Spring 2017

Howard University Student

Election Code

Section 1: Name and Purpose

1. This Elections Code shall hereafter be referred to as the Code.
2. This Elections Code is enacted for the purpose of providing fair and equal
opportunities for all Howard University Student Association (HUSA) and Board of

Darien Carter, Elections Commissioner

 Trustee members to hold and run for office and to provide fair and equal opportunities for
all HUSA members to participate in the electoral process.
3. Candidates for any election shall be responsible for these regulations provided here
within. Ignorance of the Code shall not be an acceptable defense in response to any
offended in any election, either by the candidates themselves or by individuals
campaigning on behalf of a candidate.
Section 2: Effective Date and Authority
1. The Code shall become effective once passed by the HUSA Senate and shall remain in
effect until repealed or superseded by further legislation. The Code shall be the final
regulatory authority for any and all elections or campaigning activities within the
jurisdiction of HUSA and shall supersede any and all previously enacted legislation.

TITLE I: The Elections Commission

Section 101: Makeup of the Election Commission.
1. The Elections Commission shall consist of:
a. Elections Administrators, as per the definition of administrators in the HUSA
Constitution:
i. Election Coordinator
ii. Director of Communications
iii. Director of Undergraduate Elections
iv. Director of Graduate Elections
c. General Members
Section 102: Appointment of the Election Administrator.
1. The Elections Administrators shall be appointed by the HUSA President and approved
by two-thirds (2/3) of the HUSA Senate present and voting. The Elections Administrators cannot
be existing members of any student government organization including, but not limited to local
college councils, HUSA, Undergraduate Student Association (UGSA), and HUSA Senate.
2. If the HUSA President does not submit a formal recommendation for the Elections
Commission to the HUSA Senate by the first week of the fall academic semester, the HUSA

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Senate Elections Committee has the responsibility of finding and hiring the Elections
Commission.
Section 103: Hiring of the General Members.
1. A general member shall be defined as any person appointed by the Elections
Coordinator; however, no general member shall be a candidate for office or have campaigned for
any candidate appearing on the ballot in the election that he or she helps conduct.
2. All members of the Elections Commission are hired at will at any time at the discretion
of the Elections Coordinator.
Section 104: Terms of Office.
1. The Elections Commission shall serve once appointed after certification of the
HUSA Election results or until properly removed or resigned from office.
Section 105. Responsibility of the Elections Commissions
1. Organize, plan, and publicize all HUSA Elections
2. Act to enforce all rules and regulations contained within this Code
3. Issue advisory opinions to any individual or body requesting interpretation of this
Code
4. Verify that all candidates meet the requirements for candidacy, and notify each
candidate in writing of his or her candidacy status within five (5) class days after receipt
of the application
5. Hear all properly filed complaints.
Section 106. Responsibility of the Elections Coordinator.
The Elections Coordinator shall:
1. Coordinate election related activities of the local Election commissioners and
supervise their conduct
2. Execute the decisions of the Election Commission
3. Report to Congress at each of its meetings
4. Make a sample ballot for all elections
5. Train and prepare future Elections Coordinators
Sections 107. Makeup and Responsibility of other Elections Administrators.

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 1. Director of Communications shall be responsible for:
a. All correspondence given from the commission to the applicants
b. General correspondence to local schools and colleges
c. Recording meeting minutes
d. Operating the Elections Commission email account
e. Delegating communication responsibility to the Director of Undergraduate and
Graduate Elections
2. Director of Undergraduate Elections shall be responsible for:
a. Acting as a liaison between the Commission and Local Election Chairs on the
undergraduate level.
b. Meeting with Chairs to stay updated on progress
c. Overseeing coordination of undergraduate Speak Outs
d. collecting candidate applications/petitions from Local Election Chairs
3. Director of Graduate Elections shall be responsible for:
a. Acting as a liaison between the Commission and Local Election Chairs on the
graduate level
b. Meeting with Chairs to stay updated on progress
c. Overseeing coordination of graduate Speak Outs
d. Collecting candidate applications/petitions from Local Elections Chairs
Section 108. Terms of Termination.
1. The Elections Administrator can be removed at the recommendation of the HUSA
Senate Elections Chair with 3⁄4 approval of the entire Senate body. Impeachment can be
appealed to Policy Board.
2. All members of the General Elections Commission are hired at will and can be
terminated at any time at the discretion of the Elections Administrator if performance is deemed
unsatisfactory and does not meet the exceptions set forth of them as outlined in the Elections
Code.
TITLE II: Candidate Timeline.
Section 201: Candidate Timeline.

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Each of the events in the following time line must occur in each election cycle.
1. Candidates Filing for Office
a. By filing, the candidate agrees to abide by this Code.
b. All candidates for positions elected under the supervision of the Elections
Commission shall file their intention to run for office with their school/college’s
Local Election Chair. Filing shall be done in person by each candidate and in
accordance with the guidelines set forth within this Code. Each candidate is
responsible for seeing that his/her filing is carried out completely and correctly.
c. A candidate must submit the following at the time of filing:
i. A candidate application form containing at least the candidate’s current
address, phone number, email address, and the candidate’s name as it shall
appear on the ballot must be submitted.
ii. Signed petition forms that contain no less than 3% of the validated
Howard University constituency for which the candidate seeks to
represent, as stated in the US Constitution. If running on a slate with
another candidate, each candidate is required to submit separate petition
forms.
iii. A signed copy of the Code of Fair Campaign Practices.
iv. Any other reasonable information required by the Elections
Commission.
v. Any other reasonable information required by the Elections
Commission.
2. Mandatory Candidate Meeting
a. The mandatory candidate meeting must be held within (2) weeks following
the close of filing.
b. At the mandatory candidate meeting, the Elections Coordinator will explain
The Code, answer any questions, and announce any interpretations of The
Code that differ from previous elections.

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 c. The Elections Commission will announce the days and times that expenditure
forms and receipts are due, and the location(s) at which they must be deposited in
writing at least seven (7) days before the due date.
d. There will be two (2) sessions, ensuring that all candidates are able to attend.
3. ​Others.
a​. The Elections Commission reserves the right to hold any other events they
deem necessary to occur during the elections cycle.
Title III: Candidate Eligibility Requirements
Section 301: General Eligibility.
1. Each candidate must in good standing, financially and academically, with the University.
The candidate must be validated prior to Election Day. If the candidate fails to do so, then
he or she will be disqualified.
2. The HUSA President and Vice-President shall have been registered at and in good
standing with Howard University for at least two (2) consecutive fall/spring semesters
preceding his/her election to office.
3. A candidate for a HUSA Senate seat must be a member of the constituency during the
upcoming academic year.
Section 302: Receipt of Application.
1. Once the application is properly filed, the candidate shall be given a receipt that notes the
date and time that the application was filed. Any application filed after the deadline shall
not be accepted.
Section 303: Academic Eligibility.
1. Each candidate must have a grade point average not lower than 2.7 at the time of the
elections.
2. Graduate and Professionals students must maintain the equivalent of good standing based
on their school standards.
3. Freshmen students are eligible to run during the fall special elections. However, they
must post a minimum grade point of average of 2.7 at the end of the semester in which
they are elected or they will be automatically removed from office.

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Section 304: Senate Seats.
1. Senate seats shall be allocated as directed in the HUSA Constitution and
by-laws.
Section 305: Enrollment Requirements.
1. Each candidate must be a registered full-time Howard University student.
2. Each candidate must not graduate prior to the completion of his/her term.
3. Each candidate must be a full-time student during his/her term in office.
Section 307: Academic Requirement.
1. Newly elected UGSA and HUSA Senate (Undergraduate and Graduate) must have a
minimum overall G.P.A. of 2.7 at the time of filing, and post at least a 2.7 for the
preceding regular semester or the two preceding summer sessions and during the term of
office or he/she will be automatically removed from office.
Section 308: Graduate and Undergraduate Trustee.
1. Persons campaigning for the Graduate and Undergraduate Trustee positions are required
not only to follow the Code guidelines as listed, but also the guidelines for selecting
Trustees, pursuant to the bylaws of the University Board of Trustees (refer to Section ,
through the Secretary of the Board.
Section 308: Candidacy for more than one office.
1. No person shall simultaneously be a candidate for more than one elected position.
Section 309: Running mates.
1. Candidates for HUSA President and Vice President shall run together on the same
ticket and must be elected together.
TITLE IV: Voting and Voters
Section 401: Voter Eligibility.
1. A voter must be an enrolled student at Howard University.
2. A voter must be financially validated at Howard University for the current semester.
3. A voter may vote only once and only with their own student ID number.
Section 402: On-line Voting
1. Elections will be conducted online via Howard University’s BisonWeb. Ballots will be

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 marked in the manner designated by the Elections Commission.
2. The online ballot will be maintained by an employee of Howard University.
3. On Election Day, the online ballot will be available from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm with
an extension to 9:00 pm in cases of announced technical difficulties by ETS and the
Elections Commission.
Section 403: Ballots
1. Ballot positions for the ballot used during the actual election and the sample ballot will be
alphabetically (Last Name, First Name, M.I.). The sample ballot will not be used for any
voting. It will only be used for a candidate to verify that their name has been properly
recorded for the election process, and for other administrative purposes as needed by the
Elections Commission.
2. Candidates who wish to withdraw their names from the ballot following the Mandatory
Candidate Meeting must do so via email no later than seven (7) days prior to Election
Day. A hard copy must be submitted to the Elections Office during business hours within
48 hours of electronic submission of race withdrawal.
3. No phrases, slogans, or nicknames may be attached to a candidate's name on the
ballot;however slate names will be allowed. The name that will appear on the ballot must
be the name that appears on the candidate’s Howard University student identification
card, with the option of including a nickname in parentheses.
4. The Elections Commission will post the sample ballot for the purpose of correcting errors
by 10:00 a.m. seven (7) class days prior to Election Day. If a candidate does not appeal
any error on the sample ballot by 5:00 p.m. the following day, he/she loses his/her right
to make any changes.
Section 404: Votes Required to Win.
1. Election winners are determined by a majority vote from voters of at least one candidate
for that position. A run-off election shall be held, if necessary, if no candidate garners
fifty-one (51%) of the vote of the relevant student constituency.

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 2. If there is a tie for the last remaining seat in a HUSA Senate constituency, all those
candidates having tied for that seat shall proceed to a run-off. Trustee and HUSA Senate
candidates need not garner 51% of the vote, simple majority is required
Section 405: Run-Off Elections.
1. Run-off elections shall be conducted in the same manner as general elections with the
following exceptions:
a. Candidates need only receive a simple majority in run-off elections.
b. No write-in votes shall be accepted in a runoff election.
c. In the event of an exact tie in a runoff election, the election shall be decided by a
coin toss to be held in the presence of the HUSA Senate Elections Committee.
The Elections Coordinator shall administer the coin toss using a coin of his/her
choosing, which may be inspected by the candidates prior to the toss. The
candidate with the higher percentage of votes in the original election will call the
coin in the air.
2. In run-off elections, those names to be placed on the ballot shall be those of the two (2)
candidates/slates having the greatest number of votes in the general election. Exceptions
to this shall be the following:
a. If a tie for the first place occurs, only the candidates tied for first place shall run,
with the winner having a majority vote of those voting for at least one candidate
for that position.
b. If a tie for the second place occurs, the first place candidate and all those
candidates tied for second place shall run with a plurality deciding the winner.
Section 406: Recounts.
1. Should a candidate wish to call for a recount of the vote, he/she must enter into a contract
with the Elections Commission stating that if the outcome of the election changes, the
Elections Commission will cover the financial costs of the recount. However, should the
outcome of the election not change, then it is the candidate’s responsibility to cover any
charges incurred in recounting the ballots.
Section 407: Election Contestation.

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 1. A candidate may contest an election no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the official
results are posted by filing a written appeal with the General Elections Commission
stating the basis on which the election is contested.
Section 408: Election Dates.
1. By mandate of the HUSA Constitution, General Elections shall be held no later than the
first Wednesday in the month of April. Special Elections shall be held no later than the
fourth Wednesday of September to fill vacancies left from the General Election in the
spring.
2. The Elections Commission maintains administrative discretion in determining the official
date of elections. The Elections Commission has the authority to change the start date of
an election if unforeseen circumstances arise that would warrant such a change.
Section 409: Administrative Error.
1. If prior to General Assembly Elections Committee certification, it is discovered that the
winning candidate was not qualified because of an error in the certification provided by
the Office of Student Activities, the HUSA President will declare the post vacant.
Section 410: Write-in Candidates.
1. A write-in candidate is any candidate that fails to file an application during the
appropriate filing time.
2. Write-in candidates are obligated to follow all guidelines for campaigning set forth by the
General Elections Commission. Write-in candidates will be subject to the same penalties
as other candidates as outlined in the Code.
3. A write-in candidate for any office must submit a petition containing signatures
amounting to at least 15% of the constituency he/she seeks to represent as well as
appropriate contact information as required by the Elections Commission.
4. Posting or distribution of campaign materials prior to submission of signatures and
contact information is not allowed and votes will not be counted for candidates who have
not been verified by the Elections Commission as write-in candidates. Potential
candidates who disobey this item may be disqualified.

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 5. Write-in candidates will not be allowed to participate in speak-outs or formally
coordinated campaigning events. However, write-in candidates are allowed to attend such
events.
6. All write-in candidates shall be held subject to all Elections Guidelines beginning the
first day of the Election Season; therefore, write-in candidates will be retroactively
penalized for any/all violations during the election season.
Section 411: Voting Day Marketing
1. Anyone may help advertise the time, place, and manner of elections.
2. The Elections Commission will provide a detailed addendum to Voting Day Guidelines
no later than seven (7) days prior to Election Day.

Title V: Campaign Rules

Section 501: Campaigning
1. Campaigning is defined as an operation or series of operations energetically pursued to
accomplish a purpose; any group, individual, or organizations seeking to gain, encourage,
or incite public attention for support of any slate or candidate. The Elections Commission
reserves the right to be the judge of what additionally constitutes campaigning.
Section 502: Campaign Staff.
1. A candidate or campaign ticket may form a campaign staff prior to the campaign period
in order to research a platform, and help the candidate prepare for the campaigning
period.
2. A candidate or a candidate’s representative must ask people to join his/her campaign staff
on an individual basis.
3. The candidate will be held responsible for the actions taken by his/her supporters.
Section 503: Campaigning in Administrative Areas
1. All areas inside the Armour J. Blackburn University Center, Mordecai Wyatt Johnson
Administration Building, and the Rankin Memorial Chapel are off-limits to campaigning
during the campaigning period, except when a group or organization allows candidates to
speak at their meetings and when the General Elections Commission sponsors an event.

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 In these cases, the candidate may only campaign in the immediate room in which the
meeting or event is being held. The only exception to this rule is that the T-shirts may be
worn ​anytime, ​anywhere during campaigning. T-shirt restrictions will apply on Election
Day.
Section 504: Campaigning in Study Areas.
1. All candidates are prohibited from writing campaign related messages on all chalkboard
or dry erase boards.
Section 505: Campaigning in the Dorms.
1. Door-to-door campaigning hours and rules will be established by the Office of Residence
Life and the Elections Commission.
2. No one may campaign door-to-door on campus at any other time. This restriction will not
affect campaigning at organizational meetings or campaigning outside the residence
halls.
Section 506: Improper Use of Email.
1. All e-mail advertising a specific candidate during the campaign period must include a
disclaimer at the bottom of the e-mail that reads, "Please reply to sender if you do not
wish to receive further emails from this candidate.” All students who reply with a
removal request should be immediately removed from the email list.
2. Listservs may be created by a campaign for the purpose of campaigning or informing a
campaign staff and/or supporters. E-mails sent to any previously established University
listserv are not permitted.
Section 507: Damage to Property.
1. The defacing, destruction, altering, or misuse of any campus structure, land, facility, or
other University property is strictly prohibited and vigorously enforced. There is to be no
posting or display of any campaign materials in the Blackburn Center, Rankin Chapel, or
the Administration Building.
2. There shall be no posting of election materials on any windows (glass or synthetic),
doors (with the exception of residence halls where permitted), trees, walls, or the ground

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 (grass, concrete, or brick). No material shall be erected in the grass or any other place
where they will leave a permanent mark.
3. Candidates are not permitted to display campaign slogans or other campaign related
messages by marking them on University sidewalks or buildings in chalk.
Section 508: Off Campus Campaigning.
1. Off-campus campaigning on public property must comply with applicable municipal,
state, and federal laws.
2. No materials may be placed in mailboxes except through the U.S. Postal Service.
Section 509: Interference with Campaign Materials.
1. No candidate, campaign ticket, or anyone acting on their behalf shall deface, destroy,
alter, or otherwise change any candidate’s campaign materials.
Section 510: Distribution and Removal of Campaign Materials on Campus.
1. Each candidate shall be responsible for the removal and disposal of all displayed
campaign materials within seventy-two (72) hours of the announcement of election
results.
Section 511: Campaigning Websites and Social Media Accounts.
1. Websites created for the purpose of campaigning may not be accessible online prior to
the campaigning period.
Section 512: Campaign Materials.
1. Campaign materials are defined as anything distributed or displayed for the purpose of
soliciting votes for a candidate. However, recognized student organization
communication will not be considered campaign materials as long as it is not distributed
outside the organization for the purpose of soliciting votes.
2. All original campaign materials, including but not limited to flyers, posters, geotags,
clothing, etcetera, must be registered and approved by the Elections Commission prior to
distribution and reproduction. Any materials not registered shall be confiscated and the
candidate shall be subject to disciplinary actions regardless of the origin of the campaign
materials.

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 3. All materials to be posted on Howard University’s campus must also be approved by the
Office of Central Scheduling prior to distribution and display.
4. All candidates or campaign tickets are required to leave two (2) copies of each piece of
campaign material with the Elections Commission. One copy will be forwarded to the
Office of Central Scheduling. In the case of T-shirts, hats, jackets, and other clothing, one
(1) piece of each must be given to the Elections Commission to be kept on file as
approved material.
5. No candidate shall employ a trademarked symbol or any copyrighted material as
campaign materials, with the exception that Howard University trademarks and
copyrights may be used provided that the Elections Commission has secured approval
from the Office of Vending and Licensing.
6. Each student is required to adhere to the Guidelines for Posting and Distribution of
Posters, Flyers and/or Materials at Howard University distributed by the Office of Central
Scheduling.
7. The Elections Commission has the power to remove or order the removal of any
materials that are in violation of the Elections Code.
Section 513: Flyers and Posters
1. The term ​poster is defined as a piece of paper with a surface area no larger than 247
square inches (equal to that of a 13 inch by 19 inch piece of paper).
2. Campaign materials may be distributed with a maximum of one flyer or poster per
bulletin board and three per kiosk for each candidate.
3. Candidates may need to obtain approval from a departmental office or building manager
before posting flyers or posters on bulletin boards in university buildings, including
residence halls. It is the responsibility of the candidate to obtain any needed approval
before posting flyers of poster on campus bulletin boards. Bulletin boards reserved for
departmental or organizational announcements or designated for official use only shall
not be used for campaigning.
4. The term "bulletin boards" shall be defined as the cork board and the surrounding frame.
Section 514: Endorsements.

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 1. The Elections Commission shall be the judge of what constitutes an endorsement.
a. The term ​endorsement shall be defined as approval or support for a candidate by
public statement (either written or verbal), monetary sponsorship or campaign
assistance
b. No student government organization may endorse a candidate for office.
However, candidates may accept endorsements from other recognized student
organizations so long as they do not involve financial inputs. Additionally, no
candidate may accept from any recognized student organization its assistance as a
recognized student organization to obtain for a candidate any university resource
to which that candidate would not have access as an individual student. No
candidate may accept from any recognized student organization financial
contributions of any type.
c. Appointments can be made with a recognized student organization to seek
endorsements from that particular organization before campaigning begins.
d. No endorsement can occur before campaigning begins.
Section 515: Debates, Candid Talks, Rally Day.
1. Candidates for HUSA are required to attend all Elections Commission sponsored events.
2. Candidates for Undergraduate Trustee are required to attend Elections Commission
sponsored events located in undergraduate student locations.
3. Graduate Trustee candidates are required to attend all Elections Commission sponsored
events located in graduate student locations.
4. Candidates for additional offices are required to attend all events for their respective
School/College.
5. Upon candidate verification, an addendum will be provided that lists Elections
Commission events, their date and format.

Title VI: Campaign Spending

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Section 601: Campaign Expenditures Defined.
1. Any purchase or donation made for the purpose of, or which is ultimately used for,
promoting any candidate, shall be considered a campaign expenditure.
2. In determining the value of an expenditure, individual candidates or campaign tickets
shall be assessed the greater of the fair market value or the actual amount spent for the goods and
services used to campaign.
3. The Elections Commission shall have the authority to determine whether any purchase
is a campaign expenditure and what the greater value of the expenditure is.
4. Any candidate may request from the Elections Commission an advisory opinion as to
whether a particular purchase or donation would constitute a campaign expenditure and what its
value will be assessed.
Section 602: Spending Limits.
1. Any candidate running for a HUSA or Trustee position is precluded from spending
more than seven thousand and five hundred dollars and zero cents ($7,500.00).
2. All other candidates are precluded from spending more than five thousand and five
hundred dollars and zero cents ($5,500.00).
Section 603: Financial Statements.
1. A financial report must be submitted five (5) business days before Election Day.
Candidates failing to comply will be penalized ten (10) points the first day and five (5) points for
each subsequent day the report is late.
2. Winning candidates are required to submit a final financial report with seven (7)
business days after Election Day.
3. Candidates must list the entire cost of each individual expenses, tax inclusive, that
results in campaign materials that in any way suggest support of their candidacy.
4. Any campaign material bearing gate name of more than one candidate must be
expensed at full cost by each candidate named.
5. The Elections commission will contact all candidates who fail to turn in their financial
reports to remind them do so.

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 Title VII: Penalties for Violations
Section 701: Penalties Explained.
1. The Election Commission shall determine that a violation has occurred once a meeting of
the Elections Commission has been called and a majority of those present and voting
agree that a violation has occurred.
2. The Code shall operate on a five strikes system. Violation of this code shall result in
strikes. After one strike, the individual candidate or campaign ticket will receive a verbal
warning. After two strikes, a written warning will be served. Upon the accumulation of
three strikes, an individual candidate or campaign ticket shall be disqualified and have all
votes previously credited to that campaign discounted from the election results.
3. If students are running as part of a campaign ticket, the Elections Commission shall have
the authority to determine whether penalties will be imponsed upon an entry ticket, or
instead upon only one or more individual candidates. The Elections Commission shall
base such a determination on its judgment of whether the evidence presented indicates
that a ticket conspired to commit a violation, or conversely that a single candidate, or
small group of candidates, failed to adhere to this code without the knowledge of the
ticket leadership.
4. Any candidate or student who seeks candidacy who has colluded with restricted officials
outlined by this document, senate resolutions, or any parenting document forfeits their
right to participate in elections for a period no shorter than a year. No members of the
policy board should be involved in any campaign.

Title VIII: Appellate Procedures

Section 801: Purpose
1. The purpose of this section is to ensure that a fair and impartial election has been held.
No person, or group of persons, shall prevent this upright purpose from being achieved
by violating the provisions of this Code.
Section 802: Scope

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 1. These provisions on violations govern the procedure in all cases and proceedings on
violation of this Elections Code, and in any appellate review thereof. They shall be
construed to secure the just determination of every action.
Section 803: Definitions
1. The term ​violation is further defined in Appendix One (1). Items, considered violations,
are outlined in Appendix One (1) also, Section Eight (8) of the Howard University
Student Code of Conduct outlines activities, which will be considered illegal as well.
Section 804: Procedure for Filing Charges
1. Any Howard University student shall have the right to file charges against students or
groups of students. All charges must be presented in writing to the General Elections
Commission via the Elections Commissioner.
Section 805: Complaint Form.
1. No complaint shall be considered valid unless it contains the following information in
form of Appendix Two.
a. Time Limitations​. No complaint, with the exception of failure to remove
campaign material, shall be accepted later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday
following Election Day. Charges of failure to remove all campaign materials from
all University property may be filed until noon of the Wednesday immediately
following the election. Candidates are still subject to actions of the Elections
Commission even though the election may be certified.
b. Service of Charges​. For each complaint form filed with the Elections
Commission, the Elections Commission is responsible for serving a copy of the
complaint with all due and reasonable speed, to the alleged violator, to the student
filing the complaint, and to the HUSA Senate Elections Committee. Distribution
of the copies of the complaint shall be by e-mail and may be accompanied by an
oral communication of the same.
c. Counseling​. The Elections Commission shall work under the premise that blatant
violations of this Elections Code must be corrected with all due speed so that they
do not occur in the future. When the Elections Coordinator receives a complaint

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 form, a copy of the form will be forwarded to the alleged violator. The alleged
violator must submit a written response to the Commission within twenty-four
(24) hours of notification.
d. Decision​. No later than twenty-four (24) hours after the receipt of the alleged
violator’s response, a majority of the Elections Commission must convene and
render a decision. Once a decision has been made, with all due and reasonable
speed, the Elections Commission will notify the alleged violator.
i. If the alleged violator wishes to appeal the decision of the General
Elections Commission, they must do so in writing, within twenty-four (24)
hours of the receipt of the Commission decision. The first appellate body
for decisions rendered by the General Elections Commission shall be the
Violation Appeals Board.
Section 806: Violation Appeals Board.
1. There shall be a panel of students called the Violation Appeals Board. This Board shall
consist of the Director of Local Elections as chair of the Board, and four (4) randomly
selected Local Elections Coordinators.
2. Members of the Board will rotate on a weekly basis throughout the duration of the
elections season. The Elections Coordinator shall serve as an ex-officio member of the
Board. The board shall review all appealed decisions to determine if the decision
rendered was made in accordance with the provisions of this Code, and to determine if
there is evidence of injustice.
3. If the Violation Appeals Board determines, by a simple majority vote, that a decision was
made in accordance with the provisions of this Election Code and that there was evidence
of injustice, the ruling by the Elections Commission will stand.
4. If the Violation Appeals Board determines, by a simple majority vote, that a decision was
not made in accordance with the provisions of this Elections Code and/or that there was
evidence of injustice, the ruling by the Elections Commission will be overturned and the
case will be remanded to the Elections Commission for reassessment. The Violations

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 Board, using its discretion, may refer cases directly to the HUSA Senate Elections
Committee.
5. The Violation Appeals Board shall not have the power to levy penalties against an
alleged violator based on an examination of the violations against him/her in accordance
with the Elections Code. The Violation Appeals Board will serve as an appellate body
only.
Section 807: HUSA Senate Elections Committee
1. Candidates may appeal decisions to the HUSA Senate Elections Committee in either of
these two instances or when there is a complaint directly against the commission:
a. When the Violation Appeals Board upholds the decision of the Elections
Commission or
b. the Violation Appeals Board overturns the decision of the Elections Commission
and the Elections Commission reassesses its’ initial decision and renders a new
decision that the alleged violator believes is not in line with these guidelines.
2. When hearing an appeal, the HUSA Senate Elections Committee can accept the
reassessed decision of the Election Commission or overturn the decision and replace it
with a finding of their own, as long as it is consistent with the Code. The ruling of the
Elections Committee is final.
Section 808: Howard University Policy Board.
1. Only matters pertaining to disqualification or those infractions/violation that would
definitively alter the outcome of the election may be appealed from the HUSA Senate
Elections Committee to the Howard University Policy Board.
2. Upon consultation with th Election Commission, the HUSA Senate Elections Committee
reserves the right to define “definitely alter the outcome of the election.”
3. In all other matters, the final decision of the HUSA Senate Elections Committee will
stand.
Section 809: Appellate Ethics.
1. If at any time during the appeals process, the integrity of a member of the appellate body
can be legitimately questioned or if a direct conflict of interest arises, that is, the member

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is required to make a decision that directly affects them or a known associate, then in the
interest of fairness and the integrity of the process, the member must recuse themselves
or may be dismissed from the body with a majority vote.

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