2. Congratulations!

3. What We Will Cover Background to Students’ Union Elections
The election process
Voting system
Key information about these elections
The Campaigns Training dates
Answering your questions
Sabbatical Officer candidates need to stay behind for a short video

4. Background to Students’ Union Elections

5. Students’ Union Elections
Students’ Union have more elections than any other organisation.
Elections offer important experience of democracy.
Elections promote the work of the Students’ Union.
Fairness between candidates must be ensured.
Fairness to the electorate must be ensured.
A legal necessity.

6. Elected Not Selected Selected Elected Best person for the job.
Skills and knowledge
Experience
Selection by experts
Best fit to the job
Elected
Most popular
Policies and ideas
Credibility
Selection by ‘the people’
Best fit to the students

7. The Election Process

8. The Returning Officer Ensures the election is run fairly and smoothly.
Can appoint deputies and officials.
Rules on complaints and disputes.
Interprets elections rules and regulations and may make rulings along the way on things not already covered in our documents.
The Returning Officer is Peter Robertson (NUS)
The Deputy Returning Officer is Philip Gilks

9. Simple, you will need to get more votes than your opponents.
The Election Process
Simple, you will need to get more votes than your opponents.
However, there are a number of rules and regulations enforced by the ‘Returning Officer’.
The Deputy Returning Officer carries out the full duties of the Returning Officer in their absence.

10. Some Key Points If in doubt, ask.
Only do what others have the opportunity to do.
Must not use Union resources to promote your own campaign, unless agreed and made available to all.
Do not break any general Union/Institution rules. Check first (don’t try to apologise later!)
You are expected to have read the candidate handbook in full and stick to it. Under no circumstances is “I didn’t read the handbook” to be used as an excuse for breaking the rules.
We suggest that you recruit a campaign team to help, but you are responsible for all their actions.

11. A Little More Specific
You cannot campaign too close to the polling stations, this includes spaces such as the library and computer rooms.
The Union will have polling stations at the Union Reception, on the main walkway and at multiple different locations throughout the week. Roaming polling stations may also be used.
Electronic sound and loud-hailing equipment is prohibited.
You will be held accountable for the actions of your supporters!

12. Voting System

13. The Voting System Transferable Vote System You vote by preference.
It elects the ‘least unpopular’ candidate.
Voters rank their candidates.
A first preference is #1, a second #2 and so on.
Sometimes called Single Transferable Vote (STV) or Alternative Vote (ATV).
If I can’t have Zain Ismail (#1), I’ll have Yusuf Ahmad (#2) if neither then Sheikh Hassan (#3).

14. So How Does it Work?

15. Re-Open Nominations (RON)

16. The Count
This will be supervised by the Returning Officer or/and the Deputy Returning Officer.
A count can not commence for a position until all the complaints for that position have been resolved.
So if you have a complaint PLEASE get this in as early as possible.
The results will be announced in the Courtyard (TBC) in the evening on Friday 16 March.
The exact time can not be confirmed as we don’t know how long any issues will take to deal with, please be patient with us.

17. Key Information About these Elections

18. You can not exceed your budget limit
Campaign Budget
You can not exceed your budget limit
(including money spent by individuals or groups on your behalf)
Budget limits
Full Time Officers - £75
Part Time Officers - £30
All campaigners must submit a written list of all campaign costs with corresponding receipts to the Deputy Returning Officer (or equivalent) no later than 1 hour after polls close. If candidates do not spend any money during the course of their campaign this must be made clear on the submission.
Reimbursements will not be made without receipts.

19. A Little Help… The Union will:
Do a short recording of all Sabbatical Officer candidates after this meeting to help you introduce yourself.
Create a candidate wall planner with all of your photos, names and positions you are running for.
Create candidate pages at which will have your photo, statement, manifesto and room for an optional video, social media links etc.
Run the candidate debate.
Provide spaces for you to put up posters.
Run training.
Have daily election meetings open to all candidates.

20. Campaign Training Tuesday 20th | 1.00-2.00pm in BM03
Wednesday 21st | pm in BM03

21. Candidate Debate Time and Location
5pm Thursday 8 March, room TBC
Chaired Each debate is chaired by TBC.
All candidates 1 minute speech from all candidates for a position.
Followed by questions from the floor, which must be asked to all candidates.
Sabbatical Officer Candidates Time permitting, you will also be given the chance to ask questions of each other.

22. Daily Election Meetings
During the days of polling there will be daily meetings held in the Student Hub, Students’ Union, Tait Building from 9.30am – am.
This is to allow you to come raise concerns, talk through issues with other candidates and be updated on rulings by the Deputy Returning Officer.
We will provide refreshments and some breakfast snacks to help fuel your day for those attending.
These meetings are open to ALL candidates.

23. Candidate Welfare Pace yourselves Sleep & Eat Well Try your best
Look after each other
If at any stage you feel overwhelmed by the election process and need a confidential listening ear, you can contact the Academic Representation and Democracy Coordinator, Laura on

24. Complaints Remember play fair. Ask before you act.
Complaints, clarifications – contact the Union in the first instance at

25. Formal Complaints
If you are submitting a complaint, you need to do so using the complaint form.
This can be collected from the Union reception or from
Complaints will not be considered if they are not on the form.
Rulings will be made public within a reasonable time.
Provide evidence/witnesses otherwise its your word against theirs.
Complaints about a candidate or the election need to be in by 2pm Friday 16 March.

26. Do’s and Don’t’s

27. Where can you campaign?

28. Positive campaigning
Make it about you, not about your competition.

29. No Slates

30. Student Groups
Student societies or other student groups constituted under the Union can support a particular candidate. This will require the agreement of its committee and the candidate. The committee shall then be considered the candidates supporters.
This agreement shall be recorded in the form of a minute of the meeting at which support for the candidate was agreed and an from the candidate accepting this support. This minute shall be supplied to the Deputy Returning Officer before the message of support is issued.
Student societies or other groups constituted under the Students’ Union may not support more than one candidate for each position. They may not produce materials or communications supporting groups of candidates.
Conflict of interest – consider this.

31. Election Timetable Notice of Poll: 20 February 2018
Campaigning Starts: 9am 26 February 2018
Candidate Debate: 5pm Thursday 8 March, room TBC
Voting: 9am Mon 12th March – 1pm Fri 16th March
Voting online:
Take down posters at the end of voting. Your responsibility.

32. Results Party
5pm | Courtyard Café, Tait Building

33. Staff Officer Protocol
Staff cannot endorse candidates
Candidates can not comment on staff at any point during their campaign (positively or negatively).

34. Next steps and other information

35. You need to submit… 50 word description.
You will be cut off at the 50th word if you go over your limit. No exceptions.
Deadline: 9am Wednesday 21 February.
No links allowed in the 50 words as this text is also being used for print.
All 50 word statements need to be sent to
If you don’t submit it then it will be blank.

36. You can submit… Facebook Twitter Website Campaign video
Any other innovative link
These will be displayed on the Union website.
They will be uploaded within 2 working days of submission. Final deadline is Wednesday 7 March.

37. Reopened Nominations Nominations close: 9am Monday 26 February
As the following positions received no nominations at the close of nominations, the following positions only will been reopened:
Disabled Students Officer
Postgraduate Taught Representative
Postgraduate Research Representative
School of Health Sciences Representative Officer

38. Something to consider…
Pension strike

39. Post election

40. Final thought

41. Questions?
You can also questions to