Associated Students of Westminster
Bill: WS 2017.S01 PUBLIC FUNDING FOR ASW ELECTIONS
Principal Authors: Carissa Uresk
Sponsors: Gabriella Sanchez
Be It Enacted by the 2016-2017 ASW Senate:
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Preamble
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Candidates for ASW elected positions provide personal funding for their campaigns.
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Candidates for Senate positions are allowed to spend up to $75 on campaigning, while
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candidates for Student Board positions (President, Vice President, Clubs President, and
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Chief Justice) are allowed to spend up to $300. While candidates are not required to
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spend money, it is difficult to run a successful campaign, particularly for Student Board
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positions, and not spend a substantial amount of the money that candidates are allowed
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to spend.
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The amount of personal money spent during ASW elections is a deterrent to students
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who would like to run for an elected position, but do not have the funds to do so.
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Students who struggle to pay for rent, food, housing, and tuition are excluded from our
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elections process because there is no way for them to access outside funding for
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campaigning. Forcing students to use their personal money for campaign funding limits
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the amount of socioeconomic diversity that we have in student government positions.
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Limited diversity in student government representatives is contradictory to the ASW
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mission statement which declares that “the mission of ASW is to promote shared
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governance on campus.”
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Section I: Funding Amounts for Senate Positions
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Whereas: The current cap for Senate campaigns is $75, and it is predicted that an
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average of 20 students will run for Senate positions each academic year. It is
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reasonable that for each academic year, ASW provide $1,500 for Senate campaigns.
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Whereas: Senate campaigns occur in the fall for First-year Senators, money distributed
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during the fall election will be limited to $600. This means that a total of 8 people can
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run for Senate positions and receive the full $75 amount. If more than 8 people run, the
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money will be distributed among them equally. For example, if 10 people run for a First-
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year Senate position in the fall, each candidate can receive $60. If less than 8 people
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run, all left over funds will be rolled over into the account for spring Senate elections.
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Whereas: Senate campaigns occur in the spring for all other Senators, money
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distributed during the spring election will be at least $900. This means that a total of 12
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people can run for Senate positions and receive the full $75 amount. If money is left
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over from spring elections, then more funds will be accessible. However, if only the
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$900 is available, and more people run, the money will be distributed equally among the
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candidates.
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Whereas: Candidates may choose not to accept public funding. However, students are
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still limited to the $75 limit. In situations where public funding only provides a portion of
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the $75, students may add their own funds. For example, if funds only provide $60 per
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candidate, a candidate can choose to add $15 to their budget from their own money.
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Whereas: Candidates for ASW Senate positions are required to pay a $25 campaign
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fee. Students will still be required to pay the fee out of pocket because this money is
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refundable.
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Section II: Funding Amounts for Student Board Positions
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Whereas: The current cap for Student Board campaigns is $300. However, students
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can easily manage such a campaign on only $150.
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Whereas: Student Board campaigns should not cost more than twice the amount of
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Senate campaigns, the cap on Student Board campaigns should be $150.
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Whereas: A total of $2,250 should be available each fall for Student Board candidates.
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This means that a total of 15 candidates can access the full $150 from ASW funds.
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However, if more people are running for Student Board positions, the money will be
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distributed evenly among the candidates. For example, if there are 20 candidates for
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Student Board positions, then each candidate can access $112.50.
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Whereas: Candidates may choose not accept public funding. However, students are still
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limited to the $150 limit. In situations where public funding only provides a portion of the
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$150, students may add their own funds. For example, if funds can only provide $100
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per candidate, a candidate can choose to add $50 to their budget from their own
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money.
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Whereas: Candidates for ASW Student Board positions are required to pay a $25
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campaign fee. Students will still be required to pay the fee out of pocket because this
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money is refundable.
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Section III: Source of Funding
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Whereas: According to the Emergency Fund Cap legislation passed by the 2015-2016
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ASW Senate, money from the Emergency Fund “should only be used for unforeseen
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expenditures, investments that highly impact the student body, or occurrences that are
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time-sensitive.”
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Whereas: Funding for student campaigns is an unforeseen circumstance because this
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idea was not put forward at earlier budgeting meetings.
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Whereas: Funding for student campaigns is a way to invest in future student leaders.
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Whereas: Funding for student campaigns has a high impact on the student body
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because students can directly access this money to support their opportunities at
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Westminster College.
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Whereas: Funding for student campaigns is time-sensitive because elections will occur
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in February/March and students need to know that they can access public funds before
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they make the decision of whether or not to run.
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Section IV: Funding in the Future
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Whereas: This fund will continue permanently, unless overridden by future legislation.
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Whereas: There needs to be a plan each year for how this money will be provided well
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in advance of First-year Senate elections.
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Whereas: Starting with the 17/18 Student Board, the ASW Director of Budgeting and
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Accounting will set aside $3,750 in the Training account for campaign funds.
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Be It Resolved
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That starting with the 2017 spring elections, candidates for Student Board positions may
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only spend $150 on their campaigns. Additionally, $3,750 will be accessible to
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candidates for ASW positions. Members of the Elections Committee are responsible for
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organizing the distribution of these funds. Furthermore, all changes will be reflected in
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the ASW Elections Handbook.
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