2026 Campaign Rules
(ratified by the Student Executive Council on 1/21/2026)
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1. Campaign Timeline: You may campaign only on the following days: Monday,  March 16 to Wednesday, March 18.  Campaigning may not begin until March 16, at 8am (Freshmen may campaign Wednesday - Friday of their Elections Week, including Online Campaigning)
2. Social Media Campaigning: All social media-related candidate publicity must occur through a centralized elections Instagram account, run by the SEC Publicity Commissioners. 
   1. Posts (capped to a total of five) must first be submitted by Google form to the ASB Election team for review and will be posted on a first-come, first-served basis. 
   2. Candidates are limited to reposting their own individual graphics from the centralized account without edits. 
   3. Candidate supporters are also limited by these rules, and candidates are responsible for their supporters’ behavior. 
   4. Flagged behavior includes but is not limited to: blocking or blurring out faces, libel, or slander. 
   5. Decisions will be made at the discretion of the Elections team. Determined violation of these rules will result in the termination of a candidate’s campaign.
3. Filming/ Taking Campaign Photos: Pictures or filming for campaigning may be taken during school hours throughout the duration of election week. Pictures or filming taken before election week must be taken before or after school, not during school hours.   Any footage taken on campus before election week must be filmed before 30 minutes before the start of school or after 30 minutes after the end of school hours.
4. Endorsements: Endorsements for individual candidates on social media platforms or other forums/ websites that represent groups or public figures are not allowed unless all candidates running for the same office are equally represented.  If you are endorsed in this way it is your responsibility to request removal of the endorsement from the site administrator immediately and let Mrs. Hall know or risk removal from the election. Online campaigning and endorsements by non-High School students, including adults, will not be permitted. Written endorsements may only be propagated by the candidate with prior approval by the Students Activities Director. Other violations/concerns will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
5. Candidate Videos: Candidates may film a promo video following the CRITERIA for VIDEOS. Videos must be approved by Mrs. Hall and the Election Committee before they are shared. Videos cannot be played by teachers during class and you cannot ask to have your video presented. Videos are optional, and will be posted on the Gunn Student Activities YouTube channel. 
6. Expectations of Behavior: Candidates shall not put down any other candidates. Candidates shall not commit defamation per se. Candidates shall not use obscene, racial, discriminatory, or any other controversial items/ wording in any aspect of their campaign.  
7. Running-Mates: Candidates are not allowed to have running-mates (two students running as a joint ticket), including through endorsing other candidates verbally, over social media or any other campaigning materials.
8. POSTERS: You may post up to Five (5) 22” by 28” posters (standard poster board size) on campus in designated areas.
   1. The SEC will provide poster paper for each candidate - if a candidate does not use the provided paper, any posters made must be the 22”x28” size.
   2. Items cannot be posted until 8:00 AM on Monday, March 16th.  Mrs. Hall will remove any posters that are put up before this time. Do not overlap other posters. All designs must be pre-approved by Mrs. Hall and stamped before being posted on campus.  
   3. You may post in the following areas using only blue or frog tape:  Little Theater wall, campus pillars, the walls of hallways and buildings, N-Building railing, P-Building balcony railing.
   4. Posters may not be posted on the front of Spangenberg Theater, on windows or inside classrooms.
   5. SEC is not responsible for any missing posters and they may be remade with permission from Mrs. Hall. 
   6. Tampering with another candidate’s posters is prohibited.
9. HAND HELD SIGNS: You may carry one sign that is no larger than 30" x 30" wide.
10. Election Assembly: Candidates for school-wide office and Class Office will participate in the Election Assembly and present a speech. Candidates will be expected to dress in appropriate attire (clarified at the candidate meeting) and address the student body in a formal manner.  Details and expectations will be provided at Candidate Meeting
11. Campaign Handout and Materials: Candidates may only use the following physical materials to promote themselves on campus: their poster(s), approved handouts, the Oracle Election Coverage, and a hand-held sign. Mrs. Hall must approve your items by 3/13. Use of handouts that are not approved will result in immediate disqualification.
    1. The following handouts are prohibited and will result in disqualification from the election: 1) Food or candy handouts of any kind, 2) Confetti or Paper Flyers, 3) Toys that may cause a disruption in classrooms, 4) Anything with adhesive 
    2. You may “decorate” yourself as part of your campaign, which may include wearing decorated clothing or things that designate YOU as the candidate for your office. You may decorate yourself beginning Monday, March 16th.
    3. Candidates may not use any type of amplified sound system as part of their personal campaign.
12. Campaign Spending: School-Wide Candidates may spend a maximum of $50.00 on campaign supplies and handouts (including signs, posters, self-decorating, and shirts/decorations for supporters).  Class Officer Candidates may spend a maximum of $35.00. Any overspending will result in disqualification. Candidates are expected to complete and turn in a Financial Disclosure Form by the day before Elections begin and attach all receipts of money spent. The cost of some items used for the campaign that were already owned or are donated must also be factored into the candidate’s $50.00 or $35.00 total spending.  See Financial Disclosure Form for details. Reach out to Mrs. Hall if financial aid is needed. 
13. Voting: Elections will take place through the voting form on Thursday, March 19th after the first election assembly until 9:00pm (For Freshman Candidates,  August, 26th). Voting will be done through ranked choice and students are not obligated to rank every candidate. All qualified voters will have time to vote, which will be open on the dates listed.
14. Announcement of Results: On Friday of all Elections Weeks, results will be posted in the Student Activities Center, online on Schoology, the Student Activities Website (www.gunnsec.org), and SEC Social Media. Results will not be posted until all candidates remove any promotional materials from campus (posters, etc)

If any rules are violated or a candidate has a question regarding their situation, they should contact Lisa Hall at [email protected]. All issues will be discussed with the Elections Team and Mrs. Hall before a final ruling is made.