Candidate Requirements

Candidate Information Session

All prospective candidates must register for and attend the Candidate Information Session on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET on Zoom. Any student interested in running for an elected position who absolutely cannot attend this event for a legitimate reason must promptly inform the SEC before the start of the event in order to maintain eligibility for candidacy. Any student who does not attend this virtual event or does not inform the SEC of his or her absence beforehand will not be eligible to run in the Fall Term 2021 student election. The SEC will provide relevant information about the open elected positions and the student election timeline, and will also address any questions or concerns at this event

Candidate Petition Submission

All prospective candidates must submit their Petition containing applicable student signatures by 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 to the SEC electronically at studentelectioncommission@mail.wlu.edu. Prospective candidates should use the standardized Petition form provided by the SEC as a template. Candidates for First-Year Undergraduate (FY) EC Representative and SJC Justice positions are required to obtain 50 signatures from their respective class. Candidates for First-Year Law (1L) EC Representative and SJC Justice positions are required to obtain 25 signatures from their respective class. The SEC highly recommends that candidates obtain more than the minimum required number of signatures.

A candidate may only seek one (1) elected position this term. After petition submission, the SEC will email each candidate to indicate petition receipt and verification. Candidates may create and utilize social media accounts to assist with obtaining signatures, but must maintain sole control over said accounts and follow all University technology guidelines. Candidates must follow all University COVID-19 health and safety guidelines while obtaining petition signatures as well. The official campaign period begins following the deadline for candidate petition submission and ends at the conclusion of the voting period on Election Day.

Candidate Photograph Submission

All candidates must submit their business professional photograph to the SEC electronically at studentelectioncommission@mail.wlu.edu by 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, September 22, 2021. Candidates should arrange to have their photograph taken by a University Photographer by filling out the Photographer Request Form, or may submit a previously taken business professional headshot. The Candidate Photograph should be submitted as a JPEG file. These photographs will be included in each candidate's official profile on Canvas.

Candidate Biography Submission

All candidates must email their Candidate Biography of no more than two hundred (200) words to the SEC by 5:00 PM ET on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at studentelectioncommission@mail.wlu.edu. Any submission that exceeds this word-count limit will be truncated at the two-hundredth word. The Candidate Biography should be submitted as a Word document, 12-point Times New Roman font, single spaced, and must include the candidate's name as he or she would like it to appear on the ballot. The Candidate Biography will be included in each candidate's official profile on Canvas.

Candidate Forum Speech Submission

All candidates must email their Candidate Forum Speech to the SEC at studentelectioncommission@mail.wlu.edu by 5:00 PM ET on Friday, September 24, 2021. Candidate Forum speeches may not exceed three (3) minutes in length and should be submitted as a Word document, 12-point Times New Roman font, single spaced. The Candidate Forum Speech will be included in each candidate's official profile on Canvas.

The Candidate Forum

Candidates must present their Candidate Forum Speech at the Candidate Forum on Monday, September 27, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET on Zoom. All members of the First-Year Undergraduate (FY) and First-Year Law (1L) classes are invited to attend to hear from the candidates. Candidate Forum speeches may not exceed three (3) minutes in length. The SEC will enforce this strict time limit. Candidates must give the exact same speech previously submitted to the SEC. Business attire is required for candidates.

Candidate Expenditure Report with Receipts

Candidates must submit their Expenditure Report with attached receipts to the SEC at studentelectioncommission@mail.wlu.edu by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, October 3, 2021. A candidate must submit an Expenditure Report even if he or she did not spend any funds during the campaign period. The SEC will provide a standardized Expenditure Report form that all candidates must use. Please see the Rules Governing Campaigning below for more specifics on campaign spending.