Campaign rules

Rules for student elections

These rules apply to all campaigning activity in relation to election of Students to positions in the Guild of Students ("Guild") and to University Committees ("University").

These rules should be read in conjunction with the following Murdoch University legislation:

• Statute No. 15 - Elections
• Statute No. 17 - Guild of Students
• Election Regulations
• Guild Regulations
• Guild Election Regulations
• Student Integrity Regulations.

General

1. Candidates are required to indicate on the nomination form that they have read and agree to abide by these Rules, doing so provides permission to campaign.
2. Candidates should be aware that the Campaign Rules may change from year to year, and they should not rely on experience of past years, but rather should consult the current year's Rules.
3. These Rules are under constant review by the Returning Officer during the election period. If there are any changes to these Rules, candidates will be notified by email.
4. University staff (and contractors) are authorised, under University By Laws, to remove any election material that is in breach of the Rules listed below.
5. The Rules will be reviewed annually.
6. "Campaigning/Election material" includes posters, objects, artefacts, give-aways, t-shirts bearing election-related wording or images, or similar. No flyers/handouts/leaflets are to be distributed. No banners may be hung.

Nominations

7. The Returning Officer is not permitted to disclose the names of those who have nominated until after the closing date for nominations.
8. Unless otherwise specified in Regulations (i.e. the Guild's President, Education Vice-President and General Secretary), students must be enrolled in a Murdoch University unit in order to be eligible to nominate.

Campaigning/election materials (including electronic materials where relevant)

9. No campaigning is allowed inside any building including the Library, or within the Tavern grounds or the Student Hub's outdoor eating areas.
10. No election material to be distributed in the Library, throughout lecture theatres, tutorial rooms, laboratories and other teaching spaces.
11. All election material shall bear the name of at least one named candidate, and the name of the Ticket if applicable, under whose authority it is published. The names(s) must be clearly visible.
12. T-shirts bearing election-related wording or images may be worn throughout the campus. The content of the wording/images is subject to these Campaign Rules.
13. Candidates must not use official Murdoch University social networking sites to advertise their candidature or campaign.
    
14. No candidate shall claim membership of a Ticket where this is not the case. Where membership is claimed, the candidate may be requested to prove that the lead member(s) have authorised the membership.
    
15. No person shall remove, alter, deface, obstruct or destroy election material prior to the close of voting, unless authorised by the Returning Officer. Defacing, mutilating, removing or interfering with election material belonging to another person without authority of that person or candidate for whom the election material was produced shall constitute misbehaviour in an election.
16. All authorised election materials must be picked up at the end of each day.
17. The person(s) who has authorised the material will be responsible for cleaning costs and or littering if election materials are not picked up.
18. Posters and/or campaigning/election materials are only permitted to be affixed in designated areas [refer Note2 below].
19. No material shall be placed on any notice boards (except those specified), walls, doors, windows, painted surfaces, trees, walkways, bus-stops or other surfaces not prescribed.
20. No material may be placed on any bins.
21. No adhesive stickers are to be attached to any part of any University building, including floors and walkways.
22. Other candidates' election material cannot be removed or overlaid by any other candidates (or people acting on their behalf).
23. Chalk is not to be used under any circumstances.
24. Only students enrolled in a Murdoch University unit are permitted to campaign (including the distribution of election materials) on Murdoch campuses.
25. Election material on pillars must only reach to a maximum height of 2m above ground level. Material must only be attached with masking tape or blu-tack (as this is easily removed).
26. Election material may be placed on pillars in prescribed areas only from 10am on the day of close of nominations to last day of voting [refer Note 1 below]. Any material that goes up before this time will be removed at the candidate’s expense and the candidate issued a warning.
    
27. All election material must be removed by 4.30pm on the last day of voting [refer Note1 below], otherwise a removal/cleaning charge will be levied to the person(s) who authorised the material.

Complaints

28. Candidates who wish to lodge a complaint in relation to any alleged breach of the relevant election legislation must do so to the Returning Officer via email to elections@murdoch.edu.au. Candidates must not conduct their own investigations.

Penalties

29. Where in the opinion of the Returning Officer, a candidate or a person campaigning on their behalf, is found to be in breach of any of these Campaign Rules, a penalty may be imposed.
30. Breaches of these Campaign Rules may constitute Misconduct as set out in the Student Integrity Regulations, and matters may be dealt with under those Regulations.
31. In addition, penalties directly relating to conduct during the election processes may include:
    • a warning
    • a directive to remove materials from websites and social media
    • confiscation of campaign materials
    • withdrawal of the candidates' permission to campaign (including any person campaigning on their behalf); or
    • exclusion from the election
    • disqualification from any future elections; or
    • any other remedy at the discretion of the Returning Officer.

Rules pertaining to individual campuses

Murdoch (Perth) campus

28. Posters may be placed on the pillars around Bush Court in the prescribed area [refer Note2 below].
29. No posters may be erected outside of the designated area in Bush Court.
30. Notice boards - material may be placed in the Clubs and Societies notice boards only (between the walkway entrance to Education and Humanities and the entrance to Health and Counselling) and the Guild Secretariat notice board.
31. No mail drops are permitted in the Student Village.

Mandurah campus

1. Posters can be displayed in the alfresco area to Building 101.

Singapore campus

1. Campaign materials can only be placed on official campus notice boards with the permission of Kaplan management.

Note1: The close of nominations and voting dates will be as indicated by the Returning Officer.

Note2: The prescribed area for the display of campaign material is as follows:

On the pillars located from the Cafe' Kadjininy along the under croft to The Store and then along the under croft to the Student Hub (please refer to the map below). Posters are not to be placed on the side of the pillars facing into Bush Court.