Dear Campus Community,
As the 2018 election season draws near, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of available resources and the University’s policies regarding political activities.
Information about voter registration, vote by mail, and registration deadlines can be found at the Merced County Registrar of Voters website and the California Secretary of State website . Any member of the campus community who is registered to vote in Merced County will be able to cast their ballot at the on-campus voting location in the Alpine Room for the Primary Election on June 5 and the General Election on November 6.
It is also important to remember the University’s policies governing the use of university resources and facilities for political activities. Basic guidelines are as follows:
- The name, insignia, seal, or address of the University or any of its offices or units shall not be used for or in connection with political purposes or activity except as consistent with University regulations .
- In correspondence, statements, or other material relating to political activities or issues, the University title of a faculty or staff member shall be used only for identification; if such identification might reasonably be construed as implying the support, endorsement, advancement, or opposition of the University with regard to any political activity or issue, the identification shall be accompanied by an explicit statement that the individual is speaking as an individual and not as a representative of the University or any of its offices or units.
- University equipment, supplies, and services — copiers, telephones, mail and messenger service, vehicles, computers, stationery, and other equipment, supplies, or services — shall not be used for or in connection with political purposes or activities.
- No University facility shall be used for political activities other than those open discussion and meeting areas provided for in campus regulations .
- No display or distribution of political materials, such as posters, notices, handbills, and banners, shall be permitted except as specifically authorized by campus regulations concerning the time, place, and manner of exercising rights of speech and advocacy.
- Nonmembers of the University community shall not be permitted to engage in political activities on University grounds or in University buildings and other facilities, except as specifically provided by campus regulations concerning the invitation of non-University speakers to address meetings on campus.
Should you have any questions or need further clarification, please contact Cori Lucero, executive director of government and community relations, at clucero2@ucmerced.edu or 209-228-4440.
Sincerely,
E. Edw. Klotzbier
Vice Chancellor
Chief External Relations Officer
