What to expect during the election

Students’ Unions elections are an exciting time of year – it’s when students can decide who will represent them in different aspects of student life. During the elections, candidates will be asking students to vote for to be their representative. Just like in any other elections, candidates will need to be engaging with the voters to get students support

What to expect during election season:

• You will see lots of candidates out on campus talking to people.
• Candidates will decorate the campus with campaigning materials.
• Candidates and their campaign teams might be wearing T-shirts and giving out information about why students should vote for them.
• There will be a diverse range of candidates standing for different student positions.
• Candidates will approach you to ask you to vote for them. They may approach you in campaign teams. This could happen on a bus, outside the library or in a shop.
• The union may offer you an incentive for taking part in the vote.
• Students can attend a husting to ask questions to the candidates and find out more.
• A lot of noise and crowds! Candidates will do their best to get students attention.
• They will give you information about why students might want to vote for them
• It is normal for candidates to try and convince students that they are the best person to vote for. It is up to you to potential-voters each candidate a fair chance by reading their manifestos and deciding who you would like to vote for.

Candidate’s behaviour during the voting week

Whilst the elections are a fun week of activity, we will ensure all candidates have understood the rules and behaviours they are to adhere to throughout the week.

Candidates have been reminded about our election principles to help guide the way we run elections, and we expect all candidates to work under these principles during the election too. In the first instance:

• Candidates should never vote on a student’s behalf – that is electoral fraud.
• Candidates should never threaten or intimidate students to vote for them. If this happens you can send a complaint to the Union.
• Candidates will treat, competitors, students and members of the public with respect. This includes engaging in healthy debate and not to campaign negatively.

There may be instances where candidates put up elections material in unsuitable places around campus. Candidates will have been told not to put posters, flyers, or banners in the following areas:

Candidates may come and speak to students at the start or end their lecture theatre. Candidates should have asked permission from the lecturers before.

What you can you to help candidates

Voting week can be a stressful time for some candidates, this might be the first time they’ve spoken in front of a lecture theatre, engaged in debate in public forum. Ultimately they want to be elected so they can support you as a student.