Any student currently enrolled at The University of Alabama may vote in Homecoming elections. The Election will occur the Tuesday before the Homecoming Game. Students may vote by logging into their myBama accounts and clicking the voting icon on the website. The voting period will officially begin at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. There will be no extensions of the voting period. No write-in ballots for Homecoming Queen candidates will be accepted. The winner of the Homecoming Election will be the candidate who received the most votes. There will be no run-off election.
Declaring a Winner
The winner of the Homecoming Queen election will be declared at the Homecoming Pep-Rally and Bonfire on the eve of the Homecoming Game based on the vote conducted during the elections process. The Homecoming Queen will be formally crowned as the UA Homecoming Queen during halftime of the Homecoming Game.
The Elections Review and Dispute Panel
The Elections Review and Dispute Panel shall consist of a seven members panel representative of faculty, staff, students, or alumni selected via recruitment through constituent groups, interest form, or appointment to the Homecoming Steering and Advisory Committee. These seven members should be comprised of a diverse representation of groups. At least five of these seven members of the panel must be present at any dispute review.
Elections Violations or Process Complaints
Official violations must be submitted via the electronic Elections Complaints/Violations Form. In the preliminary round, appeals complaints may only be submitted by a candidate. For the elections process, any UA student may submit a Complaint/Violations Form. Anonymous complaints will not be reviewed or accepted.
The electronic form will request the following required information:
- Name of the candidate and/or individual(s) who allegedly committed the violation
- Brief description of the alleged violation/complaint, including any relevant date and time information and reference to the relevant process or rules
- Any applicable evidence
- Name of the person filing the complaint with their email and contact number
- Electronic signature of the person filing the complaint (no anonymous complaints will be reviewed). Complaints must be filed within 24 hours of the violation or within 24 hours of when the violation is known and by any posted and prescribed deadline found via the timeline.
Complaint Deadlines
Complaints must be submitted according to the following timeline:
- Deadline For Complaint Preliminary Process: Thursday, Oct. 3 by 6 p.m.
- Deadline For Elections Complaint: Wednesday, Oct. 23 by 7 p.m.
Elections Review and Dispute Panel Meetings
The Elections Review and Dispute Panel will meet during the following periods when any filed disputes will be handled. All announcements regarding review would be disseminated at the conclusion of their review. Final appeals information will be posted no less than six hours before the announcement of winners of any portion of the process.
Violations
Points may be awarded for minimal or minor violations that do not appear to affect the election. However, an accumulation of 15+ violation points of any kind (minimal, intermediate, major or minor) will result in disqualification. Points will be determined by a majority vote of the Elections Review and Dispute Panel. That panel may review each request independently with the information provided or request additional information from parties involved via email, in person, or by Zoom or phone discussion. The panel also has the discretion to determine a point value where there is none assigned or variance in what took place.
Minimal Violations
One (1) point per infraction. Examples include, but may not be limited to:
- Campaigning 25 feet from an academic building
- Violating posting policies for campus buildings and residential spaces
- Use of unsolicited bulk mail messages via snail mail or electronically campaigning
Minor Violations
Three (3) points per infraction. Examples include, but may not be limited to:
- Use of prohibited social media
- Use of self-adhesive material
- Campaign materials taped to campus grounds or in unauthorized location
- Use of unauthorized UA emblems, logos or copy written material
- Chalking policy violation
- Grounds policy violation
- Violating campaign printed or produced material restrictions
- Early campaigning not from candidate’s designated representation/team
Intermediate Violations
Six (6) points per infraction. Examples include, but may not be limited to:
- Misuse of UA’s computer network, equipment and resources
- Interference with educational life of the University
- Early campaigning from candidate or campaign manager
- Residence hall door-to-door solicitation
- Posting anything in residence hall windows
- Non-compliance with off-campus campaigning rules
- Intentional littering
- Campaign spending limit violations
- Failure to file documents in a timely manner
- Failure to report or accurately report in‐kind donations
Major Violations
Nine (9) points per infraction. Examples include, but may not be limited to:
- Election fraud
- Unethical campaign tactics
- Failure to file financial disclosure and/or budget forms
Disqualification
An accumulation of 15+ points of any kind
Appeals
Decisions made by Elections Review and Dispute Panel are final. Appeals will not be granted.
Amendments and Changes to this Process
Any amendments to this process may be made by the Vice President for Student Life. If a student wishes to alter the document, they may submit suggestions in writing to the VP for Student Life for review by the Homecoming Steering and Advisory Committee for feedback, which is ultimately at the discretion of the VP for Student Life.