BSUAAI Election Code

BSUAAI Election Code

ARTICLE I – GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1 – Purpose

The Election Code is hereby adopted by the Benguet State University Alumni Association, Incorporated (BSUAAI) to fulfill the constitutional responsibility of the Committee on Election (COMELEC) to “prescribe the manner of holding elections” and “to judge the elections and qualifications of Election Officials.”

Section 2 – Accountability to the Election Code

  1. Every person who files candidacy for elective office under the authority of the BSUAAI Constitution and By-Laws shall have access to a copy of this document at the time of
  2. All candidates along with all volunteers shall be responsible for knowing and abiding by the contents of this document. Any questions concerning this document shall be addressed directly to the Chairman of the COMELEC.

ARTICLE II – THE COMMITTEE ON ELECTION

Section 1. General Functions. The COMELEC shall have the following functions:

  1. Shall have the authority to preside over rules in all areas of the election process.
  2. Address all election complaints and may make corresponding decisions at its discretion.
  3. Shall have the right to have a meeting to review submitted complaints and evidence to decide whether further action is needed.
  4. The COMELEC decisions are final.

ARTICLE III – COMPOSITION, QUALIFICATIONS, AND APPOINTMENTS OF MEMBERS

Section 1. Composition

  1. The COMELEC shall be composed of at least five (5) members.
  2. There shall be a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, and the rest as members.
  3. The Administrative staff of the Association may serve as secretariat and other volunteers to assist if necessary but they shall not have voting powers.

Section 2. Qualifications

  1. Any alumni member with experience, integrity, impartiality, and good judgment.
  2. Not a current officer of the Association.
  3. Not interested to file candidacy as an officer.
  4. Willingness to serve with or without compensation.
  5. Of voting age or 18 years old and above.

Section 3. Selection, Appointment, and Tenure

  1. The filing of membership to the COMELEC may either be by self-nomination or by nomination by any qualified member addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association herein referred to as Board, or by nomination in the Board in cases where there are no nominees at least two months (June) prior to the start of the election (September) every after three years.
  2. The Chairman shall be appointed and given the oath of office by the Chairman of The Oath of Office states: “I, (name), do solemnly affirm that I will faithfully execute the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me by virtue of my membership to the COMELEC and will do to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and enforce the Constitution, By-Laws, and the Election Code of BSUAAI.”
  3. The tenure of appointment shall start at least two (2) months prior to the start of the filing of candidacy and shall end upon the proclamation of winners or within 15 days after the counting of ballots to resolve electoral complaints as the case may be. On the other hand, the tenure of a member may be revoked by the Chairman or by the Chairman of the Board in case of the Chairman when there is a valid proof of biases or failure to follow the Constitution and By-Laws, and the Election Code.

Section 4. Vacancy

  1. The Chairman. In case of a vacancy of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall automatically become the Chairman, and the new Chairman shall appoint a Vice Chairman from among the
  2. Member(s). The vacated set of member(s), shall be filled up by nominees of the Chairman and shall be confirmed by 2/3 of the members of the Board. In cases where there are no nominees, the Chairman of the Board shall appoint.
  3. Vacancies shall be filled up the soonest as possible but not extended more than one week so as not to delay the election process. The same committee may serve multiple or consecutive terms provided they served with integrity and a. re-approved by the Board.

Section 5. Roles and Responsibilities of the Chairman

  1. The Chairman shall execute the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws and all other provisions of this Code.
  2. Shall head the election process and oversee the work of all members of the committee.
  3. Shall administer and set provisions for special elections where provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws whenever necessary.
  4. Organize all necessary materials and coordinate all personnel for the efficient and prompt execution of the election provisions provided for in this code.
  5. Request the Board when necessary, for advisory opinions on election code procedures and
  6. Shall be responsible for making sure that the candidates are oriented but are not limited to the following: election rules and regulations, election schedule, structure and functions of the COMELEC, and the duties and responsibilities of the elected officers.
  7. Shall ensure the correct posting of certificate of candidacy and ballots, and constitutional amendments relative to the election if any.
  8. Shall prepare and submit at the end of their term an accurate and detailed description of all election results, complaints, and responses to complaints if any including ideas for improving the election process.
  9. Shall have the authority to spend funds appropriated by the Board for election and submit accounting thereafter to the Board.
  10. Shall administer the oath of office to the elected officers.
  11. Shall post to the public an official list of all of the qualified candidates and elected officials.

ARTICLE IV – FILING OF CANDIDACY OF OFFICERS

Section 1. Filing for Positions

  1. Filing of candidacy shall be within one (1) month prior to election day either through personal appearance, postal, or email unless there is an amendment to it as determined by the
  2. Only 18 years old and above shall be eligible to file candidacy, vote, and be voted upon.
  3. Only regular members who attended at least one General Assembly preceding the election year are eligible to file candidacy for President and Vice President positions.
  4. The COMELEC shall review the application forms and inform within five (5) working days if the applicants are qualified or not.
  5. Candidates cannot change positions once an application for office is submitted and confirmed by the COMELEC. All candidates must apply for one position only. All subsequent filings must be considered void unless the second application amends the first application before the filling
  6. Each candidate must file their candidacy in the prescribed form available at the alumni office or online upon request from association@bsu.edu.ph .
  7. All candidates must submit their applications directly to the alumni office of through email at association@bsu.edu.ph on or before the start of the election.
  8. The application shall be reviewed by the COMELEC for confirmation within one week informing whether the candidate is qualified or not.
  9. In cases, where there are positions without candidates, the COMELEC shall convene and come up with the alternative process, and their decision shall be final.

Section 2. Campaigning

  1. Campaigning is defined as “any activity by a candidate or party that is intended or likely to encourage or discourage a voter to cast a vote, or to affect how a member votes.”
  2. Campaigning includes but is not limited to written, verbal, and/or electronic solicitation of votes.
  3. The determination of campaigning and campaign materials is at the discretion of the COMELEC.
  4. Candidates may not begin campaigning until they are verified for eligibility by the COMELEC nor before the campaign start date as determined by the COMELEC.
  5. All candidates must campaign in a positive manner while creating awareness of the candidate’s Issues may be discussed candidly, but personal attacks on candidates shall not be tolerated.

ARTICLE V – THE ELECTIVE POSITIONS

(as provided in Article II Sections 1-3 in the By-Laws)

ARTICLE VI -THE ELECTION PROPER

Section 1. Date and Venue of Election. The regular election of officers shall be on September 27 every after three (3) years during the Annual General Assembly and Homecoming and in time with the University Foundation Day celebration at the BSU Gym. The online election may likewise be done for members who are unable to attend the face-to-face election process provided online registration and voting are properly administered. Special elections may also be held as the need arise, and the timetable for such election shall be determined by the President and Board of Trustees and announced at least one month prior to the election proper.

Section 2. Time of Election. The time of election shall start from 9:00 am to 11:00 am to enable the COMELEC to count the votes prior to the adjournment of the Business Meeting. Other schedules may be scheduled for online voters.

Section 3. Polling Locations. There will be at least one designated on-site polling location or as may be determined by the COMELEC within the General Assembly area in order to be accessible to voters and for transparency.

Section 5. Voting and Tallying of Votes

  1. Election shall be done at large through secret balloting. It may be done face-to-face or online. However, online voters shall register within one week (two weeks before the election) and shall vote ahead within one week (one week before the face-to-face election). Canvassing shall start upon closing of the voting period until the last ballot.
  2. When only one candidate is seeking a position, their name will still appear on the ballot, however, they will automatically be elected to their position.
  3. All other candidates’ names on the ballot will be categorized by the position to be sought and then appear in alphabetical order by the family name followed by the first name.
  4. In the case of disqualification or failure to accept a position by the elected candidate at any time prior to taking office, the candidate with the next highest number of votes will be declared as the elected official.
  5. If a candidate is disqualified after the ballot is finalized, any vote cast for that candidate will still be tallied in the total votes used to determine the percentage majority.
  6. If no complaints or appeals are registered with the COMELEC within four (4) hours of the closure of the voting polls, all election results shall be deemed final.
  7. An appointment process will be deemed appropriate to fill vacant positions if, after elections, seats are available. The Chairman of the Board has the authority to appoint eligible members to vacant positions with confirmation from the 2/3 members of the Board.
  8. The candidate who received the most votes in a position shall be declared the winner.

ARTICLE VII – ELECTION COMPLAINTS AND REPORTING

Section 1. Submission of Complaints

  1. All election complaints must be submitted in writing within four (4) hours of the close of elections.
  2. Such complaints must be filed based on violations that were clearly intended by the person who is being accused and the burden of proving shall always rest with the complainant.

Section 2. Resolutions of Complaints

  1. Complaints may only be discussed between the parties involved, witnesses, and the COMELEC.
  2. The COMELEC en banc shall investigate the said complaint and decide its merit no more than two days after they received the complaint. They must review the complaint carefully to determine validity before and provide substantive reasoning based on the BSUAAI Constitution and By-

Laws and Election Code. They must have written documentation for presentation to the complainant and the accused and for filing at the office of the Association.

Section 3. Notification of Complainant(s)

  1. If the complaint is deemed legitimate, the COMELEC Chairman shall promptly notify the candidate(s)/individuals against whom the complaint has been filed, and then the Chairman shall conduct separate hearings with the candidate(s) against whom the complaint has been filed, and if necessary, the individual(s) who filed the complaint.
  2. The results of the complaint will be determined within 24 hours of the hearing if deemed necessary and prior to the announcement of the results.
  3. Any filed complaints will be made available to the public upon request to the COMELEC after they are filed, and decisions on the legitimacy of complaints have been made.

ARTICLE VIII – VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES

  1. A violation is defined as the unauthorized tampering, altering, or abuse of the voting process such as falsified election documents.
  2. A candidate who undertook any election violations shall be disqualified for filing and/or being elected into office.

ARTICLE IX – OATH OF OFFICE AND INDUCTION, AND TURNOVER CEREMONIES

  1. An Induction Ceremony for the newly elected officers shall be held immediately after the announcement of election results.
  2. In the event of a contested election, the COMELEC may postpone the induction of the contested officers for up to 30 days following the conclusion of the final election results.
  3. The outgoing and incoming officers shall attend the induction.
  4. There shall be a simple Ceremonial Procedure, the COMELEC Chairman shall administer the oath of office of the incoming officers.
  5. The oath shall read “I (name) do solemnly affirm that I will serve the Alumni Association faithfully, execute the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me by virtue of my office, and will, to the best of my ability, to preserve, protect, and enforce the constitution and by-laws of the Association, and I voluntarily accept my position without mental reservation and purpose of evasion. So help me God.”
  6. After the oath, the Outgoing President shall perform the Turn-Over of Responsibility to the newly inducted President by handing a copy of the Accomplishment Report and Plans of the alumni.
  7. The election shall be capped with an Inaugural Speech of the incoming President.