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USAC Election Board sanctions Waves of Change for paid Facebook post

The undergraduate student government Election Board sanctioned Waves of Change for paying Facebook to sponsor their posts before the allowed date. (Daily Bruin file photo)

By Ryan Leou

April 26, 2016 12:40 p.m.

The original version of the article incorrectly stated that Jeremy Perschard said only friends of candidates care about candidates' campaign post. In fact, he said students who are not friends with candidates on social media may not know how most campaigning happens online.

This post was updated on April 26 at 10:30 p.m.

The undergraduate student government Election Board sanctioned Waves of Change Tuesday for paying to promote their campaign on Facebook before paid advertising for the election begins May 2.

According to election board campaign rules, sponsoring advertisements on Facebook is considered media advertising, not online campaigning, because Waves of Change paid for promotional material that appears in an internet advertisement.

Waves of Change is a new slate, or student-run political group, with three candidates running for president, external vice president and cultural affairs commissioner positions.

According to the Election Board report, “The Facebook post was clearly listed as sponsored and was paid for in some capacity, thus violating the media advertising restrictions.”

Election Board rules stipulate media advertising can only occur on leafletting days, which begin May 2.

The sponsored post must be taken down by the end of Tuesday, and the three candidates running under Waves of Change cannot campaign from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the report.

Jeremy Peschard, Waves of Change slate manager, said online advertising bylaws should be reassessed. Perschard added most campaigning happens online and students who are not friends with candidates on social media might not know that.

Online campaigning for the Undergraduate Students Association Council election began April 18, and physical campaigning, which includes handing out flyers on campus, begins May 2. Voting starts May 2 and ends May 6, and the Election Board will announce results that evening.

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Ryan Leou | Assistant News Editor
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