Editorial | Cutting the red tape

There's regulation, and then there's over-regulation.

Unfortunately, the Nominations and Elections Committee seems to have drifted toward the latter over the past few years.

When it comes to student government elections, there are certainly legitimate rules - like spending limits - which help level the playing field and ensure all students can participate.

But when the NEC gets into dictating exactly where and how candidates can put up posters, it's a little too much.

This year, for instance, a newly instituted NEC policy resulted in the disqualification of freshman candidate Lauren Albert.

Her crime?

One of her posters was stuck to the ground.

It's time for the NEC to re-evaluate its campaign regulations to see which rules allow for fair and non-disruptive elections, and which rules are simply overkill.

And in minor cases like Albert's, where the NEC is trying to prevent campaigns from becoming a public nuisance or safety hazard, members should consider replacing disqualification with fines as possible punishment for candidates.

That way, the organization can avoid the lengthy violation hearings and delays in results that often plague most election cycles.

Because in the end, while superfluous violation charges might help win an election, they only make a mockery of the entire process.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.