
the University Board of Elections to determine the number of valid signatures required to
certify a petition for candidacy.
4. Resignation of Candidacy
a. A candidate may, at any time prior to the commencement of polling in a given election, request the
termination of his candidacy and the removal of their name from the ballot by signed letter
delivered to the Chair of the University Board of Elections.
5. Disqualification of Candidacy
a. Should a candidate repeatedly or egregiously break the campaign rules set forth in Section A and
B, the University Board of Elections reserves the right to disqualify the candidate and remove their
name from the ballot
6. Candidate Expenditures
a. All candidates are required to comply with Section III.D (Campaign Expenditures).
C. Endorsing Procedures
1. An “Endorsing Organization” is a Contracted Independent Organization or other student
organization that agrees to abide by the Elections Rules and Regulations, particularly the Rules
and Regulations related to campaigning (Section II), Procedures established in this section, and
Procedures pertaining to expenditure reporting (Section III.D), in return for publicity for their
endorsement and other incentives at the discretion of the University Board of Elections. Student
organizations may participate in elections-related speech and activities without agreeing to abide
by these provisions, but are thus ineligible for University Board of Elections publicity and other
incentives.
2. All Contracted Independent Organizations (CIOs) and student-run news organizations may
endorse candidates for election. Special Status Organizations, due to their status as agents of the
Commonwealth of Virginia and financial relationship with the Rector and Board of Visitors of the
University of Virginia, are encouraged to consult with the proper University officials before
endorsing candidates or advocating a position on a referendum.
3. Endorsing Organizations must determine their candidate endorsements through a process that
provides equal opportunity to all eligible candidates.
4. Endorsing Organizations shall report expenditures on behalf of candidates in compliance with
Section III.D. Endorsing Organizations that make such reports and adhere to other Elections Rules
shall be permitted to list their endorsements on the polling website in a manner designated by the
University Board of Elections.
5. Endorsing Organizations must set up and conduct interviews in collaboration with the UBE.
6. Endorsing Organizations that fail to fully comply with their agreement to report expenditures and
abide by other Elections Rules may be referred to the appropriate University bodies. The
University Board of Elections may also take action it deems appropriate, including but not limited
to barring an organization from the publication of future endorsements in UBE materials and the
loss of other incentives related to future endorsements.
7. No candidate may request any organization to become an Endorsing Organization.
8. No candidate may become involved in the decision-making processes of any Endorsing
Organization’s endorsing process.
D. Campaign Expenditures
1. Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
a. There are no limits on contributions or expenditures for election-related activities.
b. Candidates, candidate organizations, other students, Contracted Independent
Organizations (CIOs), and other student organizations are strictly prohibited from the use
of the Student Activities Fund (SAF) for political or other activities as defined and
prohibited by the Board of Visitors Student Activities Fund Guidelines.
2. Reporting
a. All campaign expenses must be tracked using the system provided by the University
Board of Elections.
b. The University Board of Elections may require an Interim Expenditure Report as defined
in Section III.B.2).a).(3) and one or more Final Expenditure Reports.
c. Candidates and Endorsing Organizations submitting expenditure reports must detail
personal expenditures, expenditures of donated funds, expenditures made by individuals
or organizations working at the direction of a Candidate or Endorsing Organization, and
the identity of the individual(s) and/or organization(s) who donated or spent money on
behalf of a candidate.
d. Expenditure reporting shall detail any and all expenditures made related to all campaign
and election materials, services, and activities.
e. Expenditure Reports shall include pledged statements guaranteeing the veracity of the
information provided; accurate and clear descriptions of the materials, services, or
activities purchased; cost and amount paid for every
material, service or activity purchased; and the date each material, service, or activity was
purchased. For materials for which the cost is not verifiable, an estimated reasonable value must
be reported.
f. All Expenditure Reports shall be considered public records and shall be made freely available to the public
by the University Board of Elections.
E. Referendum Procedures
1. Definition
a. A “referendum” is a question that has been certified to appear on an official ballot in an
election administered by the University Board of Elections pursuant to these rules and the
qualifications established by the constitution of the relevant student governing body, if
applicable.
2. Certification of Referendum
a. The University Board of Elections shall certify a question as a referendum upon:
i. Submission of a completed, original petition for referendum that is approved by
the University Board of Elections as being in accordance with Section III.E.4.
(Petition for Referendum).
ii. Submission of a signed attestation form that is approved by the University Board
of Elections in accordance with Section III.E.2.(a).(3) (Referendum Attestation).
iii. Referendum Attestation
a. A Referendum Attestation shall contain the name and contact
information of the Sponsor(s) in accordance with Section III.E.3.
(Referendum Sponsoring).
3. Referendum Sponsoring
a. A Sponsor is an individual student or student organization who wishes to be responsible
for the content of the proposed Referendum question.
b. Each referendum must have at least one Sponsor.
c. Sponsorship information for all referenda shall be a public record.
4. Petition for Referendum
a. Individuals or organizations seeking the certification of a question to be a referendum
item must submit a petition pursuant to these rules:
i. A petition for a referendum on a non-binding question of opinion to be put to the
entire student body shall be made on a form provided by the University Board of
Elections and shall be signed by not less than 950 students.
ii. A petition for a referendum on a non-binding question of opinion to a particular
school or undergraduate class must be signed by five percent (5%) of full-time
students in that particular school or class. Individuals or organizations collecting
school or class referendum petitions should request that the UBE provide them a
signature minimum based on up-to-date enrollment figures.
iii. A petition for a referendum on a binding constitutional amendment to be put to
the entire student body shall be made on a form provided by the UBE and shall
be signed by a number of students governed by the requirements established in
the existing constitutions of the governing body for which the amendment
applies; the specific number, when set as a percentage of a student population,
will be determined by the governing body using the previous semester’s
enrollment numbers. If the constitution of the governing body does not specify a
required number of signatures, the University Board of Elections shall require a
petition signed by no less than 1,250 students.
iv. The Petition for Referendum shall be made on a form provided by the University
Board of Elections and each page of the Petition shall contain:
a. The school, academic year, signature, University email identification,
and printed name of each signatory.
b. The full text of the proposed question at the time it is signed by
students. A two-sided petition page must include the full-text on one
side and a notice to that effect on the reverse page.
c. The student population being asked to vote on the proposed question
(e.g. “all students,” “CLAS students,” “Undergraduate Class of 2028
students”).
d. Students may only sign Petitions for Referendum for proposals for
which they are eligible to vote. Signatory information shall be
reasonably legible and accurate for a signature to be held valid.
v. Petitions must be submitted in their original form with original signatures.
Photocopies or other reproductions of signed pages are impermissible except
under extenuating circumstances with prior University Board of Elections
approval. Individuals and organizations are, however, advised to make and keep
photocopies of these original documents before submission.
b. Student signatures do not express willingness to vote for a particular referendum, only
willingness to have the referendum appear as a question on the ballot. Students are
permitted to sign as many Petitions for Referendum as they wish for all elections in
which they are eligible to vote.
5. Referenda may also be certified for placement on an official ballot administered by the University
Board of Elections pursuant to the Constitutions of the Student Council, Honor Committee,
University Judiciary Committee, School Governing Bodies, and Class Councils.
6. Individuals or organizations seeking certification of a potential referendum question that proposes
a change of changes to the Constitutions of the Honor Committee, University Judiciary
Committee, Student Council, or Class Councils are strongly encouraged to submit the precise
language of the proposed referendum item to the Office of the Vice President for Students Affairs
prior to the solicitation of any student signatures so that the proposed referendum language may be
forwarded to the University General Counsel’s office to review for legal sufficiency. These
Constitutions are legal documents and amendments thereto must comply with local, state, and
federal laws in order to be accepted by the Board of Visitors.
F. Ballot Procedures
1. On the Election Ballot, the voting population, as defined in Article III.A.2., shall only have access
to elections and referenda in which they are eligible to vote based on enrollment status.
2. The order of the Election Ballot shall be consistent with these guidelines:
a. Elections for student office shall appear on the ballot prior to referendum questions.
b. Elections for student office shall appear on the ballot in an order determined by the
University Board of Elections.
c. Constitutional referendum questions shall appear on the ballot prior to opinion
referendum questions. Constitutional and opinion referenda shall appear on the ballot in
the order in which they are certified, or in an order determined by the University Board of
Elections.
3. The order in which candidates for student office shall appear on the ballot shall be consistent with
these guidelines:
a. Candidates will appear on each voter ballot in an order randomly generated by the Voting
System.
G. Polling Procedures
1. All voting shall be by confidential electronic ballot.
2. The Board shall establish rules for campaigning activities at public polling places in the Elections
Rules and Regulations.
3. To ensure the election of the candidate preferred by the most voters, avoid runoff elections,
promote positive campaigning, and encourage greater voter turnout, the Optional Preferential
Alternative Vote (OPAV) scheme of Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) shall be utilized for elections of
offices with one open position:
a. Voters shall preferentially rank any number of candidates.
b. If a candidate receives the majority of the top-choice votes, he or she shall be declared the
winner. If no candidate receives the majority of top-choice votes, the candidate who has
the least amount of top-choice votes shall be eliminated, and the next-choice votes
associated with his or her top-choice votes shall be distributed to the remaining
candidates. These votes shall then become top-choice votes for their respective
candidates.
c. The process outlined in the above section shall be repeated until a candidate has a
majority of votes or until only one candidate remains in the runoff process.
4. For offices with more than one open position, voters shall vote non-preferentially for any number
of candidates no greater than the number of positions open for the office.
5. Should a candidate be disqualified or resign their candidacy before election results are certified by
the University Board of Elections, the candidate shall forfeit votes cast for them, and votes cast for
the former candidate shall be redistributed in accordance with the ranked preferences, if any, of the
voters. If the UBE determines that a new election is required, pursuant to the appropriate
governing body’s constitution, it may proceed as provided in Section III.G.6.
6. The University Board of Elections may seek to fill positions that remain open after the election
through fair and democratic processes including but not limited to conducting subsequent
elections.
7. The University Board of Elections may provide incentives to students for voting by way of gift
cards, prizes, or rewards under supervision from the Office of the Dean of Students. See:
https://odos.virginia.edu/staff
a. Eligible students must complete the entirety of the ballot available to them.
i. Current members of the University Board of Elections are ineligible to receive
incentives. Faculty and staff included.
ii. Current candidates running in the University elections are ineligible to receive
incentives.
b. Incentives will be distributed to eligible students through a randomized matching process
that selects students. Incentive list will be announced before voting closes at the latest.
Incentives may vary in value and are not exchangeable for cash or cash equivalents.
i. Complete selection and distribution process will be determined each year at the
discretion of the University Board of Elections.
Rules Violation, Resolution, and
Enforcement
A. Any member of the University community can file a complaint or query about compliance with these rules
and regulations by emailing [email protected].
B. When a dispute is brought to the University Board of Elections, the UBE may seek to resolve the dispute
through mediation.
C. If a rule violation is in dispute, the University Board of Elections may choose to use a Hearing Panel
consisting of at least three UBE members, one of whom shall be the Chair or Vice-Chair, to determine if a
candidate has violated a rule. If a hearing panel is convened then:
1. Candidates may appeal the decision of a Hearing Panel to the Judicial Review Board (JRB) within
24 hours of the Hearing Panel decision.
2. Decisions made by the JRB are final.
D. The University Board of Elections and its Chair have the authority to serve as initiators to the University
Judiciary Committee when actions occur that may violate the Standards of Conduct over which the UJC has
jurisdiction.
E. The University Board of Elections and its Chair have the authority to serve as initiators to the Honor
Committee when actions occur that may violate the Honor Code over which the Honor Committee has
jurisdiction.
F. Individuals or organizations seeking to initiate UJC or Honor charges independently of the UBE are
encouraged to consult with the UBE prior to initiation.
Ratification and Amendment
A. These Elections Rules shall be enacted by a majority vote of the University Board of Elections.
B. The University Board of Elections may amend these Elections Rules by a majority vote.
C. Ratification and public approval of proposed rulemaking
a. Following a University Board of Elections meeting where rulemaking is proposed, UBE shall post
a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the UBE website along with a form for public comment
b. Two weeks after this public comment period begins, UBE shall meet again to review public
comments, debate, then vote on a final rulemaking order