Proposed

Student Election Code

Systems Plus College Foundation
Balibago Angeles City

PROPOSED STUDENT ELECTION CODE

FOR SUPREME STUDENT COUNCIL AND COLLEGE STUDENT COUNCILS

2016

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Proposed
Student Election Code
PROPOSED STUDENT ELECTION CODE
Systems Plus College Foundation
Balibago, Angeles City
ARTICLE I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. TITLE. This code shall be known as the Systems Plus College Foundation (SPCF)
Election Code herein referred to as the Election Code.
Section 2. JURISDICTION. This code shall govern all elections involving the Supreme Student
Council (SSC) Elections, College Student Councils (CSC) Elections, referendum, recall, and
other special elections.
Section 3. DECLARATION. This code aims to provide the enabling rules relative to the conduct
of elections, referendums and recalls to ensure an orderly and honest electoral exercise.
Section 4. The power to implement this code shall be vested with a student body to be called
the Student Electoral Committee under the oversight function of the Office of Student Affairs.
Section 5. For the purpose of this Code, the following terms shall be given their ordinary
meaning and acceptation unless otherwise provided herein:
a. Candidate - refers to the student aspiring or seeking elective office who has files a
certificate of candidacy.
b. A political party or party - refers to a voluntary organization of SPCF students advocating
the same ideology, political ideas, and platforms which have been accredited by the
Office of Student Affairs.
c. Campaign period - refers to the period where candidates may campaign.
d. Referendum a public vote on a particular issue.
e. Recall as used herein refers to the electoral exercise designed to remove an
incumbent elected student leader before the end of his/her term on the ground of loss of
confidence.
f.

Voter - refers to a bona fide student enrolled in the undergraduate course of SPCF.
ARTICLE II
STUDENT ELECTORAL COMMITTEE

Section 1. There is hereby created a Student Electoral Committee, hereinafter referred to as

the SEC, which shall be composed of a Chairman and four members. The chairman and the
members shall be appointed by the Head of Student Affairs.

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Section 2. QUALIFICATIONS OF SEC MEMBERS. The Head of the Office of Student Affairs
shall appoint the members of the SEC. The SEC members:
a. must be bona fide students with at least two (2) consecutive semesters of residency in
any undergraduate course;
b. not a candidate for any elective position;
c. not have been the subject of any disciplinary proceedings; and
d. must not be directly or indirectly associated with any student political party.
Section 3. The SEC Chairman shall be elected by the members themselves and shall perform
the following duties and responsibilities:
a. informs the OSA of all the activities of the SEC;
b. convenes and presides over all meetings of the SEC;
c. signs all papers and resolutions promulgated by the SEC; and
d. performs duties as may be necessary for carrying out his functions.
Section 4. FUNCTIONS OF SEC. The SEC shall exercise the following powers and
functions:
a. Serve as the board of canvassers for CSC and SSC elections;
b. enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of an election,
plebiscite or recall;
c. approve and disapprove certificates of candidacy;
d. supervise and regulate all activities related to election such as campaign, miting de
avance, canvassing of ballots and the like;
e. authorize the posting and distribution of election paraphernalia;
f. determine the campaign period, date of the election and the number and location of
polling places;`
g. appoints other election officials and inspectors as may be necessary;
h. by a majority vote, quorum being present, decide all questions involving qualifications of
candidates;
i. by a majority vote, quorum being present, decide disputes and other controversies
relating to the campaign, returns, and other election matters;
j. provide for necessary measures not expressly covered in this code; and
k. perform other functions as may be necessary.
Section 5. TERM OF OFFICE. The chair and members of the SEC shall serve for a term of one
year, subject to reappointment, or until their replacements shall have been appointed. However,
their term of office shall be deemed to have expired upon graduation or, when in any manner,
the chair or member is deemed separated from the school.
A violation of the Code of Conduct shall also terminate the term of office of a SEC member.
Section 6. The commission of the following shall result in the separation of the chair or any
member from the SEC:
a. acting beyond the powers granted by this code;
b. neglect or abandonment of duties;
c. exhibited partiality towards or prejudice against any political party or candidate;
d. disclosure of confidential matters to unauthorized parties;
e. any act that disrupted any electoral exercise; and
f. any other act analogous to the foregoing.
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ARTICLE III
ELECTIVE POSITIONS, TERM OF OFFICE, AND QUALIFICATIONS
Section 1. The elective positions for the College Student Councils and Supreme Student
Council are
a. President, Vice President for Internal Affairs, Vice President for External Affairs,
Secretary, Treasurer Auditor, and Information Officer
b. Elective officers shall have a term of office equivalent to one (1) academic year, subject
to re-election.
c. The incumbent officers shall continue to hold office in hold-over capacity in case of
failure of elections, or when no election is held.
d. In case of recall, resignation, removal, or when for any reason the officer is unable to
perform his/her duties, the office shall be deemed vacant and the Head of OSA shall
appoint a replacement from a list recommended by the council concerned.
e. Candidates garnering the highest number of votes shall be proclaimed winners.
f.

The term of office shall commence immediately after taking the oath of office.

Section 2. QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES. Any student possessing the following

qualifications may file their certificate of candidacy:
a. Must be a bona fide student with residency equivalent to at least two (2) consecutive
semesters in SPCF
b. Must not have been found guilty of committing any of the offenses listed in the College
Student Handbook (as amended);
c. Must not hold any editorial staff position in this Institution
d. must not have failed more than three units of his load in the immediately preceding
semester; and
e. Must not be on academic probation.
Section 3. A candidate must file a duly accomplished Certificate of Candidacy (COC) with the
SEC on or before the prescribed date. A political party may, however, file COCs on behalf of its
candidates.
Section 4. CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY. A valid Certificate of candidacy must contain the
following information:
a. the legal name, nickname, student number, year level, course, major, aspired position,
political party if any, the number of units enrolled, the number of units failed in the
preceding semester, violation of the student manual if any, and signature.
b. An enlarged copy of the candidates school ID, with a minimum size of four by seven
inches, must be attached to the COC.
c. A blank form may be obtained from the office of the SEC located at the Office of Student
Affairs.
Section 5. SUBSTITUTION. Substitution of candidates is allowed within the first week of the
campaign period.
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ARTICLE IV
CAMPAIGN
Section 1. PERIOD. The campaign period shall be determined by the SEC which shall not be
less than two (2) weeks, both for the CSC and the SSC elections.
Section 2. PLACE. Campaign activities may be held within the school premises and during
class days and class hours.
Section 3. All campaign materials shall be submitted to the SEC for approval and shall only be
posted on a general information board or other places authorized by the SEC.
Section 4. The following are lawful campaign paraphernalia:
a. candidate ID, the maximum size of 4x6 inches
b. posters, maximum size of 18x36 inches (cartolina size), no limit as to the number
c. streamers, which must not exceed 45x120 inches, maximum of two (2) tarpaulin,
maximum of 5x7 feet in size, lengthwise or crosswise, no limit as to number of leaflets;
d. posters, leaflets, or streamers must not contain vulgar, libelous , or derogatory language;
e. all other forms as may be allowed by the SEC.
Section 5. Public Debate. It is the policy of this code that public debates are necessary and,
therefore, encouraged. Separate debates may be held for CSC and SSC candidates. Should
debates be held, the following shall be observed:
a. The Institutional Publication shall sponsor the debate for the CSC elections, while the
College Publications shall sponsor the debate for the CSC elections. Should such is not
practicable; the SEC shall sponsor said debates;
b. Classes maybe suspended by the College Dean(s) or the Academic Affairs office during
such debates to allow students the opportunity to know their candidates.
c. A faculty shall be the moderator and shall have the power to warn and penalize an erring
candidate;
d. Candidates should not use derogatory remarks, vulgar language, and accusations that
are personal and irrelevant to the issues of the election;
e. Alumni members of political parties may be allowed to watch the debate as part of the
audience. Other acts are prohibited; and
f. The debate may be converted into a miting de avance of the party or candidate present
if none of the other candidates are present.
Section 6. A party may organize their own miting de avance subject to the following rules:
a. There shall be no disruption, disturbance or suspension of classes;
b. The party shall provide its own equipment and election paraphernalia; and
c. The venue shall be held on places authorized by the SEC.
Section 7. Faculty members shall remain neutral and uninterested parties.

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ARTICLE V
ELECTIONS
Section 1. PERIOD. The regular election for the Student Councils shall be held on a date to be
determined by the Head of Student Activities/OSA which shall be not earlier than June but not
later than August of every academic year.
Section 2. The location of polling precincts and time of balloting shall be determined by the
SEC.
Section 3. The SEC shall appoint election assistants who should be bona fide students of
SPCF. Their functions are as follows:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

set up polling precincts;

prepare a voters list for each college;
canvass votes;
prepare election returns; and
secure all unused election paraphernalia.

Section 4. VOTING PROCEDURE. The voters may cast their votes only on designated polling
places for their respective college. Election assistants will distribute the ballots. There shall be a
designated ballot box for each precinct. Voters must sign their ballots otherwise; they shall be
considered spoilt ballots.
Section 5. The ballot is VALID if the candidate's name is written in such a way that it is clearly
determinable who the voter is voting for. In addition, the following shall also be considered valid
ballots:
a. the FAMILY NAME is correct but the first name is wrong, provided that no two or more
candidates for the same position have the same family name;
b. the FAMILY NAME is misspelled and it is the judgment of the SEC or its authorized
representatives that the same refers to the intended candidate and to no one else;
c. ONLY the FAMILY NAME is written provided no two or more candidate have the same
family name for the same position; and
d. Only the ALIAS is written provided no two or more candidates for the same position have
the same alias.
Section 6. The candidates shall vote in the same manner as other voters but must leave the
polling place immediately after casting his or her ballot.
Section 7. A student who is not in the voters list may cast his or her vote provided a valid
school ID or registration form is presented. The election assistant must record the name of such
voters.
In the absence of an ID or registration paper, a permit to vote may be secured from the Office of
Student Affairs.
Section 8. A student who fails to vote on the prescribed precinct and voting period shall lose his
or her right to vote.
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Section 9. The SEC shall determine the balloting method which could be manual or electronic.
ARTICLE VI
CANVASSING OF VOTES
Section 1. COUNTING OF BALLOTS. Immediately after the closing of balloting, the election
assistants shall proceed to count the ballots and prepare the election return. All counted ballots
must be placed inside ballot boxes including the election return. The same must be transmitted
to the SEC including all unused election paraphernalia.
Section 2. POLL WATCHERS. Each political party or an independent candidate may have up
to three (3) poll watchers. The list of poll watchers must be filed with the SEC at least a day prior
to election day.
Section 3. Board of Canvassers. There is hereby created a board of canvassers to be
composed of the chairperson and members of the SEC. The OSA shall have oversight function
over the board of canvassers.
a. The Board of Canvassers shall canvass election returns and prepare a canvass report.
b. If there is still enough time, the canvassing may be made right after the counting of
votes. If not, it may be scheduled on the following class day. The canvassing shall be
done at the Student Center/Lobby.
c. A canvass report shall contain the names, positions, and the number of votes received
by the candidates. The report will be the basis for proclaiming winners. Such report shall
be filed with the OSA.
Section 4. BREAKING THE TIE. Should the elections results in a tie between two or more
candidates in any of the positions, the tie shall be broken by drawing lots or through a toss-coin.
ARTICLE VII
PROCLAMATION
Section 1. Candidates garnering the highest number of votes shall be proclaimed duly elected.
The EVP, VPAA, and All Deans will be furnished with a list of newly elected Student Council
officers.
Section 2. The list of new officers shall also be posted on all bulletin boards.
ARTICLE VIII
ELECTION OFFENSES AND PENALTIES
Section 1. The penalty of cancellation of COC shall be imposed upon any candidate who shall
commit any of the following offenses:
a. ILLEGAL POSTING. Illegal posting means posting campaign materials on unauthorized
places;
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b. Distribution of election paraphernalia in restricted places; and
c. Violation of Article IV Section 4 of this code
Section 2. The penalty of disqualification from any elective position shall be imposed upon any
candidate who shall commit any of the following offenses:
a. Any form of campaigning that disrupts classes
b. Use of derogatory remarks, vulgar language, and accusations that are too personal and
irrelevant to the election issues in posters, flyers, or during a campaign rally, or in a
speech at a meeting de avance or debate;
c. Distribution of election paraphernalia, except sample ballots, on election day;
d. Tampering or falsification of official documents including COC, election returns, ballots,
and certificate of canvass;
e. Candidates roaming around at any polling precinct during the election day or found at
the canvassing area during the canvassing period;
f. Assault on the person or property of any member of SEC, election assistants or
candidates, whether committed directly or indirectly, and wherever committed; and
g. Any other act analogous to the foregoing.
Section 3. Any Candidate or party representative may file a complaint involving violations of this
code against any candidate, political party, or supporter of a candidate with the SEC not later
than three hours after the commission of the alleged offense. If the offense was committed after
5:00 pm, the complaint may be filed the next day between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning.
Section 4. The SEC shall investigate the allegation in the complaint. If in the estimation of the
chairman there is enough proof to support the allegation, a hearing nay be held. Otherwise, he
shall dismiss the complaint.
Whenever a hearing is deemed necessary, the following rules shall apply:
a. The SEC shall set schedule a hearing and notices of such hearing shall be served to
both the complainant and the defendant;
b. The defendant shall be served with a copy of the complaint;
c. The hearing shall be scheduled not later than two class days after the receipt of the
complaint;
d. The presentation of evidence shall be made in one hearing day only;
e. Both parties shall be accorded the opportunity to cross-examine the other party, if so
minded;
f. The decision of the SEC shall be rendered not later than two (2) class days after the
presentation of evidence;
g. The decision of the SEC may be appealed to the OSA within two (2) class days after the
receipt of notice of such decision;
h. After two class days and no appeal is perfected, the decision shall become final and
executory.
i. In the case of an appeal, the OSA shall render its decision within two (2) class days from
receipt of the appeal. The decision of the OSA is immediately final and executory.
Section 7. For complaints not specifically covered by this code, the parties may opt to settle the
complaint amicably. The settlement must be put in writing and a copy filed with the OSA.
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ARTICLE IX
REFERENDUM
Section 1. The SEC may call for a referendum whenever in its determination there is an issue
of paramount importance that the entire student community must be consulted. The call for such
referendum shall be subject to the consent of the Head of the OSA.
Section 2. The procedures on balloting, counting, and canvassing during such referendum shall
be determined by the SEC in a resolution to be promulgated for such occasion.

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS
Section 1. Any amendments to, or revision of this code may be proposed by:
a. Any student council officer;
b. Political party; or
c. Any student in good standing.
Section 2. The Head of the OSA shall have the power to approve or reject such proposal.
Section 3. An approved amendment shall take effect only upon ratification by a vote
representing at least a majority of those present at a meeting duly called for the purpose, a
quorum being present.
Section 4. No amendment or revision of this code shall be allowed during an election period.

ARTICLE XI
RECALL
Section 1. Any elected student-officer may be removed from office before the end of his or her
term through recall for loss of confidence.
Section 2. The recall petition may be filed with the OSA and shall contain signatures
representing at least twenty (25%) per centum of the students in the concerned college.
Section 3. The OSA shall designate the SEC to verify the signatures.
Section 4. If proven authentic, the OSA shall set a special election for the position of the officer
being recalled. The officer subject of the recall shall be deemed a candidate,
Section 5. The winner in the recall election shall serve the remainder of the term of the recalled
officer.

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ARTICLE XII
FAILURE OF ELECTION
Section 1. The Head of OSA may declare a failure of election under the following
circumstances:
a.
b.
c.
d.

There was inclement weather that prevented students from reporting to school;
Any act of violence which disrupted the balloting;
There was suspension of classes; and
Any event that prevented students from casting their votes.

Section 2. In there is failure of elections, the SEC shall reschedule said elections.
ARTICLE XIII
EFFECTIVITY OF THIS CODE
Section 1. This code shall take effect upon approval by a majority vote of CSC officers held at a
meeting duly called for the purpose, quorum being present.
Section 2. All CSCs and student organizations shall be provided with a copy of this code.

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