Article IV. Elections

The following are the positions to be elected.

The positions:

1. President
1. The President of the USG shall be elected by direct vote of the students through a university-wide election.
2. There is one (1) USG President that can be elected, regardless of the total student population of the NEUST System.
2. Vice President
1. The Vice President of the USG shall be elected by direct vote of the students through a university-wide election.
2. There is one (1) USG Vice President that can be elected, regardless of the total student population of the NEUST System.
3. USG Senators
1. The Senators of the Legislative Branch shall be elected by direct vote of the students through a university-wide election.
2. There are eight (8) Legislative Senators that can be elected, regardless of the total student population of the NEUST System.
4. Governor
1. The Governor of the LSG shall be elected by direct vote of the students in their respective department/college/campus.
2. There is one (1) Governor that can be elected per department/college/campus, regardless of its total population.
5. Vice Governor
1. The Vice Governor of the LSG shall be elected by direct vote of the students in their respective department/college/campus.
2. There is one (1) Vice Governor that can be elected per department/college/campus, regardless of its total population.
6. LSG Representatives
1. The LSG Representative/s of Local Student Government shall be elected by direct vote of the students in their respective department/college/campus.
2. A minimum of one (1) and a maximum of four (4) LSG Representatives (pro-rata basis of 1:600 students) shall be elected from a particular college/campus.

All of the elected positions shall be elected every last Monday of April of every academic year in accordance with the rules promulgated by the NEUST-USG Constitution and By-Laws. The elected officers shall begin serving the office at noon of the 1st day of June following the election until their successors have been elected and qualified.

To qualify as candidates for positions in the USG and Local Student Government, they shall meet the following requirements:

1. President/Vice President
1. At least four (4) semesters of residency in the University on the date of assumption to office, with the exception of the Graduate School which shall have at least two (2) semester residencies on the date of assumption to office.
2. Must be of Good Moral Character.
3. Must not be a graduating student in his/her course and/or field of specialization.
4. Enrolled in at least twelve (12) units in a single particular course during the semester when the election shall be held, with the exception of the Graduate School which shall be allowed to carry a minimum load of nine (9) units.
5. Be academically in good standing without incomplete, 5.00 or failing grade, and Dropped, with a general weighted average not lower than 2.50 in the semester preceding the election.
6. Not have been found guilty in any disciplinary case or any act involving moral turpitude.
7. At least eighteen (18) years old on the date of assumption to office.
2. USG Senators
1. At least two (2) semesters of residency in the University on the date of assumption to office.
2. Must be of Good Moral Character.
3. Must not be a graduating student in his/her course and/or field of specialization.
4. Enrolled in at least twelve (12) units in a single particular course during the semester when the election shall be held, with the exception of the Graduate School which shall be allowed to carry a minimum load of six (6) units.
5. Be academically in good standing without incomplete, 5.00 or failing grade, and Dropped, with a general weighted average not lower than 2.50 in the semester preceding the election. In the case of Laboratory High School, the general weighted average shall be determined based on the equivalent value of the herein mentioned grade requirement.
6. Not have been found guilty in any disciplinary case or any act involving moral turpitude.
3. Governor/Vice Governor/LSG Representatives
1. At least two (2) semesters of residency upon assumption of office in the college/campus where he/she intends to run.
2. Be academically in good standing without incomplete, 4.00 or failing grade, and unofficially dropped, and with a general weighted average not lower than 2.50 in the semester preceding the election. In the case of Laboratory High School, the general weighted average shall be determined based on the equivalent value of the herein mentioned grade requirement.
3. Must be of Good Moral Character.
4. Enrolled in at least twelve (12) units in a single particular course during the semester when the election shall be held, with the exception of the Graduate School which shall be allowed to carry a minimum load of six (6) units.
5. Not a graduating student in his/her course and/or field of specialization.
6. Not have been found guilty of any disciplinary case or any act involving moral turpitude.

Any candidate including those intending to run again for any position shall not be denied, provided they meet the minimum qualifications embodied in this Constitution and By-Laws.

The USG President shall have a maximum of two (2) years full term of office.

Aspiring candidates holding any position in any Non-Political Student Organization or editorial staff in the NEUST publication shall not be denied as long as he/she meets the qualifications set in the Constitution and By-Laws of the USG. However, said candidates are deemed resigned from their positions upon filing of their Certificate of Candidacy.

Aspiring candidates holding any position in any Political Student Organization may take limited power from their positions.

Upon the start of the filing for Certificate of Candidacy, the Election Ban shall take effect. At this time, the following are the prohibited acts:

1. It is prohibited to request for the approval of budget release.
2. The candidates must not use their current position to campaign in official events where student representation is needed.
3. Giving gifts in cash or in kind etc. is prohibited.
4. Any candidate must not be present in any official advertisements of their designated offices.
5. The candidate is prohibited from appointing new members to any positions.
6. Any additional prohibition that may arise and be set by the NEUST USG Student Government Commission on Election.

Election Ban shall be lifted after the proclamation of the elected winners.

The Student Body is composed of twenty-three (23) Local Student Governments, namely:

1. Atate Campus Local Student Government
2. Carrangalan Off-Campus Local Student Government
3. College of Architecture Local Student Government
4. College of Arts and Sciences Local Student Government
5. College of Criminology Local Student Government
6. College of Engineering Local Student Government
7. College of Industrial Technology Local Student Government
8. College of Information and Communication Technology Local Student Government
9. College of Management and Business Technology Local Student Government
10. College of Nursing Local Student Government
11. College of Public Administration and Disaster Management Local Student Government
12. Fort Magsaysay Campus Local Student Government
13. Gabaldon Campus Local Student Government
14. Gen. Tinio Off-Campus Local Student Government
15. Graduate School Local Student Government
16. Laboratory High School Local Student Government
17. Peñaranda Off-Campus Local Student Government
18. San Antonio Off-Campus Local Student Government
19. San Isidro Campus Local Student Government
20. San Leonardo Off-Campus Local Student Government
21. Sto. Domingo Off-Campus Local Student Government
22. Talavera Off-Campus Local Student Government
23. Teacher Education Local Student Government

Students who are aspiring for any position must file their CERTIFICATE OF CANDIDACY within the period designated by the Student Government Commission on Election. The NEUST Student Government Commission on Election, through its Chairperson, shall determine their eligibility to run for any position.

All students officially enrolled in NEUST in the current school year and whose names are found in the master list of students are qualified to vote.

Bloc voting is not allowed. The name of the candidates must be selected individually on the NEUST Online System or written on the ballot.

A plurality of votes cast shall determine the election winners. In case of a tie, drawing lots shall be undertaken to determine the winners.

No candidate is allowed to campaign outside the campaign period.

Speeches/talks of any candidate during the election campaign should include his program of government/activities to be followed/performed in case he is elected. The Student Government Commission on Election reserves the right to stop/apprehend any candidate resorting to personal attacks. This may be grounds for disqualification.

Campaigns through social media platforms will be monitored by the Student Government Commission on Election. Any acts that will affect the image of the University and other candidates may be grounds for disqualification.

Candidates are not allowed to interfere with the voting and the Student Government Commission on Election during the election. Only election concerns will be entertained through filing a formal complaint to the Chairperson of the Student Government Commission on Election.

The returns of every election for all positions shall be transmitted to the Student Government Commission on Election not later than twenty-four (24) hours from the day of the election in each campus.

After the counting of all the votes cast during the election, the Student Government Commission on Election shall proclaim the winning candidates who obtained the highest number of votes.

Any election protest shall be filed in writing within the period of twenty-four (24) hours from the time of the proclamation to the Chairperson of the Student Government Commission on Election. The Board shall decide the issues within twenty-four (24) hours upon receipt thereof.

Decisions of the Student Government Commission on Election can be appealed to the Student Judicial Council by filing notice of appeal to the Chairperson of the Student Government Commission on Election. The latter shall immediately forward all the records of the election results to the SJC. The SJC, on the other hand, shall immediately convene and decide on the protest within a period of seventy-two (72) hours upon receipt thereof. The decision of the SJC on the protest is final and executory.

The NEUST Student Government Commission on Election may adopt other modes of election such as an online system or other similar methods in the event that the election cannot be held manually due to unforeseen events.

The Student Government Commission on Election will decide what mode of election will be used in the conduct of the election.