By Ray Dillon

Chalking, new campaign finance caps, Internet campaigning via Web sites such as Facebook and My Space and more clearly defined sanctions for infractions were all part of the new campaigning and election rules adopted by an 18-11 vote among student senators of the University of Louisville Student Government Association at the Jan. 16 senate meeting.

The approval of instant messaging Web sites such as Facebook and My Space and the sanctions for campaign infractions were the most “significant” changes to election rules.

“It was the position that Web sites such as Facebook and My Space were intrusive to students lives like spam,” said Brian Hoffman, SGA executive vice president. But instant messaging sites were an innovation in the last election, said Hoffman, and the rules were not really written for them in mind. He said he supports the new election rules that now allow for candidates to use the aforementioned Web sites.

“It’ll reach students,” said Katie Trimble, freshman biology major. “I’m glad they’ve decided to allow tools like these. Everyone is on them anyway, so why not use it to raise campus involvement.”

Freshman Lauren Garrett, a communication major, agreed, saying that Facebook and My Space offer candidates a “great chance to reach out to students in a new way. It will raise awareness of SGA and give students some place to find out more in depth information about candidates if they want.”

The senate also approved new rules that will allow candidates to campaign in chalk on university sidewalks as long as they are only on horizontal surfaces, in light colors and in places where rain will eventually ensure removal of the ad. Chalking near the sidewalks around the Speed Art Museum is prohibited.

Candidate campaign finance caps were also raised for the first time in recent memory, according to Hoffman, who is a junior majoring in political science and economics.

Executive officer candidates now have a $250 cap, while council presidential candidates are capped at $100.

New sanctions were also approved in the election rules changes. Candidates found in violation by the SGA Supreme Court will be subjected to three new classes of penalties:

Class one: Warning and reprimand.

Class two: Loss of votes cast in favor of the candidate, in an amount determined by the court.

Class three: Disqualification.

“These are better rules,” said College of Arts and Sciences Senator Matt Flairty, who voted in favor of the changes. “Hopefully this policy will result in increased interest in SGA and its activities,” said Flairty, a junior political science major.

But Tim Brauch, the president of the Graduate School Council, disagreed and had voiced opposition to the changes at last week’s senate meeting. “Not only is there a short timeline for formal campaigning, the Supreme Court should not have the power to remove votes,” said Brauch, a third year grad student studying mathematics.

“That is not an appropriate sanction. There needs to be a set standard for sanctions, not some arbitrary practice that undermines the credibility of the elections process,” Brauch added.

Although Flairty said he agreed with what Brauch statements, Flarity said, “A delay in discussions over the election rules could push elections back and work against the SGA in the long run. Hopefully this is better policy that will result in fewer violations.”

Two executive candidates in the 2006 SGA elections, junior political science majors Kyle Riggs and Kate Brueggemann, had votes deducted from their totals because of infractions of past rules that prohibited the use of instant messaging Web sites.

According to SGA President Darrell Messer, the Supreme Court during last year’s elections had a set of “guidelines” by which they would base their penalties.

“The process appeared to have guidelines when in practice it was really more arbitrary,” said Messer, who is a senior majoring in computer engineering and computer science.

Hoffman said that candidates police themselves and each other for the most part. And when candidates feel that his or her opponent is in violation, they are to fill out the appropriate form and turn it in to the court for review.

Statement of intent forms and election packets for the upcoming elections will be available beginning Jan. 29, at 8 a.m., in the Student Affairs office, which is located in room W301 of the Student Activities Center.