Candidates get names out online and on the streets

With new rules on electronic campaigning, the Internet may make a difference in this year's student government campaigns.

Since the expansion of student involvement in Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, regulations have been added to the election rulebook limiting candidates' abilities to actively campaign online.

With the new rules, candidates cannot outwardly declare their candidacy until filing date and cannot ask students for votes until posting day on Feb. 24.

Online groups cannot be formed until posting day and candidates cannot send unsolicited messages to any students. Parties can create online fliers on Facebook, but they must list the cost of creating the flier on expenditure disclosures.

Even before posting day, some candidates are using Facebook to "get their names out." This week, Forward Party candidates Rick Pehrson and Clayton McDonald are posting two commercials on their Facebook profiles through YouTube. These commercials parody the Apple vs. PC commercials with Utah vs. BYU, touching on issues such as parking, football and free speech.

In the commercials, which were filmed last Friday, Pehrson plays a Utah student and McDonald plays a BYU student. The commercials do not state the candidacy of either Pehrson or McDonald or mention the Associated Students of the University of Utah.

"We're not trying to campaign, but this is a funny thing that gets our personalities out," Pehrson said.

Pehrson said he checked with Elections Registrar Lorraine Evans to make sure the videos were not breaking any rules.

"This is fine because the commercials presented (Pehrson and McDonald) as students, not as candidates," Evans said.

The Forward Party will post official campaign commercials online when active campaigning begins.

The Activate Party's presidential candidate Cameron Beech said Internet campaigning will not be a main focus of his campaign.

At least one candidate from each party has a Facebook profile. In the Forward and Activate Parties, all three candidates are involved in Facebook.

ASUU is providing space for a Web site for each party featuring candidate and platform information. The sites will be posted through the ASUU Web site, which will also feature brief bios of each contender.

The More 4 U Party's vice-presidential candidate Craig Hammond said his party is currently working on the Web site and recruiting students to run and work on their campaign. Sites will not be activated until posting day.

Candidates are also reaching out to students before active campaigning time by volunteering at campus events, talking to students and getting involved in student groups.

"They have been at a lot of basketball games (and) gymnastic meets, reactivating themselves in their greek chapters and LDS Institute and lobbying on the hill," Evans said.

The FUSE Party's presidential candidate, Spencer Pearson, said he is working to fill ASUU Senate and General Assembly candidate positions and talk to students.

"We've been trying to network through people we know and do our best to meet with as many students as possible, asking them about our ideas for campus, their opinions on ASUU and how ASUU could better help them," Pearson said.