Class Election Schedules

 

Date	Time	Location	Event	Contact
2004-2005 Student Council Schedule
Oct 25th (All Week)	All Day	Student Council Office	Freshmen Student Council candidates can pick up their campaign forms.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
Oct 25th(All Week)	All Day	Student Council Office	Student Council candidates hand in copy of speeches for advisor review. Refer to Freshmen Election contract.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
Nov 1st	Mods 3-4	Theatre	Freshmen Student Council candidates read their speeches during class assemblies.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
Nov 1st	All Day	Cafe B	Primary Elections: Freshmen Student Council candidates can vote for student council candidates.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
Nov 11th thru Nov 12th	All Day	Cafe B	Final Elections: Freshmen Students can vote for student council candidates.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
Nov 15th	Morning Announcements	North	Freshmen Student Council Officers will be announced at the end of the day.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
May 9th thru May 13th	All Day	Student Council Office	Soph/Junior/Senior Student Council candidates can pick up their campaign forms.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
May 9th thru May 13th	All Day	Student Council Office	Soph/Junior/SeniorStudent Council candidates hand in copy of speeches for advisor review	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
May 18th	Mods 3-4	Theatre	Soph/Junior/Senior Student Council candidates read their speeches during class assemblies.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
May 19th and May 20th	All Day	Cafe B	Primary Elections: Soph/Junior/Senior Students can vote for student council candidates.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
May 26th and May 27th	All Day	Cafe B	Final Elections: Soph/Junior/Senior Students can vote for student council candidates.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
May 31st	Morning Announcements	North	Soph/Junior/Senior Student Council Officers will be announced at the end of the day.	Mrs. Kayal/Mrs. Sheehan
Date	Time	Location	Event	Contact
2005 Freshmen Class Election Schedule
May 9th thru May 13th	All Day	To be determined by Class Advisors	Freshmen candidates can pick up their campaign forms.	Mr. Heidecker/T.B.A.
May 9th thru May 13th	All Day	Student Council Office	Freshmen candidates hand in copy of speeches for advisor review. Refer to Class Election contract.	Mr. Heidecker/T.B.A.
May 18th	Mods 1-2	Theatre	Freshmen candidates read their speeches during class assemblies.	Mr. Heidecker/T.B.A.
May 19th and May 20th	All Day	Cafe B	Primary Elections: Freshmen can vote for sophomore candidates.	Mr. Heidecker/T.B.A.
May 26th and May 27th	All Day	Cafe B	Final Elections: Freshmen can vote for sophomore candidates.	Mr. Heidecker/T.B.A.
May 31st	Morning Announcements	North	Sophomore Officers will be announced at the end of the day.	Mr. Heidecker/T.B.A.
Date	Time	Location	Event	Contact
2005 Sophomore Class Election Schedule
May 9th thru May 13th	All Day	Nurses Office	Sophomore candidates can pick up their campaign forms.	Mrs. Farrell/Mrs. Berry
May 9th thru May 13th	All Day	Student Council Office	Sophomore candidates hand in copy of speeches for advisor review. Refer to Class Election contract.	Mrs. Farrell/Mrs. Berry
May 18th	Mods 3-4	Theatre	Sophomore candidates read their speeches during class assemblies.	Mrs. Farrell/Mrs. Berry
May 19th and May 20th	All Day	Cafe B	Primary Elections: Sophomores can vote for junior candidates.	Mrs. Farrell/Mrs. Berry
May 26th and May 27th	All Day	Cafe B	Final Elections: Sophomores can vote for junior candidates.	Mrs. Farrell/Mrs. Berry
May 31st	Morning Announcements	North	Junior Officers will be announced at the end of the day.	Mrs. Farrell/Mrs. Berry
Date Time Location Event Contact 2005 Junior Class Election Schedule May 9th thru May 13th All Day To be determined by Class Advisors Junior candidates can pick up their campaign forms. Mrs. Dr. VanDoren/Mrs. Scheifler May 9th thru May 13th All Day Student Council Office Junior candidates hand in copy of speeches for advisor review Mrs. Dr. VanDoren/Mrs. Scheifler May 18th Mods 5-6 Theatre Junior candidates read their speeches during class assemblies. Refer to Class Election contract. Mrs. Dr. VanDoren/Mrs. Scheifler May 19th and May 20th All Day Cafe B Primary Elections: Juniors can vote for Senior candidates in voting booths. Mrs. Dr. VanDoren/Mrs. Scheifler May 26th and May 27th All Day Cafe B Final Elections: Juniors can vote for Senior candidates in voting booths. Mrs. Dr. VanDoren/Mrs. Scheifler May 31st Morning Announcements North Senior Officers will be announced at the end of the day. Mrs. Dr. VanDoren/Mrs. Scheifler

 

Expectations of School Officers

All officers are expected to share certain responsibilities, including:

·         Attendance at all class meetings, including Executive Board meetings. You must be on time for all meetings. An officer should be the first to arrive and the last to leave all meetings.

·         Play a role in ALL activities.

·         Pull in as many members of your class as you can to meetings or activities.

·         Make your leadership position a priority among school activities.

·         Keep an open dialogue with your advisor(s).

 

Qualifications to Run for Office

The same qualifications apply to all candidates, regardless of office sought:

·         A potential candidate who currently holds office in either Class Council or Student Government must have performed that duty satisfactorily. No reprimands or written complaints or related disciplinary referrals may have been registered of that individual's performance of duty.

·         Candidates for class office must have demonstrated involvement in the major functions of the current year.

·         The student must be a member in good standing of his/her class according to the standards established by the Board of Education.

·         The student may not have been suspended from school during the current year for reasons other than excessive tardiness and/or absences and should possess a clean disciplinary record.

Attendance Requirements

·         Candidates for Class office must have a minimum 60% attendance at all Class Council and/or Student Government general meetings during the current year.

The signature of the class advisor on the candidate's application to run for office serves as verification that these conditions have been met.

 

Application and Interview Process

Each potential candidate must complete an application (available only in the Student  Council Office or the Student Activities Office), which must be returned to the current activity advisor to the posted schedule. No exceptions are made to this policy without a doctor's note specifying the candidate's medical inability to meet this condition.

The candidate is required to obtain several signatures which attest to his/her fitness to run for and/or hold office. Any faculty member or administrator has the right to withhold his/her signature, thereby indicating that the candidate is not fit to run for and/or hold office. Receiving these signatures is a privilege, not a right.

The final signature must be obtained from the current class advisor. Prior to this, the candidate must seek out the advisor of the future activity and establish an interview appointment. That advisor's signature will serve to verify that this appointment has been made.

The statement prepared by each candidate must adhere to these guidelines:

·         It must have as its heading the candidate's full name, grade level, and office sought.

·         It should be between 100 and 200 words.

·         It must be typed, single-spaced in a standard 12-point font, and saved as a Microsoft Word file (.doc) or as a Text file (.txt).

·         A printed copy of the statement must be submitted to the current class advisor for review, who will sign it to indicate that it has been approved.

·         Copies of your speech have to be given to your class officer and student Council advisor.

Election Promise 

     In order to allow for a smooth and fair elections process this week, I agree that I will NOT have an inappropriate campaign through such acts as removing or defacing my opponents’ signs, creating negative signs against my opponents, or any other inappropriate act, including influencing my peers to complete inappropriate campaigning actions.  I realize that these actions have consequences, and can lead to removal from my position as a candidate.  I agree to follow all terms and conditions in the handbook, and will be responsible for my actions through consequences as per the handbook, the administration, and its staff overseeing the elections.  I am also aware that if elected, it is my obligation to carry out the responsibilities of my position as per the handbook and per my class or club advisors.  If I do not carry out my responsibilities as an elected officer, I may be impeached and replaced by the runner-up opponent and/or by a peer appointed to the position.  I also agree that I will remove my signs promptly

Speech Tips

     Each candidate must prepare a speech to be presented at their respected times and reviewed by their class advisors. Speeches should not exceed five minutes. As a rule, in his or her speech, the candidate should demonstrate a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the position sought, clearly indicate his or her objectives, and show that he or she is a good candidate. Importantly, a speech should never down grade another opponent. Any speeches that are done in this manner will render immediate removal from the elections.

 

Student Voter Registration

A general voter registration involves a North Hunterdon High School Student to present a valid school ID to the voting polls to a student Council representative during voting times. A North Hunterdon staff member will be present during all voting times.

When you vote you agree to treat all candidates fairly and to behave responsibly at the election times.

Student voters are expected to comply with stated behavior standards, or they will lose the privilege of voting, and will be subject to disciplinary action.

 

The Campaign

The final slate of candidates is published following all primary elections. These candidates engage in an election campaign according to these guidelines. Any violation of these can result in the disqualification of a candidacy.

1.    The campaign period:

·         A specific time period will be set aside for campaigning, according to the published schedule.

·         Campaigning begins on the designated day at 7:30 am.

2.    Approval of campaign materials:

·         All campaign materials must be approved by one of the Class Council or Student Government advisor before they are put up.

·         These individuals will be available in the Mall by 7:30 am on the first day of the campaign.

3.    Positive campaigns:

·         You are expected to a run a POSITIVE campaign promoting your own candidacy. Negative campaigning against other candidates is not permitted and will result in the termination of one's candidacy.

·         This is true of "unofficial" campaigning (such as talking about and/or spreading rumors) as well, and is not limited to actual campaign materials.

4.    Campaign Posters, Buttons, and Stickers:

·         You must confine your posters and/or flyers to the inside of the school area ONLY. Posters must be approved by the Director of Student Activities.

·         Anyone else's signs or ads for other school activities may not be covered.

·         Your campaign poster space should not exceed 8 square feet. For example, a candidate may have one poster 34" x 34" or twelve 8 1/2" x 11" flyers, or any other combination. You may change posters from day to day, but the space limit may not be exceeded on any given day.

·         All signs must be hung with masking tape which you must be supplied by each individual. Don't use anything that won't come off easily. Posters should not be placed on top of existing school information.

·         Lockers or any other part of the building may not be decorated. People may wear campaign buttons, stickers, etc. anywhere in the school throughout the campaign period; however, campaign giveaways may not be distributed until after the primary elections.

5.    Campaign Finances:

·         All campaign materials must not exceed $50.00 for Class Council candidates and $70.00 for Student Government candidates. (Ordinary household supplies, such as tape, glue, or staples, do not need to be included in this figure.)

·         Funds can be raised through donations (from clubs, work, sponsors, etc.); however, the maximum amount that can come from you and/or your family members is $25.00 for Class Council candidates and $35.00 for Student Government candidates.

·        

All posters MUST be removed by 3:00 pm on the last day of the campaign. If a candidate is absent, he/she must arrange for someone else to remove all posters.

Each approved candidate will prepare a speech to be given their peers. This presentation should indicate the reasons the candidate believes that s/he is deserving of election. The presentation should be no longer than 5 minutes per person. The content of the speech must be formally approved by the current activity advisor according to the posted schedule. Each candidate may talk about almost anything during the speech but may not refer to any other candidate running for office. Deviation from the approved content will result in the immediate termination of that individual's candidacy. Only students who have registered to vote will be permitted to attend this assembly.

 

Primary/Final Elections

No more than three candidates will be permitted to run for each office in the Final election. In the event that more than three candidates are approved to run for any position, a primary must be held during the week prior to the first day of the Final Elections. Primary/Final election procedures are:

·         The Primary/Final elections will be held in Cafe B. Students have to present their ID badge in order to vote. Once they vote, the students and the advisor at the voting tables will cross off the individual students name so they cannot vote again.

·         Each candidate involved in the primary will have no more than five minutes to speak on his/her own behalf.

·         After all speeches have been made, all assembled voting members will be given the opportunity to cast ballots in a closed ballot at the voting tables.

·         The two candidates who receive the most votes will be permitted to run in the Final election. In the event of a tie during a primary for the Student Government, the standing president will cast the deciding vote. In the event of a tie during a Class Council primary, the current class advisor is authorized to make the final decision.

Voting Procedures and Tabulating the Results

Voting will take place on the designated Election Day during both lunch periods. Only students with a valid ID badge are permitted to vote.

Each voter must sign the registration sheet when receiving the paper ballot. Completed ballots are to be placed in the sealed ballot box. The ballot box will remain sealed until all votes have been cast.

Voters who are absent from school on the day of the election will not be permitted to vote by alternate means.

Once all votes have been cast, the sealed ballot boxes are taken to the Student Council Office. A committee consisting of the Class and Student Council Advisors will tabulate the results. There must be a minimum of three of these committee members present in order for the results to be validated.

Each advisor will tabulate the results for his/her current class, and record them. Each advisor will then tabulate the results for one of the other classes in order to validate the first count and record the results.

A general announcement regarding the outcome of the election at 2:25 on the Final day of the election or after the votes have been tabulated, all candidates will listen for the final results via the afternoon announcements.

Important Notes:

 Class Advisors are responsible for coordinating elections through the guidance of the Student Council.

 Teachers are to remain with their classes unless they have mixed classes.

Any other questions or concerns related to class elections can be addressed to Mr. Deutsch jdeutsch@nhvweb.net Thank you