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FEC Handbook 1
The Official Fair Elections Committee Handbook
Pacific Northwest Junior State of America
2015-‐2016
FEC Chair: Dylan Milligan, Lieutenant Governor FEC Members: Jeff Menaker, GPR Mayor
Ashley McAndrew, IER Mayor Cameron Tuttle, Director of Fundraising
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Contents
Letter From Steve ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction to Elections from the Lieutenant Governor ............................................................................ 4
Description of State Elected Officials ........................................................................................................... 5
Governor .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Lieutenant Governor ................................................................................................................................ 6
Region Mayor ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Region Vice-‐Mayor ................................................................................................................................... 7
Election Rules and Regulations .................................................................................................................... 8
Filing Rules ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Campaign Requirements .......................................................................................................................... 8
Campaign Rules ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Finance Restrictions ................................................................................................................................. 9
Penalties/Consequences .......................................................................................................................... 9
Convention Rules and Procedures ............................................................................................................... 9
Winter Congress Rules ............................................................................................................................. 9
Winter Congress Nominating Procedure .................................................................................................. 9
Spring State Rules ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Spring State Procedure-‐ Saturday Night ................................................................................................. 10
Spring State Procedure-‐ Sunday ............................................................................................................. 10
Advice/Considerations ............................................................................................................................... 11
Campaign Encouragements .................................................................................................................... 11
Platform Considerations ......................................................................................................................... 11
How to Start a Campaign ........................................................................................................................ 12
Final Reminders ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Contact Information ................................................................................................................................... 14
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Letter From Steve
Dear Candidate:
As Junior Statesmen Foundation Program Director, I will be working with you if you are elected to regional or state office. As you begin your decision-‐making process, before you throw your hat into the ring, there are a few things you might want to consider.
JSA officers (Governors, Lt. Governors, and Mayors) are expected to attend a Junior Statesmen Summer School and/or a Junior Statesmen Symposium during the summer of 2016. Also, just by being a candidate, you will be a major leader in the Junior State next year; I urge you to attend a summer program regardless. There will also be a National Leadership Summit for younger JSA leaders (non-‐seniors) in August held at the site where the Junior Statesmen of America was founded in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
At these programs, Junior State officers begin to make political connections with students they will work with during their term of office. Moreover, you will be able to spend valuable time with Junior State Foundation staff members and Junior State alumni (the resident assistants) during which you can refine your goals and programs for the next year. For the summer schools, the Junior Statesmen Foundation has a scholarship fund that can help you attend. We also have a successful Fundraising manual that will help you raise money in your community. Therefore, your family’s financial circumstances should not be a barrier to your participation in a summer program. Call me at 800-‐334-‐5353 if you want more information on Summer Programs and Scholarships. We are committed to helping elected officers and future cabinet members attend the Summer School.
Being a JSA officer is a big, time-‐consuming and rewarding experience. The lessons you learn during your campaign and term of office will guide you for the rest of your life. The opportunity to serve as a leader of the nation’s largest student-‐run political awareness organization is unparalleled. Please give me a call if you have any questions about elections, campaigning, or the responsibilities of JSA officers. Good luck with your campaign.
Sincerely, Steve Bayne
Program Director
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Elections Introduction
Dear JSAers and aspiring candidates,
Of all the student leadership organizations I’ve dealt with in high school, none give as much autonomy to student leaders as JSA does. As an elected official or as a cabinet member, you have the power to engage in whatever projects you believe will strengthen the state and/or improve delegate experience. In many ways, JSA is much like the real political arena, where it is up the citizens themselves to galvanize support for a cause and enact positive change. Our organization is about initiative, and I want you to keep that in mind throughout the election season.
See, it is this theme of personal initiative that makes the democratic process so effective. Your campaign success relies purely on your initiative—from creating a cogent platform, to promoting your cause on social media, to reaching out to other delegates and student leaders for support. In turn, our state’s success relies purely on the initiative of our elected officials—from managing cabinet, to implementing efficacious ideas, to reaching out to delegates in the effort to constantly improve this organization. In JSA, where campaigns are taken very seriously, a successful campaign will oftentimes precede a successful tenure as an elected official—such is the democratic process at work! I digress....
The following handbook contains all the information you need to know to run a fair and effective campaign. It is very important that you read through the entire manual so that you know the various campaign rules and regulations—“ignorance of the law is no excuse”! Reading the guide will also allow you to familiarize yourself with what to expect during campaign season (timeline, procedures, etc.), and as well as provide you with various pieces of helpful campaign advice. I also strongly encourage you to contact our current elected officials for more information and advice regarding campaigning and their position.
There’s no denying it: campaign season will be exciting and exhausting. I’m looking forward to hearing the declaration speeches at Winter Congress, following all of the social media pages, seeing you at the almost-‐weekly chapter conventions, and watching everyone campaign their hearts out at Spring State. The teamwork, creativity, and statesmanship generated every campaign season are truly electrifying.
Best of luck to each and every one of you, and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns!
Dylan Milligan Pacific Northwest Lieutenant Governor
Fair Elections Committee Chair
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Description of State Elected Officials
Governor • The Governor is the chief executive, and acts as the first representative of the Pacific Northwest State.
The role of Governor might appear to be glorious, but the job requires immense time and dedication.
• The Governor serves as a member of the Council of Governors, and takes three trips during the year to meet with them. With “CoG,” to Governor will help implement national initiatives.
• The Governor, with the help of the Lieutenant Governor, appoints a Cabinet of competent JSAers with whom he/she will be able to work with easily.
• The Governor, with the help of the Lieutenant Governor, must direct and oversee cabinet, pioneer state projects, and ensure the state runs smoothly throughout the year. The Governor and the Lt. Governor together decide state policy and goals, but the Governor has the final say.
• It is important that the Governor be someone who feels comfortable working with people and delegating responsibilities while not being authoritarian or a dictator.
• He or she must be knowledgeable of all aspects of the Junior State and must be ready and willing to study all aspects of each situation in order to make informed decisions and solve problems.
• Traditionally, in the PNW, the Governor has overseen the executive, chapter internal affairs, convention, and fundraising departments. However, after they are elected the Lt. Governor and Governor meet to decide state policy and divide the departments by strength.
• The Governor must show strong leadership to direct the state in a positive, effective manner. It is highly advised that the candidate talks with the current Governor in order to understand the position for which the candidate is thinking of running. This year’s Governor is Kyle Walton.
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Lieutenant Governor • The Lieutenant Governor is second in command in affairs of the state, and represents the state
publically.
• The Lieutenant Governor helps the Governor decide whom to put on cabinet and plays an important role in directing and overseeing cabinet, pioneering state projects, and motivating cabinet members. The Governor and LTG together decide state policy and goals, but the Governor has the final say.
• The Lieutenant Governor must also be someone who feels comfortable working with people and delegating responsibility. The LTG must also be knowledgeable in all aspects of the Junior State and serves as a constant counselor to the Governor.
• The Lieutenant Governor runs the Fair Elections Committee to make sure elections run fairly and smoothly. They are in charge of all election activities at Winter Congress and Spring State, and may appoint members to FEC to aid them.
• The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Legislative body (COCP). As the presiding officer of the COCP, the legislative branch, the LTG can direct legislation produced by the Pacific Northwest Junior State and act as a link between chapters and cabinet.
• Traditionally, the Lieutenant Governor oversees Debate, Activism and Publicity. However, after they are elected the LtG and Governor meet to decide state policy and divide the departments by strength.
• The Lieutenant Governor must show strong leadership to direct the state in a positive, effective manner. It is recommended that the candidate talks with the current Lieutenant Governor in order to understand the position for which the candidate is thinking of running. This year’s Lieutenant Governor is Dylan Milligan.
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Region Mayor (GPR, OR, IER) • The Mayor is the Chief Executive of the region. He/she organizes and conducts regional conferences,
coordinates chapter affairs within the region, works on expanding and maintains the strength of the region, serves as the official representative of the region, and is responsible for the general well-‐being of the region.
• Mayors will need to be able to present themselves at as many JSA events as possible. Be present at regional events, chapter-‐cons, and the chapter meetings at new schools. Traditionally, the primary objective of the Mayor is to focus on expansion to new schools in their regions, and he/she oversees their regional expansion department.
• While Mayors do serve large portions of the state, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor have the final authority over all statewide JSA activities.
• Mayors need to be skillful communicators, always communicating with their expansion department and other departments in the JSA cabinet.
• Mayors need to work closely with their Vice Mayor, delegating region responsibilities and making sure that they play a role in regional affairs.
• Anyone considering running for mayor is encouraged to contact his/her mayor to learn more about the positions. This year, the mayors are: Jeff Menaker (GPR), Laura Bishop (OR), and Ashley McAndrew (IER).
Region Vice-‐Mayor (GPR, OR, IER) • The Vice-‐mayor position is crucial in the expansion and maintenance of its respective region.
• Vice-‐mayors will work hand in hand with the Mayor, finding expansion contacts, meeting with prospective and new CPs, and planning regional events.
• This is a great position if you're serious about getting involved in JSA, and willing to take some initiative.
• Anyone considering running for Vice-‐mayor is encouraged to contact his/her mayor to learn more about the positions. This year, the Vice-‐mayors are: Vinny Palaniappan (GPR), Braxton Adair (OR), and Alyssa LaBrosse (IER)
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Election Rules and Regulations
Filing Rules • To be an official candidate, you must fill out the official FEC agreement. This can be done by a) declaring
during winter congress, after which you will sign the agreement, or b) contacting the FEC chair who furnish you with the agreement, and sending the agreement back to the FEC chair before the Spring State regular registration deadline.
• Only those who file by the deadline will be given official speaking time during Spring State and have their name on the ballot.
• Failure to meet this deadline means: your name will not be on the ballot, you will not be able to make a speech at Spring State, you cannot put up posters at Spring State. However, you can still run and campaign as a write-‐in.
Campaign Requirements • Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor must hold at least one chapter conference and one
campaign soiree before Spring State. Failure to comply means that the candidate’s name will not appear on the ballot and the candidate will receive no official speaking time or poster space.
• Candidates for Mayor and Vice-‐Mayor must hold at least one election party/soiree/movie night and holding a chapter conference is encouraged.
• Candidates from the same school may host a chapter conference or soiree together.
• At each chapter conference during election season (as well as during the March one-‐day), there must be a candidates’ forum for all attending candidates.
Campaign Rules • Under all circumstances, campaigns should be about candidate’s positive qualities.
• Under no circumstance will "Negative Campaigning" be tolerated, publically or privately.
• Under no circumstances may a candidate promise positions on cabinet to other JSAers.
• Candidates may not begin campaigning/form a campaign team until Winter Congress declarations. If someone asks you what you are running for, you should politely tell him or her to “wait until Winter
Congress to see.” If you need counsel about elections prior to Winter Congress, you may talk to a member of FEC or very close friends from your chapter—but again, this should be for counsel. Asking others for support prior to Winter Congress is against the rules and will be strictly enforced this year.
• The single exception to the above rule is for your campaign manager. You may select one other person, prior to Winter Congress, to help prepare for Winter Congress and the rest of the campaign season.
• One may not receive contributions from outside sources without first reporting it to the FEC. All contributions made to a candidate must be tracked and reported at the end of the campaign season during Spring State. In other words, you will need to bring your receipts to Spring State.
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Finance Restrictions • Candidates may spend a maximum of the following amounts of money:
o Governor Candidates: $160
o LtG Candidates: $140
o Mayor Candidates: $120
o Vice Mayor Candidates: $100
Penalties/Consequences • Should you break the rules, there will be consequences depending on the severity of the offense.
• In general, we will be following a three-‐strike policy. First strike will result in a cut in spending limits, speaking time, and/or poster space, second strike will result in a revocation speaking time, poster space and/or literature, third strike will result in disqualification.
• Severe violations, however, could result in multiple strikes.
Convention Rules and Procedures
Winter Congress Rules • Again, no candidates can campaign at Winter Congress until their declaration block. This means
o No discussing campaign platforms
o No passing out literature/merch
o No asking for support/forming a campaign team
• Campaign literature must be pre-‐approved by the FEC Chair, Dylan, before the convention begins and can only be distributed at candidate nominations and closing session
Winter Congress Nomination Procedure 1. The Lieutenant Governor will open nominations for an elected office.
2. Someone besides the candidate must nominate the candidate
3. Once nominated and having accepted the nomination, the candidate will go to the podium and give a short speech introducing themselves and their platform. They will then be given the FEC agreement to fill out, which they must return to the Lieutenant Governor by closing session.
4. Nominations for Regional Mayors and Vice-‐Mayors will be Saturday night.
5. Nominations for Governor and Lieutenant Governor will be Sunday morning.
Spring State Rules/Encouragements
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• Candidates can and should campaign from the very beginning.
• Usually, candidates and their campaign teams pass out literature and pins/stickers.
• Candidates are allowed to bring as many posters as possible, although posters must remain within a 5 by 8 feet limitation. First come get the best spots, but everyone is guaranteed at least 1 poster in the opening session room. Campaign materials must be approved by Dylan.
Spring State Procedure-‐ Saturday 1. There will be a Mayor and Vice-‐Mayor candidates forum during block 4. Delegates will be encouraged to
attend the forum as there will be fewer debates during this block.
2. Saturday night after chapter caucus, the current Lieutenant Governor will describe their job and responsibilities. Then all Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidates will come to the front for a candidates forum. They will be asked individual questions about their campaign, experience, and platform by the Fair Elections Committee.
3. Then, the current Governor will describe their job and responsibilities. All Gubernatorial candidates will come to the front for a candidates forum. They will be asked individual questions about their campaign, experience, and platform questions by the FEC.
Spring State Procedure-‐ Sunday • Sunday morning after breakfast, delegates will go to rooms based on their region for regional elections.
After regional voting has concluded, delegates will go to the opening session room for state elections.
• Regional and state will abide by the following procedure:
o An FEC member will take chapter roll call
o Every candidate will have someone give them short character endorsements, and then they will deliver a final speech about their platform, experience, and why people should vote for them. Time can be divided amongst speakers at the candidate’s discretion.
o Vice mayor candidates will have 1.5 minutes, mayor candidates will have 2 minutes, lieutenant governor candidates will have 3 minutes, and governor candidates will have 3.5 minutes
o Chapter presidents will receive envelops with an exact number of ballots in them. Their chapters will vote via a ranking system. CPs will turn the envelopes into FEC at the front of the room.
• Votes will be counted during blocks 6 and 7 via a live results process. We will go through chapters alphabetically and announce how many votes each candidate has received from each chapter. The results will display on a projected pie chart. Chapters with fewer than six delegates, chapters with candidates running and fewer than twelve delegates, and members of FEC will vote as part of a non-‐disclosed block, which will be announced last. This announcement process will occur first for regional elections, then for state elections. If no candidate receives a clear majority, we will take the ballots casted for the last place candidate and count the second choices on those ballots, and add those to the respective candidates. This process will continue until one candidate has a majority (this process is known as instant runoff).
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Advice/Considerations
Campaign Encouragements • CAMPAIGN!!! You are running for office, not standing for office. The #1 way you can secure votes is by
being approachable and meeting as many people as possible. Openly court votes—pass out campaign stickers, literature, merch, ask them to vote for you. Talk to chapter leaders, region leaders, and JSA members about your platform and candidacy. These people, in turn, can introduce to their chapter members and friends.
• Candidates should create election videos, utilize social media propaganda, and create campaign Facebook pages. The Facebook page can be an access point to your endorsements, platform, and other campaign media. You should also encourage members to show up to chapter events and conferences and most importantly show up to Spring State and vote. See “How to Start a Campaign” for more info.
• Candidates should also be working to
o Grow their chapter or help expand JSA to new chapters
o Go to JSA Sumer School/recruit people to go to JSA Summer School
o Help organize a chapter convention or political soiree
o Organize activism projects at their schools such as Fight Apathy and Voter Registration
o Raise as much money as possible on our fundraising site or via their own merch/chapter fundraiser
• Tyler and Jenna (Chief of Staff) will give credit/a shout out to candidates when they do a good job on one of the aforementioned goals. Additionally, you can claim these things as achievements while campaigning.
Platform Considerations • While every year brings its own struggles and political questions, and many repeated problems arise.
Candidates should research and ponder the following issues currently facing our state as they may make great starting points for their platforms.
• Delegate count: While we’ve had strong turnouts at Fall State the last four years, Winter Congress and Spring State aren’t always so hot. Additionally, many chapters have lost membership and in some cases, their status as a chapter. How can we strength or regain existing chapters, and get more delegates to conventions? What are aggressive ways to expand to new chapters? How can you be certain of the effectiveness of any measures?
• Regional concentration: The PNW is strongly centered on the Seattle-‐Eastside Area. The Oregon and IER regions have seen growth but have yet to gain strength like the GPR region. How can JSA expand into these regions? How will these areas be given a greater role in the whole of PNW JSA? How will we ensure that they are given the proper support?
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• Cabinet: every year, cabinet has some members who work harder than others; talent and initiative varies widely, and in many cases can be difficult to identify. How can cabinet expand, be effective and include a wide variety of students from all chapters? In what ways can we encourage leadership from younger members of cabinet and make cabinet more engaging?
• Communication of Activism to chapters: Every year, Activism hosts several fun initiatives, but these aren’t always communicated to the chapters, resulting is less chapter participation. How might we better publicize activism initiatives? More broadly, how can the state cabinet better communicate with the delegates and chapters?
• Publicity: JSA needs a face, and this is the job of publicity. How would you better publicize our state before, during, and after conventions? Could you provide the delegates with something fun to chew on between major conventions?
• Fundraising: the more money the merrier. How might you improve fundraising, especially at conventions, where a fundraising opportunity could double as a fun/engaging opportunity?
• One-‐days: This year, the GPR is hosting its first one-‐day in March. How would you ensure the continued success of one-‐days?
• Convention engagement: there’s no denying it: delegates can get bored at every convention. How would you make conventions more exciting and engaging—at Fall/Spring State, Congress, and even chapter conventions? Could you improve convention logistics and planning to where it would have an impact on delegate experience?
• Initiatives: as I talked about in my introduction, JSA thrives on the initiative of our student leaders. The Fight Apathy campaign, now a hallmark of our organization, was incepted by a JSA student less than a
decade ago. Do you have anything creative that would further JSA’s mission that you would like to bring to our state, or to the entire country?
How to Start a Campaign
• Once one has decided to run for office, the fun and work begins. There are two important factors to keeping a campaign going: organization and stamina. If you want to win, you will have to campaign from Winter Congress all the way until Spring State.
• Campaign manager: A CM is not required but highly recommended. Choose someone who can work well and is trustworthy, and above all, believes you to be the best candidate for the job. CM's are relied on for advice, moral support and other campaign essentials.
• Social media: create a Facebook page (or other forms of social media) to post information about your experience, platform, and endorsements. Make videos, and do graphic design!
• Experience: You can convince people that you’re a good candidate by pointing to results. Take a look at the Campaign Encouragements to see what you can do, even if you haven’t held a ton of JSA positions!
• Platform: Developing a platform is the key ingredient to the campaign. Why do you want to hold office? What will you do once you are in office? What new ideas will you bring once in office? All candidates
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should have concrete yet reasonable ideas about what they want to accomplish as an elected official. Talk to JSAers to get ideas on what they would like to see accomplished in this state. You may also want to ask current elected officials on their opinions of the current state of the PNW. See “Platform Considerations”
• Endorsements: most candidates reach out to other leaders within JSA (cabinet members, chapter presidents) for their support, who can in turn introduce you to their friends and chapter members. Remember not to ask for endorsements prior to declarations at Winter Congress. You can post written endorsements on your campaign Facebook page, or put them in your literature.
• Campaign Literature: Campaign lit is an important and effective way to campaign. One can introduce the voter to a platform and ideas, in addition to personal qualifications and previous experience. Literature can be emailed to Chapter Presidents and JSA delegates as well as handed out at Spring State.
• Slogans and themes: Candidates frequently have one unifying slogan or theme that brings their ideas together. A unifying theme provides a campaign with a professional touch that reflects well upon the candidate.
• Campaign Extras: Campaign extras include but are not limited to: buttons, stickers, hats, posters etc. Extras may only be used during Spring State or after the candidate has declared but may not be used during the weekend of declarations. Be sure to keep the cost of these extras and all other campaign materials within the campaign expenditure limit.
• Campaign Materials: All campaign materials that will be used at state JSA conventions (Winter Congress, March One-‐Day, and Spring State) must be approved by the FEC Chair (Dylan). Save time and get your posters, pins, lit, etc. approved early!
• Speeches: speaking a lot is a natural part of the campaign trail. Practice speaking often, and make sure you prep all of your major addresses far in advance!
• Meet the Public: Part of the political process is meeting the constituency. We strongly encourage extensive pre-‐Spring State campaigning. Here are some ideas on how to meet the voters:
o Attend all conventions, chapter cons, and one-‐days and meet with delegates. Participate in all activities and be an active member of this state.
o Visit Schools during chapter meetings and talk to CP's and the delegates to discuss their platforms and get an idea of what they would like to see change in the state.
o Telephone calls: calling CP's and state officers is a good way to build support, get your name out there, and secure endorsements. Candidates may obtain a list of Chapters from FEC.
Final Reminders • Keep an eye on the Pacific Northwest JSA Facebook page for all sorts of updates. I (Dylan) will be
posting a survey for potential candidates to fill out in late December. I’ll be checking in with potential candidates in mid-‐January to make sure everyone understands the rules.
• Candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor will be required to attend an FEC lunch on the Saturday of Winter Congress.
• Best of luck! Win or lose, campaign season will be an invaluable experience.
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Contact Information Members of FEC
Dylan Milligan, FEC Chair Lieutenant Governor
Email: [email protected] Phone: 425-‐647-‐7619 Interlake High School
Cameron Tuttle
Director of Fundraising Email: [email protected]
Phone: 425-‐749-‐2277 International School
Ashley McAndrew
Inland Empire Region Mayor Email: [email protected]
Phone: 509-‐859-‐7041 Central Valley High School
Jeff Menaker
Greater Puget Region Mayor Email: [email protected]
Phone: 425-‐891-‐4726 Interlake High School
Other Potentially Useful Contacts
Kyle Walton Governor
Email: [email protected] Phone: (509) 701-‐7433 Central Valley High School
Laura Bishop
Oregon Region Mayor Email: [email protected] Phone: (503) 707-‐6024 Oregon Episcopal School
Vinny Palaniappan
Greater Puget Region Vice-‐Mayor Email: [email protected]
Phone: (425) 223 6854 Issaquah High School
Braxton Adair
Oregon Region Vice-‐Mayor Email: [email protected]
Phone: (503) 970-‐0506 Aloha High School
Alyssa LaBrosse Inland Empire Region Vice-‐Mayor
Email: [email protected] Phone: (509) 939-‐6475 Central Valley High School
Steve Bayne
Program Director Email: [email protected]
