The Elections Code Task Force met in the University Union Capital Room to discuss the election code revisions on Friday morning.

ASI President Melissa Bardo, who led the meeting, went through the 40-page election code document, page by page, informing the committee members of what was added, revised, or deleted.

It looks messy, but once it’s approved, it will be clearer, Bardo said.

A large portion of the meeting was spent discussing the language of the articles in the document and how it could be improved to be clearer for candidates.

There has been a misperception that slates— when multiple candidates campaign together— were not allowed, ASI Executive Director Pat Worley said.

“We decided to allow slates, but at the same time we decided to keep the requirement that you don’t pool funds,” Bardo said. “You weren’t prohibited from campaigning as a slate before… but now it’s a little more explicit.”

Slates give candidates another method to campaign, rather than doing it individually. However, there is the issue of candidates potentially pooling funds through slates.

To avoid this, Bardo recommended allowing more than one candidate name on social media, but not on physical items. These items would include T-shirts, fliers, websites, or items that would have to be purchased.

One of the biggest revisions in the document was about the appellate council. The council oversees the appeals brought by candidates who disagree with the decisions made by the Election Complaint Committee, who reviews complaints submitted by candidates.

There are not a lot of guidelines for what the procedures are, Bardo said. The new structure is to make the process clearer.

The committee has also made thorough updates to terms, definitions, and deleted repetitive language in the documents to avoid any confusion.

“Sometimes we refer to the documents by one name and what we’ve actually been using is a different name,” board associate Lisa Dalton said.

In addition, the campaign period will be shortened by 10 days, which will take effect in spring 2017.

Aside from the revisions, the committee has made multiple recommendations which have yet to be approved, including prohibiting ASI board members from endorsing candidates.

Worley said it may be hard to regulate, but it would be up to the Board of Directors to argue it out.

The committee members have also recommended that a rule in the elections complaint and appeals processes be added that states, “libelous and slanderous advertising and campaigning is prohibited throughout the entire process.”

With a few of the committee members not present and more revisions and recommendations to make, the committee is expected to meet again before it goes to the Board of Directors for approval of the revised election code.

“I think it went well,” Bardo said. “I got some feedback that I needed and ultimately I will be taking it to the board.”