Spring IUSA election deadlines announced

The 2010 IU Student Association Elections Commission has introduced this year’s election timeline. The election will take place March 9 and 10. It also released application due dates and detailed instructions for potential candidates.

The exact time of the election is not determined, pending Congressional approval of the new election code. While the polling hours are not yet announced, the date when voters will head to the polls marks an intentional change by members of the Election Commission. By moving the election forward at least two weeks, officials hope to smooth the post-election transition.

“We moved it up significantly in the semester to allow the new administration more time to get the ball rolling,” said Andrew Dahlen, head of the Election Commission.

Jack McCarthy, IUSA vice president of student affairs, said his administration benefited from an earlier election date last year. He and other members of the executive branch were able to appoint executives to all non-elected positions before the school year was finished.

This allowed them to focus on achieving platform goals during the summer, McCarthy said.

Applications for potential candidates are available on the IUSA Web site and at the IUSA office and must be submitted to that office as well.

An open debate will take place in March that will include potential executives, and students are encouraged to attend, Dahlen said.

A series of meetings will follow for candidates, along with the mandatory submission of an itemized list of campaign expenditures. If the election code is replaced with the one currently before Congress, these expenditures would be limited to $5,000.

Past elections have allowed tickets to spend as much money as they raised during their campaign. The new election code proposes putting a cap on these expenditures, as well as regulating several other aspects of the campaign process.

McCarthy said any student interested in applying or learning how IUSA works should plan to attend the call-out meeting on Feb. 5.

He went on to explain that the meeting will allow individuals to meet others interested in student government and learn about different aspects of IUSA.