{"id":108998,"date":"2020-01-09T14:01:17","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T00:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=108998"},"modified":"2020-01-09T14:01:17","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T00:01:17","slug":"campaign-activities-faq-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/01\/09\/campaign-activities-faq-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ<\/abbr> about campaign activities using UH<\/abbr> resources"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"Â鶹´«Ã½seal<\/p>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> sent all UH<\/abbr> employees an email on January 9 regarding using university resources for campaign activities.<\/em><\/p>\n

FAQ<\/abbr> about campaign activities using university resources<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2020 election season is already underway. The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> encourages participation in the democratic process and recognizes each individual’s right to support candidates for political office. The university, however, is an agency of the State of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Its resources, such as university buildings, grounds, facilities, equipment, supplies, its “name” and the official on-duty hours of its employees, need to be devoted to benefit the general public and carry out the university’s mission. These university resources must not be used to support any particular candidate pursuant to section 84-13(3), Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Revised Statutes (HRS<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

Often, determining whether the university resources are used for public purposes as opposed to private and personal purposes require a careful and thoughtful balance of multiple considerations in light of the specific facts of each circumstance. The following FAQ<\/abbr> is meant to remind us all of the general limitations on the use of public resources for private purposes. Specific questions will need to be addressed by the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> State Ethics Commission, the organization that is ultimately responsible for implementing the State Ethics Code.<\/p>\n

Who is a candidate?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A “candidate,” as defined in section 11-302, HRS<\/abbr>, means an individual who seeks nomination for election to a public office and files nomination papers for an office with the county clerk’s office or with the chief election officer’s office, whichever is applicable.<\/p>\n

For UH<\/abbr> employees, what kinds of campaign activities are prohibited?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Employees shall not:<\/p>\n