Last modified: September 26, 2023

1920 P1 Election Campaign Ethics for District Ballot Measures

Download 1920 P1 Election Campaign Ethics for District Ballot Measures

The following guidelines represent official district expectations regarding the behavior of individuals and the use of district resources during election campaigns, particularly during elections involving district-related ballot measures. The guidelines are also substantively related to all campaigns and elections.

Principals/Building Administrators

Permitted

May inform staff (briefly) of opportunities to participate in campaign activities.
Are encouraged to communicate to staff the difference between acceptable and unacceptable activities related to a ballot measure.
In the course of normal publications for the school, may distribute an objective and fair presentation of the facts based on and expanded upon the information prepared by the district in accordance with the normal and regular conduct of the school and the district.
May speak at community forums and clubs to present factual and objective information on a ballot measure.
May encourage staff and members of the public to vote.
May respond to questions regarding a ballot measure.
May wear campaign buttons or similar items while on the job if the district’s policy generally permits employees to wear political buttons.
May engage in campaign activities on their own time and during non-work hours.

Not Permitted

Shall not pressure or coerce employees to participate in campaign activities.
Shall not use internal memoranda solely for the purpose of informing employees of meetings supporting or opposing ballot measures.
Shall not coordinate informational activities with campaign efforts, in a manner that makes the district appear to be supporting or opposing a ballot measure.
Shall not use public resources to operate a speakers’ bureau in a manner that may be viewed as promoting a ballot measure.

General Considerations

Has there been communications with staff and with association representatives regarding the prohibition on the use of the school’s internal mail or email system to support or oppose a ballot measure?
Is the distribution of this information consistent with the normal practices of the school (such as kid mail, newsletters, websites, or some other format)?
Is the information provided an objective and fair presentation of the facts?
Is the activity consistent with the school’s normal and regular course of business?
Do the materials accurately present the costs and other anticipated impacts of a ballot measure?

PTSAs/PTOs/ School Community Councils

Permitted

May use school facilities for meetings supporting a ballot measure to the extent that the facilities are made available on an equal access, nondiscriminatory basis, and it is part of the normal and regular activity of the district.
May print and distribute a separate newsletter advocating support for the ballot measure so long as no district resources are used (such as kid mail, newsletters, websites, or some other format).
May remind voters of upcoming election dates in the PTSA newsletter or in their part of the school newsletter.

Not Permitted

Shall not use school facilities to produce materials that support or oppose a ballot measure.
Shall not print and distribute materials promoting the ballot measure in the school newsletter.
Shall not use a school or district- sponsored event to promote or oppose a candidate or a ballot measure.

School Boards

Permitted

May collectively vote to support or oppose a ballot measure at a properly noticed public meeting, where opponents of the measure are given an opportunity to express their views.

Not Permitted

Shall not pressure or coerce district employees to participate in campaign activities.

School Board Members

Permitted

May engage in political activities.

Not Permitted

Shall not direct district staff to perform tasks to support or oppose campaign activities or ballot measures.

Students

Permitted

Students may originate school projects for credit that promote or oppose candidates or ballot measures.
Students may use public resources to carry out school projects promoting or opposing ballot measures, to the extent that such resources are regularly and routinely made available for other student projects.
Students may voluntarily (not for a grade or other academic compensation) participate in district ballot measures.
Students may voluntarily appear/participate in promotional activities in support of the ballot measure.

Not Permitted

Student school projects supporting or opposing ballot measures shall not use public.
Teachers shall not assign school projects to students that require creating or distributing materials to influence an election’s outcome.

General Considerations

Is the school project student initiated?

Superintendents or their Designees

Permitted

May inform staff during non-work hours of opportunities to participate in campaign activities.
May respond to questions regarding a ballot measure.
May wear campaign buttons or similar items while on the job if the district’s policy generally permits employees to wear political buttons.
May place window signs or bumper stickers on their privately-owned cars, even if those cars are parked on school property during working hours.
Are encouraged to communicate to staff the difference between acceptable and unacceptable activities related to a ballot measure.
May encourage staff and members of the public to vote

Not Permitted

Shall not pressure or coerce employees to participate in campaign activities.
Shall not use district resources to organize the distribution of campaign materials.

General Considerations

Does the district have a policy permitting employees to wear political buttons?

Teachers and Other Employees

Permitted

May speak at community forums and clubs during regular work hours.
May inform staff (briefly) of opportunities to participate in campaign activities.
May engage in campaign activities on their own time, during non-work hours and without using public resources.
May respond to questions regarding a ballot measure if such activity is consistent with his or her normal and regular duties.
May wear campaign buttons or similar items while on the job if the district’s policy generally allows employees to wear political buttons.
May, during non-work hours, make available campaign materials to employees in lunchrooms and break rooms, which are used only by staff or other authorized individuals.
May place window signs or bumper stickers on their cars, even if those cars are parked on school property during working hours.
May encourage staff and members of the public to vote, as long as such encouragement routinely occurs for other elections.

Not Permitted

Shall not use work hours or public resources to promote or oppose a candidate or ballot measure (such as gathering signatures, distributing campaign materials, arranging speaking engagements, coordinating phone banks, or fundraising).
Shall not pressure or coerce other employees to participate in campaign activities.
Shall not use district resources to organize the distribution of campaign materials.

General Considerations

Do the presentations accurately present the costs and other anticipated impacts of a ballot measure?
Is the employee using public resources in a matter that promotes or defeats a candidate or a ballot measure?
Does the district have a policy permitting employees to wear political buttons?

Teacher/Staff Association Leaders

Permitted

May make available campaign materials to association members in lunchrooms and break rooms, which are used only by staff or other authorized individuals.
May distribute campaign materials at association meetings.
May post campaign materials on a bulletin board, if such a board is in an area that is not accessible to the general public.

Not Permitted

Shall not use the school’s internal mail or email system to communicate promotional campaign-related issues including endorsements.
Shall not distribute promotional materials in classrooms or other public areas.

General Considerations

Are campaign materials made available only in those areas used solely by staff or other authorized individuals?
Does such distribution occur during non-work hours?

Equipment and Supplies

Permitted

District employees, in the course of their employment, may use equipment (including but not limited to projectors and computers) to make an presentations to community forums and clubs.
District employees, in the course of their employment, may produce information that is an objective and fair presentation of the facts using public resources.

General Considerations

Do the presentations fairly and objectively present the costs and other anticipated impacts of a ballot measure?

Meeting Facilities

Permitted

District meeting facilities, including audio visual equipment, may be used by campaign committees for.

Lists

Permitted

The district may charge a pre-established fee to cover the costs of providing copies of such lists.

Not Permitted

The district shall not sell copies of such lists (though they may charge a preestablished fee to recover the costs of providing copies of the lists).

General Considerations

• Has the district complied with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and district policy in responding to any public record requests?

Voting Information

Permitted

District personnel may encourage staff and members of the public to vote.
Public facilities may be used to register people to vote and to do periodic poll checking.

Not Permitted

The district shall not pressure or coerce employees to vote

District Publications Specific to Elections

Permitted

The district may develop an objective and fair presentation of the facts regarding district needs and the anticipated impact of a ballot measure, and may distribute it in the district’s customary manner. This information may be printed in various languages and communicated in other formats as guided by ADA.
In the course of regular publications for the district, the district may distribute and objective and fair presentation of the facts for each ballot measure in accordance with the normal conduct of the district.

Not Permitted

The district shall not distribute election-related information in a manner that targets specific subgroups. Targeting does not refer to mailing information to district constituents such as parents, families within a service region, community leaders or some other group, or to the district’s regular distribution list that provides information in a manner consistent with the normal and regular conduct of the district.

General Considerations

Does the information, produced on district time and using district resources, provide an objective and fair presentation of the facts?
Do the materials accurately present the costs and other anticipated impacts of the ballot measure?

District Publications (Regular)

Permitted

The district may include all or the information regarding district needs and the anticipated impacts of a ballot measure in the district’s regular publications, such as district and school newsletters. (For example, a school newsletter may specifically describe the projects and/or programs planned for that school.)
The district may inform staff and/or parents of community meetings related to ballot measures if such information is normally published in a newsletter or community calendar.
The district may factually report school board support for a ballot measure so long as it is normal and regular conduct for the district. For example, a community newsletter that ordinarily reports on the board-adopted resolution supporting the ballot measure.
The district may thank citizens for their support after an election in district publications.

Not Permitted

The district shall not use internal memoranda or other district publications to promote a “yes vote” campaign.
The district shall not, using public funds, publish materials supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure.

General Considerations

Is the information presented in an objective and fair manner?

Reader Boards/Posters

Permitted

Information encouraging staff and the public to vote, or providing dates of the upcoming election such as “Vote on Nov. 4th” may be posted on district-owned reader boards.
The district may thank citizens on district-owned reader boards following an election.
Campaign materials may be posted on staffroom bulletin boards. • Information that is objective and fair regarding anticipated improvements to be funded by a ballot measure may be displayed on school/district grounds.

Not Permitted

The district shall not display a “vote schools” sign or other such promotional messages on reader boards or posters.
Signs advocating for or against candidates or ballot measures shall not be posted on district property in any area accessible to the general public or in classrooms.
District-owned vehicles will not be used to display political material.

Surveys and Research

Permitted

The district may conduct surveys and/or other community research, including demographic questions, to determine the community’s priorities, public perception of district performance, and/or to inform the community about district programs and policies.
The district may conduct community research (including but not limited to the use of questionnaires, surveys, workshops, focus groups, and forums) to determine the community’s priorities for both programs and/or facilities and their associated total costs and projected dollars per thousand assessment.

Not Permitted

The district will not conduct surveys paid for with public funds designed to shore up support or opposition for a ballot measure.
The district shall not target registered voters or other specific subgroups of district residents in conducting their election-related surveys.

General Considerations

Has the school board passed a resolution authorizing a measure to be placed on the ballot?
Does the election-related survey target specific subgroups?

Technology (websites, emails, social media, computerized calling systems)

Permitted

A district may develop an objective and fair presentation of the facts and post that information on its website, including information regarding district needs and the anticipated impacts of a ballot measure.
The district website may permit viewers to make selections to learn about the anticipated impacts of a ballot measure for a specific school, or otherwise allow readers to explore issues in greater or lesser detail.
The district may update the information on their websites in a manner that is customary for the district
Staff may respond to inquiries regarding a ballot measure in an objective and fair manner.

Not Permitted

District websites shall not be used for the purposes of supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure.

General Considerations

Are the materials developed an objective and fair presentation of the facts?
Do the materials accurately present the costs and other anticipated impacts of the ballot measure?
Has there been communications with staff and with association representatives regarding the prohibition on the use of the school’s technology to support or oppose a ballot measure?

Adopted:

April 15, 2014

Policy and Forms:

Policy No. 1920 Election Campaign Ethics for District Ballot Measures