This page contains all general resource documents made available by the Election Commission. If you have a question, or cannot find a document that you believe should be located here, please contact the Election Commissioner at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I am eligible to run for a given position? All eligibility requirements are published to election.tamu.edu/candidates/eligibility. If eligibility requirements are not yet posted for a position that you are interested in, please contact their respective organization representative.
How do I start planning my campaign? As you brainstorm creative ideas to introduce yourself and convey your campaign platform to the tens of thousands of students at Texas A&M, you should be mindful of the regulations in place that help ensure that the election environment is safe, secure, and fair for all parties involved. Please thoroughly read the current Election Regulations, published towards the top of this webpage. In the context of campaigning, careful attention should be paid to Article IV. Campaigning, Article V. Restrictions, and Article VI. Violations, but other portions of the Election Regulations are likely to be relevant as well. In addition to familiarizing yourself with the Election Regulations, you must complete the following steps to officially become a candidate:
- File your candidacy when the filing period opens. Filing instructions will be posted to this website, the Election Commission’s Instagram (@tamuelection) bulk emails to the student body.
- Attend the Mandatory Candidates’ Meeting on February 18 at 4:00 pm in MSC 2300D
When can I begin campaigning? “Candidates may not distribute physical campaign materials until after the Mandatory Candidates Meeting.” Refer to the Election Regulations, Art. VI, Sec. 3 to view regulations regarding electronic campaigning.
Where can I find a list of all of the important dates and deadlines during the election process? Great question! A full table of dates is prepared on the “Spring 2025 Elections” page. Additionally, you can add the Spring 2025 Election Google Calendar for important dates and deadlines.
Can I plan a “raffle” to help advertise my campaign and encourage students to vote? While the Election Regulations do not prohibit any giveaway-type activity, students need to be aware of the legality of a raffle per Texas state law and the Student Organization Finance Center Instructional Guide. “Raffles” are strictly prohibited in this context per Texas State Law, but giveaways can be conducted if the process follows certain procedures. Contacting the Student Organization Finance Center, or reaching out to the Student Organization Development Administration who oversees many student organization activities, can each be good first-steps in determining whether your specific vision is possible to execute.
Can I run a joint campaign with my friend(s)? Candidates are welcome to endorse each other’s campaigns and encourage voters to vote for both themselves and other candidates running in the election. Aside from Student Body President/ Student Body Vice President candidates, there is no official declaration required for candidates to campaign together or endorse one another, but any shared materials (bearing the name of more than one candidate) must be expensed at full cost by each candidate. Student Body President and Executive Vice President candidates must run a joint campaign.
How much does it cost to campaign? The amount of money that a student spends on a campaign is completely up to them! While the Election Regulations do set strict budgets for major and minor race campaigns, it is not required that a student spend their entire budget, or any at all for that matter. Major race candidates, which include Student Body President/Student Body Vice President ticket and Yell Leaders, have a $3000 budget, while minor race candidates, which are all other positions, have a $600 budget. Please reference Article VII. Finance, and Article VIII. Auditing of the Election Regulations for important information regarding the recording of expenditures, and adherence to a budget, during elections.
How do I know exactly which items to expense from my campaign? As stated in the Election Regulations, “Campaign materials are defined as anything distributed or displayed for
the purpose of soliciting votes for a candidate.
(1) The use of items that are directly associated with a person’s name,
image, and likeness can serve as a way to express a statement of support
or endorsement for a candidate without incurring expenses.
(2) A candidate should expense items that are used in campaigning
that they interact with for the purpose of soliciting votes.” Refer to the Election Regulations, Art. VI, Sec. 3 to view regulations regarding electronic campaigning.
- Please note, per the regulations, you do not have to expense materials freely available to the general student. These can include rentable items from Evan’s Library
*Common items that require expensing include, but are not limited to: fliers, t-shirts, art supplies critical to the construction of campaign materials, sheets, PVC pipe, and other related materials used for bannering, personalized buttons, and social media ads.
What are the consequences for not adhering to the Election Regulations? Please see Article VI. Violations of the Election Regulations, where the different tiers of violations are defined and their application during the election is discussed. Most often, candidates are assessed a fine for violating aspects of the Election Regulations, and disqualification is assessed in “cases where the violation can be confidently determined to undermine the free, fair, and safe nature of the election, or the candidate has committed an act which prevents them from maintaining qualification as a candidate within the current election.”