BEC starts from scratch on handbook

Posted to On Campus by Campbell Massie at 6:39 p.m., Sept. 16, 2008

After meeting with Steve Concannon, the Board of Election Commissioners changed approval procedures, campaign expense caps and campaigning dates in its proposed BEC handbook.

The BEC went through the handbook after the meeting and started from scratch, Vice Chairman Ryan Senciboy said.

Instead of the proposed pre-approval of campaign materials, the BEC asks that campaign materials be kept on record so that they may investigate charges of profanity, libel, slander as well as violations of the M-Book. Slates will not be required to get preapproval for campaign materials, but they will have to register any such materials with the BEC through Election Form 5: Report of Campaign Material, and 10: Posting of Campaign Materials.

The revised handbook took away the campaign finance cap of $1,000 and the cash or money order specification. Contributions can now be received in any form but photocopies of reciepts, deposit slips and checks must be included with the report.

The old BEC handbook specified that campaign could not start more than 45 days prior to the election, but all such language in the revised handbook has been changed to "on the first day of classes of the semester of election." This gives slates the opportunity to campaign before registering with the BEC and officially announcing their candidacy, both of which they will still be required to do.

Rules about blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook have also slightly changed in the revision. Slander and libel against slates are the only things prohibited on profile pages or group pages made by slates. Group or fan pages made by slates are considered subject to campaign regulations.

The handbook goes before Senate committees tonight and the full Senate tomorrow for approval.