Article I: Authority, Enforcement, and Execution

Section 1. The Supervisors of Elections reserve adjunct power and have the final say in all matters concerning TeenPact’s National Elections (with the exception of Mr. Peter Martin).

Section 2. Any alleged violators of the 2012 Election rules will be brought before the Supervisors of Elections. The Supervisors of Elections have the authority to investigate any accusations and pass judgment, including but not limited to disqualification from the TeenPact national elections.

Section 3. The rules specified within this document are subject to amendment at any time. These amendments will be clearly published and sent to all registered candidates.

Article II: Eligibility

Section 1. To be eligible to run for office, each candidate must attend and graduate from a 4-day state class as a student.

Section 2. All candidates must attend TeenPact National Convention 2012 in order to run for office.

Article III: Candidates

Section 1. There will be a popular election for a Congress made up of 9 representatives and 4 senators.

Section 2. There will be an electoral election for a Presidential and Vice-Presidential ticket.

Section 3. Each candidate must declare their intent to run for office, pay their Candidate Fee of $10.00, and complete the online Candidate Registration form by May 15^th in order to be placed on the printed, primary ballot.

Section 4: Write-In Candidates will not be printed on the primary ballot. Their names must be written on the provided blank line on the ballot. Write-ins may run in the primary without paying the $10 candidate fee, however, they must pay the $10 candidate fee if they a) post campaign literature, or b) get nominated out of the party primaries and wish to continue to the general election. All write-in candidates which make it out of primaries will have their name printed on the general election ballot. *Note: Write- in Candidates will not have the opportunity to speak during Primary elections.

Article IV: The Electoral College

Section 1. States will be awarded electoral votes based on the total number of students that were in attendance at their respective State Class during the TeenPact 2012 Season.  If there was not a State Class conducted in any particular state during the 2012 season, the electoral votes will be calculated from the most recent class held in that state.

Section 2. Every state will automatically have one electoral vote, plus one additional vote for every 20 students which attended the most recent State Class.

Section 3. In states that have ¾ or greater of the 20 students necessary to gain an additional vote, their numbers shall be rounded up and the additional vote given. For example… If 75 student attended the California State Class, CA would receive 5 electoral votes: 1 automatic vote and 4 student attendance votes (75/20 = 3 and ¾).

Section 4. A student vote will be counted towards the electoral vote(s) of the state where the voter last attended a State Class as a student.

Section 5. The presidential ticket that carries a majority (50 percent plus one) in any state will automatically be awarded all of state’s electoral votes.

Section 6. If there is a tie in a state, the electoral votes will be split evenly between the two or possibly three candidates that are tied.

Section 7. If there is a tie in total electoral votes, the tie-breaking vote will be made by all elected officials from National Convention 2011 who are currently present at National Convention 2012.

Article V: National Convention Election Activities

Section 1. In the primary election, the representative and senatorial candidates will participate in a forum and will NOT give campaign speeches.  The presidential candidates (including their VP running mate) will give a 3-minute speech.  (Speech time is inclusive, i.e. introduction)

Section 2. In the General Election, the representative candidates will give a 1-½ minute speech and the senatorial candidates will give a 2-minute speech.  The presidential candidates will participate in a town hall debate forum where selected members of National Convention 2012 will ask questions to the candidates, all of which will be organized by a moderator. The vice-presidential candidates will participate in a vice-presidential open forum.

Section 3. Candidates will not have prior knowledge of questions to be asked during both the primary and general open forums. The Supervisors of Elections will choose these questions.

Section 4. Voting for the three primary elections will be conducted via paper ballots. Voting for the general election will be conducted via computers at specific voting kiosks.

Section 5. Signs and posters are permissible at National Convention. However, they must meet the following guidelines:

1) The ONLY acceptable adhesive for use is painter’s tape and sticky tack. All other adhesives are PROHIBITED; this includes (but is not limited to) the following tapes: scotch, masking, duct, etc.

2) No gluing, nailing, stapling or tacking is allowed.

3) Anything “see-through” must remain completely unobstructed.

All campaign literature and posters MUST be removed and placed either out of site or in the garbage NO LATER than 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of candidate votes! For all campaign literature equal to or larger than an 8×11 inch piece of paper, 5 votes will be deducted (or 2 electoral votes for the presidential race). All literature smaller than an 8×11 piece of paper, 2 votes will be deducted (or 1 electoral vote for the presidential race).

Section 6. Booth space will be provided at National Convention. Representative and Senatorial candidates will receive three (3) feet of space on a folding table and Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates will jointly receive six (6) feet of space. These tables may or may not be placed against the wall and any items on the wall must conform to the sign and poster regulation found in Article V,

Section 7. Electrical outlets may or may not be provided. If you know that you will need an outlet, please bring your own extension cord. Tablecloths are permissible. Nothing may be hung from the ceiling (specific exceptions are permissible).

Article VI: Absentee Voting

Section 1. More details will be forthcoming

Section 2. Phone banking will NOT be permitted at National Convention and the use of cell phones will fall under the National Convention cell phone policy.

Article VII: Pre-National Convention Campaigning

Section 1. No TeenPact generated lists can be used by the candidates. Only personally created lists from personal contacts. Candidates are not allowed to call anyone that they would not already personally call.

Section 2. “Personal contacts” may also include friends/contacts of friends.

Section 3. “TeenPact generated lists” includes any list acquired directly or indirectly from the TeenPact office. This includes state class lists of any kind as well as lists from any other TeenPact sponsored event.

Article VIII: Elected Official’s Responsibilities and Powers

Section 1. The responsibility of nationally-elected officials includes (but is not limited to) administrating the funds from the candidate fee and hosting no less than one TeenPact promotional event.

Section 2. The President will preside over at least one meeting of the newly-elected officials at National Convention and may delegate or create positions as he or she sees fit. Either the vice-president and/or other elected officials  must fill all created positions.

Section 3. The Elected Officials will have powers as they are delegated to them by the Elected Officials’ Advisers.

Section 4. The Elected Officials’ Advisers (EOA) will be Vince Randazzo, Paige Haven, Stephen Blunk, Serena Walker, and Ben Edmonds.  In case of their absence, the EOA may appoint a successor (with the consent of Mr. Peter Martin). In addition, the EOA reserve final veto over all actions of the Elected Officials (with the exception of Mr. Peter Martin).