Administrative Procedure: 153
ACTIVITY DURING ELECTION PERIODS
Background
Elections are key elements in the democratic process, providing suitable subjects for educational attention. However, since misunderstandings, conflicts, and claims of bias can also occur more easily during an election period, guidelines for staff are desirable.
While an “election period” may formally be considered the time following an election announcement, or the period following the deadline for nominations in a local election, for purposes of this administrative procedure, it may be more broadly defined as the weeks or months preceding the election.
In general, District activity is to proceed in as normal a manner as possible during an election period, with staff continuing to carry out their duties with integrity and responsibility. However, caution is required to ensure that staff will not be accused of political partiality in carrying out their duties, nor trustees of obtaining unfair political advantage in local elections.
Procedures
1. No employee of the District is to participate in campaign activity during his/her normal working hours.
2. Students, as part of a planned citizenship education program, may be informed about and carry on discussions of election processes and issues at any time. Under no circumstances are efforts to be made by staff to indoctrinate students with a particular political view nor to engage them in campaign activities.
3. District Office staff shall make available, on request, to all candidates public information which would be available to any trustee. The materials made available to one candidate will be given to all candidates. A candidate’s request to a school is to be referred to the Superintendent’s Office.
4. Caution is to be exercised regarding public relations activities or controversial issues which could become part of the election campaign.
5. Requests for staff to provide information for campaign purposes are to be restricted to information available to other members of the public or other candidates.
Reference: Sections 17, 20, 22, 65, 85 School Act
Local Government Act
Revised: May 2013
Procedure 153