All-Campus Elections Commission January 25, 2013 Student Services Fee Request for 2013-2014 Academic Year Coffman Memorial Union Suite 500 300 Washington Avenue Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0110 Address (612) 624-4636 (612) 624-8749 acec@umn.edu Phone Fax Email We acknowledge that the Fees Committee does not award actual dollars, but rather a penny fee that earns dollars based upon student enrollment levels. Any differences between anticipated and actual income resulting from changes in enrollment are the responsibility of the student organization, not of the Fees Committee. Mallory Kurkoski Preparer s Name kurk0019@umn.edu Preparer s Email Mitchell Menigo Co-Preparer s Name meni0012@umn.edu Co-Preparer s Email Is your organization an IRS 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit? Yes No X If yes, please provide proof of your organization s 501(c)(3) status. Funds are being requested for (check all that apply): General Operating Support: x Start-Up Costs: Capital: Project / Program Support: x Technical Assistance: Other (List): Budget Dollar Amount Requested $ $9,427 Total Annual Organization Budget $ $11,058.26 Total Program Budget (apart from General Operating) $ $7,105.00
Section One: Narrative History & Structure The All-Campus Elections Commission (ACEC) is an autonomous student group responsible for the administration and oversight of campus-wide elections, a time for the University student community to participate in their role in the University s shared governance process. The All-Campus Elections ballot is primarily and consistently utilized by Minnesota Student Association (MSA), Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) and Twin Cities Student Delegation of the Student Senate (University Senate) for their respective elections. It is also available for use by any registered student group or University department who would like to include an open election, and functions as an avenue for student groups to propose referenda and gather student opinion (Guideline 4). The express duty of ACEC is to formulate, disseminate, and interpret the All-Campus Election Rules and to govern the general conduct of the All Campus Elections in an unbiased and viewpoint-neutral manner. The Commission is advised by Student Unions and Activities (SUA), and its responsibilities include, but are not limited to, interpreting and maintaining the All-Campus Election Rules, overseeing the conduct of candidates and other election personnel, identifying violations, resolving complaints, and generating awareness of the electoral process at the University. The Commission aims to foster a sense of community on the Twin Cities campus by promoting involvement in student government through facilitating campus elections and holding candidate debates, voting awareness rallies, and get-out-thevote events (Guidelines 1, 5). The Commission consists of five student-appointed commissioners. Each position reflects a specific focus area needing attention during the election season, as determined by previous Commissions and the appointed advisors. For this year, these positions include: Chair Public Relations/Marketing Coordinator Social Media Coordinator Event Coordinator Rules/Finance Coordinator The Commission has existed in various forms for as long as student government has been present on campus. In the past, it operated as a part of MSA, but now conducts itself as a financiallyindependent entity advised by SUA. Financial and organizational independence from the organizations the Commission oversees allows it to better carry out its duties in an objective and unbiased fashion. As such, GAPSA and MSA s involvement is now limited to assisting in the commissioner selection process. Increasing Awareness One of the main goals of ACEC has always been to increase voter turnout from previous years (Guideline 5). Over the years, it has found that one of the most powerful ways to increase voter turnout is to promote voter awareness and education using advertising and events.
The Commission plans to leverage its existing partnerships and create new ones in the upcoming year to support increased voter turnout. In past years, the Commission has partnered with The Minnesota Daily by placing election awareness ads, contributing to election news coverage, and allowing students to stream live debate coverage from The Minnesota Daily website. The Commission is currently pursuing a partnership with the University s Political Science Department to offer incentives to increase student involvement in elections and attendance at debates, and is exploring using Undergraduate and Graduate e-mail updates as a vehicle for disseminating information regarding the campaigning and election processes. The Commission expects these efforts will result in increased voter turnout and will strengthen student body visibility of campus elections for years to come (Guidelines 2, 3, 5, 6). In addition to creating and strengthening partnerships, the Commission also plans to hold several campus events to increase visibility and awareness (Guideline 5). All candidates are invited to attend these events, and ACEC typically budgets to provide food and/or entertainment for students who attend. The Commission believes that allowing the candidates a forum where they can meet with students helps increase awareness of elections and poll attendance and helps students become more involved in University governance and the student body. Section Two: Organizational Chart Zachary Haas ACEC Advisor Marissa Suiter ACEC Advisor Mallory Kurkoski Commission Chair Mitch Menigo Rules & Finance Coordinator Gretchen Koeritzer Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator Erika Block Social Media Coordinator Quinn Handahl Events Coordinator
Section Three: Performance Report The All Campus Elections Commission s (ACEC) purpose is to be an efficient and effective resource for student groups on campus. Their goal is to assist with campus wide elections by providing a successful and fair election. The previous success of the services and work they have provided, as well as the improvements the commission can make in the future will allow for the commission to continue to gain momentum on campus (Guideline 2). Commission Selection Candidate recruitment began at the beginning of the fall 2012 semester. The application was available online and could be emailed of dropped off in the Student Activities Office. The commissioner openings were promoted in a variety of ways; advertisements in The Minnesota Daily and posting fliers throughout prominent areas of campus. Advertising for commissioners was also done by MSA and GAPSA. Recruitment started as early as possible. We received 14 applications for 5 open positions, an increase from the 10 applicants received the previous year (Guideline 3). Interviews were conducted for the commissioner during the beginning of October and candidate selection was finalized at the GAPSA/MSA joint meeting at the end of October. The commission held its first training meeting on November 9 th, earlier than last year, which allowed for more preparation for the upcoming election season. For 2013-2014, we will begin to market these positions early in order to continue gaining exposure. Advertisements will continue to be used through the Minnesota Daily, as well as social media and MyU. Also, the commissioners plan to have a booth at the Explore U Fair to reach the incoming freshman as well as the Fall Activities Fair to reach more of the student population (Guideline 1). MSA & GAPSA Debates In 2012 ACEC held two debates, one for the MSA candidates and one for the GAPSA candidates. Both debates were held in The Whole Music Club. The attendance at the MSA debate was 30 people, which we believe, in part, was due to a scheduling conflict with a MSA event. Because the GAPSA candidate was running uncontested last year, the GAPSA debate was turned into an open forum. The attendance for this forum was 20 people (Guideline 3). We plan to hold the 2013 candidate debates again in The Whole Music Club and have scheduled them with no conflicts with MSA or GAPSA, so we anticipate that more members of these groups will be able to attend. We also plan to serve some type of substantial food served since the debates will be held over the dinner time, which we believe will be an incentive for individuals to attend the event (Guideline 8). The commission plans to promote these debates and the awareness of open positions by having a series of advertisements. These advertisements will be placed in the Minnesota Daily, as well as advertising done through social media, MyU and by the candidates themselves. The Minnesota Daily will also be live streaming the debates, which was considered a success in the last election. The Commission will continue to work with MSA and GAPSA to further improve the debates and increase awareness across the student body (Guideline 1). Voting Awareness Campaign ACEC is still continuing to develop its relatively new Voting Awareness campaign, which was first introduced 3 years ago. Despite its short history, it has shown to be a successful way of reaching voters (Guideline 5). For the 2012 elections, pizza and sandwiches were handed out at Northrop Plaza. Attendance to this event was estimated around 700 people, this number is based off of pizza and subs handed out, in addition to the number of individuals with whom Commissioners talked to about
elections and/or to which they distributed buttons. Although this was a decrease from the previous year, it still proved to be a valuable tool for informing the student body about the elections (Guideline 3). Since the Voting Awareness campaign has been a successful way to spread awareness, with the added bonus of food, the Commission this year has decided to hold two big events as well as participating in the Spring Activities Fair. At the Spring Activities Fair, the Commission will hand out candy with labels wrapped around them. The attached labels will have a timeline of events coordinated by ACEC to promote the elections. Also, postcards will be sent to University Residence Halls with the election dates, voting tool (ballot) address, debate information, and will advertise that the commission will be handing out Mesa Pizza as part of the Voting Awareness Campaign. Finally, ACEC will have two big events - one on East Bank and one on West Bank, handing out Mesa and promotional materials regarding the elections. In St. Paul, ACEC will have a contact table with information and candy distribution, similar to the Activities Fair. These events will be advertised in the Minnesota Daily, on social media, through MSA and GAPSA, as well as by candidates themselves. It will also be required for the candidates to attend these events to speak with constituents and help the commissioners promote the elections. Buttons or stickers will also be handed out to remind people to vote (Guideline 1). Get Out the Vote Rallies Get Out the Vote rallies have proved minimally successful over the last year, with little interaction with the student body. During the 2012 elections, numbers reported for all GOTV rallies are based on the number of specific interactions with students (discussing election dates/times, how to vote, getting students to vote on provided laptops, etc.). The number of interactions reported were: 150 students on the East Bank, 60 on the West Bank, and 30 on the St. Paul campus. During the 2013 elections to improve these numbers, the commissioners have redeveloped the Get Out the Vote rallies to reach more of the school population (Guideline 2). The main rallies will take place in the Walter Library, Wilson Library, and on the St. Paul campus, as well as a contact table in Coffman, near the eating area on the ground floor. In addition to having promotional materials at each location, commissioners and/or volunteers will be available to answer questions and will have laptops to assist with voting. The Commission will also have cards with the voting link available for people to take. In University Dining Halls, we are planning to place brochures on tables to advertise to the many people eating. By redesigning the Get Out and Vote rallies and making them more diverse and widespread across campus, the commissioners hope to greatly increase voter turnout, as well as to inform the campus of the elections that are currently happening (Guideline 6). Elections The All Campus Elections will be held on April 8 th, 9 th and 10 th of 2013. The Groups participating in the elections and the number of positions available are: University Senate* (the colleges below are eligible to place open positions on the All- Campus Elections ballot under University Senate) o College of Biological Sciences o College of Continuing Education o College of Design o College of Education and Human Development o College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences o College of Liberal Arts o College of Science and Engineering o Carlson School of Management Minnesota Student Association (MSA)
o Student Body President and Vice President (1) o At- Large Forum Representative (16) Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) o Student Body President (1) Voting Tools To truly evaluate the success of ACEC, is to not look only at the attendance from the Voting Awareness campaigns and the Get Out the Vote rallies, but also at the number of students who actually voted. The Commission also evaluates if any complaints were placed and how well the elections went. The goal for each year s Commission is to carry out the All-Campus Elections in a proper, organized, efficient and informative way as well as interpreting all rules properly and in a fair manner (Guideline 2). To improve the number of students voting, the Commission holds a variety of Voting Awareness campaigns and Get Out the Vote rallies that utilize promotional materials to inform students of the upcoming elections. The Commission also uses a variety of social media and the Minnesota Daily to provide information about the elections. By holding debates, ACEC creates an opportunity for voters to learn more about the candidates, which allows for an increase in voter turnout (Guideline 5). By informing more students of the option to vote, ACEC s presence on campus is important in maintaining the integrity of the elections process. ACEC hosts the elections, and promotes the elections to engage more students to vote but doesn t promote candidates individually (Guideline 2). In the 2012 election, voter turnout for the MSA elections was 14.92%, which is a total of 3,016 undergraduate voters. The percentage decreased slightly from 2011 but the number of students who voted actually increased. The voter turnout for GAPSA was lower than the previous year at 2.707%. We believe the decrease in voter turnout for the GAPSA elections was due to the fact that the candidate was running was running uncontested. Since she was uncontested, voter turnout for GAPSA was expected to be lower than the previous year. Additional marketing and tailoring certain ACEC events directly to graduate students can help improve candidate recruitment, as well as increase the voter turnout. University Senate voter turnout was averaged at 12.16% of undergraduate students, which is consistent with previous years (Guideline 3). For the upcoming 2013 elections, the Commission is hopeful for an increase in voter turnout with the restructuring of the GOTV and Voting Awareness campaign, as well as the implementation of a new voting tool, that should make it even easier for students to have access to voting in the elections (Guideline 1). This new voting tool, Simply Voting, is an improvement over the previous tool. First of all, ACEC is not being charged for usage or maintenance. This tool also makes voting easier for students since it is accessible from both computers and smart phones, allowing for students to vote easily and immediately after they receive information about the elections (Guideline 4). ACEC strives to promote the elections through promotional materials in the Minnesota Daily, on social media, email announcements, as well as through the many events they hold across campus. However, the commissioners believe that the candidates are the most useful promotional material when recruiting voters and they have the biggest impact on voter turnout. By working closely with MSA, GAPSA, and University Senate, ACEC will continue to work towards increasing voter turnout for the elections. ACEC is committed to increasing awareness of the candidates, the upcoming elections, and the importance of students being civically engaged in student government (Guideline 1). Section Four: Reserve Accounts
The All-Campus Elections Commission has maintained an operational reserve and the commission greatly believes in the necessity of continuing to maintain such a designation of a part of this group s overall budget. The reserve amount is held in the same financial account as the ACEC s operational and programming funds within a University financial account as the group is managed as a Campus Life Program. The current amount in the account is $600 for the 2012-2013 year, which allows for funds accessible only for unanticipated expenses. This is done in order to maintain a high standard for the functions of the All-Campus Elections Commission when educating students on the chance to determine representation and the conducting of the elections. Section Five: Fees Request The All-Campus Elections Commission is requesting $9,427 in student services fees for the 2013-2014 academic year. While this request is an increase from the previous year, it is lower than what the Commission has historically requested. As noted in the Commission s 2012-2013 request, the amount of the decrease in its requests from prior years reflects the University s decision to cover the cost of the online voting tool used in campus elections and is not due to a reduction in programming or services offered to the student body. This shifted expense resulted in a large carry-over from the 2011-2012 budget, which allowed the Commission to request less for the 2012-2013 budget than it had in the past. Without this large carryover in 2013-2014, the Commission must restore its funding request to previous levels. The amount requested helps to fill the gap between an operating surplus and the Commission s standard annual budget. Upon close review, the Commission has slightly reduced its 2013-2014 budget to align with cost reduction initiatives. It strongly believes that the amount of student services fees requested is necessary to achieve the organization s mission of enhancing the visibility of and driving increased student voter turnout in campus elections. Advertising and voting awareness events are a proven means to achieve these objectives, and a majority of the Commission s budget is allocated to serve these ends. The Commission is committed to serving as a steward of student-provided funds and ensures that it will continue to carry out its activities in a cost-conscious manner while remaining true to its mission to facilitate unbiased and independent campus elections. Student Services Fees allocations assist the Commission in maintaining its viewpoint neutrality by eliminating the need for the organization to hold fundraising activities that may jeopardize the group s impartiality and integrity. The Commission is composed of only five students who are collectively responsible for overseeing, promoting, and administering the whole of campus elections. These activities take months of work to coordinate, starting in October when Commission members are selected, and need to be largely finalized before the start of the filing and election processes in the spring semester. Adding fundraising requirements to the Commission s duties would create an undue burden on its members and distract it from its mission and continued success. The Commission also believes it is improper of an impartial and independent electoral body to attempt to secure alternative sources of funding, as it may appear to influence the Commission s decision-making with regard to candidates or referenda (Guidelines 7, 8). As such, the Commission respectfully asks that its request for $9,427 in student services fees be granted without qualification. Section Six: Description of Impact of 10% Decrease
The Commission only requests fees that it deems necessary to properly manage All-Campus Elections. Student Service Fees are necessary to ensure fair and free elections. Due to the small budget of ACEC and wide range of the Commission s responsibilities a 10 percent reduction in Student Service Fees would be detrimental to achieving the goals and responsibilities of the Commission. A 10 percent reduction would most adversely impact the Commission s ability to advertise for the election and ensure voter turnout through voting awareness events. Advertising is an integral part of the Commission s ability to improve voter turnout. In terms of encouraging students to participate in All-Campus Elections, advertising and marketing are essential parts of the Commission s objectives. In fact, the most important aspect of an election is encouraging students to vote through various advertising methods, such as in the Minnesota Daily, on-line, and through voting awareness events, which is why the Commission devotes a large portion of the budget to such activities. The Commission feels that without the ability to adequately publicize the All-Campus Elections, there would be a lack of awareness about the candidates and the election itself, leading to low voter turnout and poor representation of the student body. A 10 percent cut would significantly impact the Commission s ability to financially support advertising and marketing campaigns that raise voter awareness. For instance, the advertisements in the Minnesota Daily help make students aware of debates, voting awareness events, and the election itself. These advertisements reach a large portion of the student body and are an integral part of the election. Thus, a 10 percent cut to our budget would significantly impact the Commission s ability to administer a fair and representative election. One particularly important advertising method that the Commission has traditionally employed and is planning on using again this year, is the use of food at the Voting Awareness Campaign. The Voting Awareness Campaign is designed to generate on-campus awareness of candidates and election in the weeks prior to the All-Campus Elections. Based on prior recommendations from the commission, food will only be provided at events in the weeks prior to the election and not during the actual election days to eliminate any perception of trading votes for sandwiches. ACEC intends to use food as a method to draw students to the voting awareness events held in the weeks leading up to the election. These events help raise awareness about the upcoming elections and the candidates that the students can vote for. These events were successful in drawing large crowds of students, 700 last year, which is why the Commission is planning on again having food at these events. A 10 percent cut to our budget would significantly impact our food budget for next year s election. If ACEC was no longer able to offer food at these events, turnout would decrease, along with awareness of the All-Campus Election. The Commission is committed to providing fair, representative, and well-attended All-Campus Elections. All of this requires that students are well informed about the candidates and the election. Advertising and voting awareness events are the most effective way to inform students about the upcoming election. A 10 percent decrease in our budget would reduce the Commission s ability to effectively administer and support these All-Campus Elections.