This post will describe the rules and regulations for the 2026 Charlatan Publications Inc. editorial elections for the 2026-2027 publishing year. The authority of the Chief Elections Officer to devise this electoral code and preside over the elections is derived from the bylaws and constitution of Charlatan Publications Inc. This electoral code has been approved by the current editor-in-chief, as per the bylaws of Charlatan Publications Inc. 

Voting will take place via email or Google Forms, administered by the Chief Elections Officer. 

Timeline for editor-in-chief

• Applications will open in early February 
• Applications due on March 12th, 2026 @ 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Speeches will take place March 14th, 2026 (between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) via Zoom.
• Voting will take place on March 15th to 17th, 2026. Eligible voters will receive an email from the Chief Elections Officer. 
• Results will be announced by March 18th, 2026.

Timeline for section editors

• Applications will open in early February 
• Applications due on March 16th, 2026 @ 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Speeches will take place on March 18th, 2026 (between 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.), March 20th, 2026 (between 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.) and March 21rst, 2026 (between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.) via Zoom.
• Voting will take place from March 22nd and March 24th, 2026. Eligible voters will receive an email from the Chief Elections Officer. 
• Results will be announced latest by March 25th, 2026.
  

Note 1: An official speech schedule will be posted after all nominations and position papers have been received.

Editor-in-chief specifications

According to the Charlatan Publications Inc. Bylaws, candidates for editor-in-chief must submit a resume and a list of proposals (commonly referred to as a position paper) to the Chief Elections Officer as part of the application package.

Candidates for editor-in-chief must have been a member of the corporation in the year of their application. In their application passage, candidates for editor-in-chief must include their full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address and valid student number. 

Section editor specifications  

A resume and letter (commonly referred to as a position paper) must be submitted to the Chief Elections Officer announcing the individual’s intention to run for a specified section editor position. Candidates cannot run for more than one position. The letter must include the full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address and valid student number of the applicant.

Interested candidates for section editor positions must have contributed to said section at least four (4) times between May 2025 and the deadline for applications. The exception to this rule is those running for the features section, who must have contributed to the features section at least one (1) time between May 2025 and the deadline for applications.

Candidates for section editor positions must be a member of the corporation during the elections and during the time they hold such a position. 

Voter eligibility

To be eligible to vote for all positions, a volunteer must have at least four (4) contributions during the 2025-2026 publishing year. To vote for news, culture, features, sports, arts or op/ed editor positions, a volunteer must have at least one contribution in that section during the 2025-2026 publishing year. All current members of the editorial staff are eligible to vote for any other editorial position.

Election protocol and procedure

Position papers will be required of all interested applications. Examples of past position papers will be available on the Charlatan website during the nomination periods. The position paper is intended to introduce the candidate to the staff and volunteers and outline any ideas or plans they might have for the section or position.

All candidates, whether acclaimed or in contested races, are encouraged to give a speech of no more than three (3) minutes (except for candidates for editor-in-chief, whose speeches should be no more than ten [10] minutes), to staff and volunteers during the designated time (see above). Following the speech, the current editor(s) or staff representative(s) can ask three (3) questions of the candidate running for their position. The candidates will then take questions from the floor.

Each person present will be allowed to ask a maximum of two (2) questions, but everyone who desires it can ask one question before the second questions are solicited. The speeches and question periods are presided over by the Chief Elections Officer and additional questions or rulings on whether to allow a question are at their discretion. Candidates will have one (1) minute to respond to each question.

Additionally, a person may ask a supplemental question related to the first question or the candidate’s answer. The response time for supplemental questions is 30 seconds.

For the editor-in-chief speeches, the question period will last 60 minutes, not including the three (3) questions from the current editor-in-chief. After 45 minutes the speakers list will close. For section editors, the question period will last fifteen (15) minutes and the speakers list will close after ten (10) minutes, not including the three current editor’s questions.

Campaign protocol

No candidate may actively solicit votes by using the Charlatan contact lists to phone or email volunteers. This does not mean candidates cannot attempt to garner votes; however, they must do it on their own time and of their own resources.

Any current editor running for another position cannot solicit votes using any official communication or in any working capacity. A candidate found to be using the Charlatan resources to do so will be disqualified at the discretion of the Chief Elections Officer. Any concerns about violations of the campaign protocols can be directed towards the Chief Elections Officer. 

Please note

This post and the procedures outlined in it are subject to the Charlatan Publications Inc. bylaws, specifically section 12. If this electoral code is vague or lacking in any respect, the bylaws and constitution should be consulted for final authority.

If any situation arises not explicitly outlined in either this code or the bylaws, the Chief Elections Officer has the authority to rule on the matter. Any such ruling during the nomination or campaign periods will be made known to all the candidates via email and posted in the Charlatan office. Any ruling can be contested at a Charlatan Publications Inc. Board of Directors meeting.

The Chief Elections Officer for this election cycle is Kyra ‘Ky’ Vellinga. Ky can be reached at [email protected].

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Featured image from Charlatan archives.