Placement on the Ballot

Every Spring quarter, during the general elections held for the Senate and Council of Presidents, the Association may levy one or more Special Fees via a referenda. Special Fees shall be sought by student organizations to cover their organizational and basic programming expenses. A student organization shall have its request for a Special Fee placed on the ballot after following any one of the following four procedures:

1. Prepare a detailed budget for the student organization for the next fiscal year, including the amount sought from the Special Fee, and submit this, along with the current budget and a summary of actual expenditures, to the Association in the form of a petition. Such petitions bearing the signatures of 20 per cent of the members of the Association requesting to place the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration shall be presented to the Elections Commissioner, who must examine for authenticity the signatures on the petitions within seven days after receiving it. Upon verifying the petition, the Elections Commissioner shall then authorize the placement of the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration.

2. Prepare a detailed budget for the student organization for the next fiscal year, including the amount sought from the Special Fee, and submit this, along with the current budget and a summary of actual expenditures, to the Association in the form of a petition and to the Senate. Such petitions bearing the signatures of 10 per cent of the members of the Association requesting to place the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration shall be presented to the Elections Commissioner, who must examine for authenticity the signatures on the petitions within seven days after receiving it. Upon verifying the petition, the Elections Commissioner shall then authorize the placement of the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration, provided that this request has also been approved by three-fifths of the members of the Senate.

3. Prepare a detailed budget for the student organization for the next fiscal year, including the amount sought from the Special Fee, and submit this, along with the current budget and a summary of actual expenditures, to the Senate. Upon approval by three-fifths of the members of the Senate, the Elections Commissioner shall then authorize the placement of the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration, provided that the last time this student organization appeared on the ballot for a Special Fee, those in favor of the Special Fee constituted at 50 percent of the members of the Association voting on the Special Fee, and that the fee presently sought is not substantially higher than the fee requested the last time this student organization appeared on the ballot for a Special Fee.

4. Prepare a detailed budget for the student organization for the next fiscal year, including the amount sought from the Special Fee, and submit this, along with the current budget and a summary of actual expenditures, to the Association in the form of a petition. Such petitions bearing the signatures of 10 per cent of the members of the Association requesting to place the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration shall be presented to the Elections Commissioner, who must examine for authenticity the signatures on the petitions within seven days after receiving it. Upon verifying the petition, the Elections Commissioner shall then authorize the placement of the Special Fee on the ballot for Association consideration, provided that the last time this student organization appeared on the ballot for a Special Fee, those in favor of the Special Fee constituted at least 50 per cent of the members of the Association voting on the Special Fee, and that the fee presently sought is not substantially higher than the fee requested the last time this student organization appeared on the ballot for a Special Fee.

One of the above procedures must be completed by a deadline specified in the By-Laws of the Association, but no later than 21 days before the general election. The Senate shall give public notice in the Stanford Daily or through inclusion in an election pamphlet/handbook of the Special Fee requests which will appear on the ballot and their amounts at least 7 days before the general election.

The Senate shall have the authority to specify the form in which the detailed budget and summary of actual expenditures must be presented and the information they must contain, and to establish regulations defining the proper form for petitions and governing the circulation thereof.