SUN CITY WEST — The Sun City West Governing Board Election Special Committee reviewed and revised its candidate orientation packet and clarified rules for campaigning on association property, at designated events and at private residences during a meeting in November.

The committee narrowed publicity text in the packet, changed discretionary language in at least one place to mandatory wording and confirmed a list of designated common areas at each recreation center where campaigning is always allowed. "The 'should' implies that they have a choice, and I think the intent is that they don't have a choice," committee member Susan said when proposing a change from "should" to "shall" for political activity in posted areas.

Why it matters: The packet sets expectations for candidates and volunteers about where and how campaigning may occur on association property and at community events. Clear rules affect enforcement, candidate behavior and the appearance of fairness during the election cycle.

Key packet changes and clarifications

- Publicity: The packet will no longer name specific social channels or list individual outlets; it will say election details and updates will be announced in Sun City West electronic and print media.

- Posted areas and events: Candidates may campaign in "designated common areas" at each rec center at any time. The committee will provide an initial list of approved events (to be compiled by Casey). Candidates may request approval for additional events; approved additional events will be communicated to all candidates to preserve fairness.

- Chartered clubs and association property: The packet will state explicitly that chartered clubs may not invite or allow candidates or their campaigners to advocate inside club facilities. Campaign materials may not be posted on association property, left unattended, or placed on car windshields. Committee members agreed to remove references allowing campaign postings on golf-course bulletin boards.

Enforcement and penalties

Committee members debated whether to include penalties for improper campaigning. One participant summarized legal constraints, noting that the law would not permit the association to bar a person from running for office; the group discussed alternatives such as public notices or other penalties that stop short of disqualification. The committee assigned member Murl to draft enforceable penalty options for consideration at the next meeting.

Campaign material removal and complaints

The packet will instruct candidates to remove campaign materials from private property within three days after polls close and reinforces that association property must not host leftover campaign materials. Complaints about campaign materials will be routed to an election address; committee members recommended using the official Sun City West elections email (vote@suncitywest.com) for continuity rather than an ad-hoc Gmail account.

Election logistics and schedule

The committee confirmed the following timeline: petition pickup continues through Jan. 2; candidate photos and orientation are scheduled in January (orientation on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 9 a.m.–11 a.m. in the Village Meeting Room); stump-speech videotaping (coordinated by Martin); a Munchy Monday tent event on Feb. 16; candidate forum in March (final time and format depend on the number of candidates); online voting March 19–26; and election day March 30. The committee scheduled two closed prep meetings for forum prep on Feb. 27 and March 2. Candidate questions for forums will be accepted Feb. 16–26.

Voting options were affirmed: online voting, homebound voting for voters who cannot reach polling locations, and in-person voting at the library. The committee clarified that "absentee" refers to any voting method outside the poll on election day.

Discussion about cycle length and petition requirements

Members raised the possibility of shortening the overall election cycle (currently beginning with packet distribution in November) and questioned whether the petition signature requirement (discussed in the meeting as 200 signatures under existing bylaws) remains appropriate. The chair said a bylaw change would likely require legal review and possibly a member vote, and she will raise the idea at the governing board workshop.

Assignments and next steps

The committee asked Murl to draft penalty options for rule violations, Casey to compile the initial list of approved events, Katie to support the online question-and-answer setup and distribution schedule, and staff to use the Sun City West elections email for continuity. The committee will circulate a cleaned and finalized candidate orientation packet for final review before the next meeting, which is set for Dec. 3.

No formal votes on policy changes were taken at the meeting; the committee agreed to return with proposed penalty language and final packet edits at the next session.