caucus Policy

Our biggest priority is the preservation of fraternity and sisterhood throughout Lake Ontario Region. During elections, one way this is ensured is through a closed caucus: Candidates declare their caucus to the President in secret, and they go through the pre-election process in secret as well (staff/advisors will always be aware of the caucus list). All the candidates' priorities will be released publicly roughly a week before Regional Elections. The Regional Priorities release informs members about a candidate’s intentions before the election, but the no politicking policy remains in effect during this time. We want elections to be as fair as possible, and we are placing a lot of trust in candidates to conduct themselves responsibly. This is also a reminder that to ensure the integrity of our elections, Alephs and B’nai B'rith Girls are not permitted to discuss the caucus status of any particular person, whether or not they are running.

People will want to get to know their candidates once regional priorities are out. However, talking about elections, or a candidate’s plans or vision for the position they are running for is politicking and will result in consequences.

All members of BBYO Lake Ontario Region are prohibited from engaging in any form of campaigning before elections, such as:

• Talking to anyone about your candidacy, besides staff, advisors, or regional presidents, whether decided yet or not;
• Talking badly about other potential candidates in order to make you seem like a better option;
• Talking about your goals for the term prior to elections;
• Having others edit or read your caucus materials prior to the election;
• Talking about your ability to perform well as an officer;
• Engaging in actions designed to win votes;
• Employing others to campaign for you.

Consequences:

For the preservation of regional fraternity and sisterhood, the "No Politicking" rule shall be strictly enforced by the following guidelines:

• Any act of politicking by any Aleph or B'nai B'rith Girl, regardless of whether they are a candidate, can result in their vote being removed.
• Any act of politicking by a candidate caucused for Regional Board can result in their caucus being revoked.
  • In general, in the face of a minor infraction, candidates will lose 30 seconds of their speech time, which will be made clear by either Dylan, Hannah, or Regional Staff.
  • If an official warning has been issued to a candidate and the behavior of politicking persists, the candidate's caucus will be immediately revoked and they will be unable to run for Regional Board.
• Politicking is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Consequences for politicking may vary in severity based on each situation, and they are at the discretion of Dylan, Hannah, and Regional Staff.

Please don’t put us in the tough decision of revoking a caucus or removing a vote. We want to respect every candidate throughout the process. If you are ever uncertain whether something is allowed, please reach out to Dylan (Alephs) or Hannah (BBGs) to ask! However, the general rule of thumb is this: If you are wondering whether or not something is politicking, it most likely is. Refrain until you have confirmed.