Elections and campaigns bring forth the political engagement of the College community, but because the College is a nonprofit institution with tax-exempt status, it cannot endorse or be seen as endorsing partisan candidates or support partisan political activity. The College — and its community members — must be especially vigilant to ensure that its facilities, offices, and technology systems are not used in a way that would suggest an institutional endorsement of a particular candidate or party, and that the educational mission of the College is not compromised.
To facilitate political discussion without violating the prohibitions on which the College’s tax-exempt status depends or interrupting its principal mission of education, the College requires faculty, students and staff to abide by the following regulations:
Use of College Name
If endorsing a political candidate or party, College employees and students shall refrain from using the College’s name, letterhead, logo, or email system, since doing so might suggest an institutional endorsement. Letters to the editor or other periodical submissions should only identify the author by name, not by their employment at Grinnell College or their student status at the College.
Information Technology Services
The use of any of the College’s computer facilities or services for the preparation of political materials is strictly prohibited. The College will not provide services for the duplication of political materials.
Mail Room
Only political literature that is conveyed by the U.S. Postal Service shall be distributed in the College’s mail room. Literature distributed on shelves outside the mailroom must be approved by the mailroom manager.
Solicitation of Funds
Solicitation of funds on campus for political purposes by an individual or group is strictly prohibited. This includes political solicitation of funds by students, faculty, staff, campaign workers, or other visitors either in person, or through the College’s email systems or electronic platforms. Any mail solicitation must be through the U.S. Postal Service only.
Person-to-Person Electioneering
Representatives of political parties or candidates may not solicit votes, either by confronting students, faculty, or staff, or by distributing literature in classroom buildings, the library, residence halls, or places other than the designated area in the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center.
- Candidates or their representatives must request permission from the Director of Campus Center Operations and Student Activities (or designee) in order to solicit votes. This should be done in advance of the visitation date.
- Political signs may be posted only in places designated by the Director of Campus Center Operations and Student Activities (or designee).
- Campaign workers may not impede the general flow of traffic within the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center. If individuals stop to pick up literature or express an interest in the campaign, campaign workers are free to discuss various issues with them.
Political Speeches
All announced candidates for public office may give talks at the College under the following conditions:
- Such talks are to be open to the entire community with rights of reply afforded to persons in the audience.
- We encourage campaigns to work through campus organizations to plan their events and to follow Campus Scheduling Guidelines.
- All candidates or their representatives must obtain approval from the College’s Committee on the Program in Practical Political Education (PPPE) as far in advance of a candidate's appearance as possible.
- All candidates or their representatives must contact the Office of Conference Operations and Events to arrange for an acceptable time on the Campus Calendar and a location for the event.
- All setup costs related to the speech that go beyond what are considered normal college setups, such as chairs and microphones, microphone in Herrick Chapel, etc., must be paid for by the candidate’s organization. A rental agreement must be signed if special setups are required.
Closed Political Meetings
Political meetings that are closed to the public for purposes of discussing campaign strategies with candidates must be scheduled with the Office of Conference Operations and Events. A rental agreement must be signed and rental fees will be charged for the use of such rooms.