STUDENT ELECTIONS 2014 - RULES AND GUIDANCE TO CANDIDATES
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STUDENT ELECTIONS 2014 RULES AND GUIDANCE TO CANDIDATES
A WORD TO ALL CANDIDATES CONTACT INFORMATION
GETTING INVOLVED IN AN Returning Officer (RO)
First point of contact for election queries
The Returning Officer runs
the elections day to day. The
National Union of Students
ELECTION SHOULD BE AN Gail Edwards
g.edwards@hw.ac.uk
0131 451 5333
have oversight of the elections
and can offer guidance as
an independent body.
ENJOYA BLE E XPER IENCE Administrative support
FOR EVERYONE. Edinburgh Campus, Student Union
Gillian Fortune
g.j.fortune@hw.ac.uk
SBC Campus, Student Union
WE WANT TO MAKE THE Michelle Runciman
m.runciman@hw.ac.uk
PROCESS AS FR EE AND
FA IR AS POSSIBLE AND SO
WE HAVE CERTAIN RULES.
HOWEVER, IF YOU’RE NOT
SURE ABOUT SOMETHING OR
NEED SOME HELP, THE UNION
STA FF I S ON HAND TO GI VE
YOU WHATEVER SUPPORT
YOU NEED.
6
PAGE NO.
NOMINATIONS
STEP 1
7 CANDIDATE
STEP 2
BRIEFING
8 MANIFESTOS
STEP 3
9 CAMPAIGNING
STEP 4
16 THE VOTE
STEP 5
17 THE COUNT
STEP 6
18 OTHER INFO
20 USEFUL DATANOMINATIONS
STEP 1
CANDIDATE
STEP 2
BRIEFING
To stand for election you need to fill in a form
telling us what position you want to stand for
YOU SHOULD ATTEND
and how we can contact you. There is a strict ONE OF THE CANDIDATE
time limit on when you can hand in this form.
BRIEFINGS BEFORE YOU
NOMINATIONS OPEN AT: 9am on Monday 15th September BEGIN CAMPAIGNING. IT
NOMINATIONS CLOSE AT: 5pm on Wednesday 24th September
LASTS ABOUT AN HOUR AND
Nominations for the Student Union can be THERE ARE BRIEFINGS AT THE
submitted online at:
www.hwunion.com/elections
FOLLOWING TIMES:
or in hard copy by completing the form
Committee Room 3, Student Union
available at Union outlets. You will be
5.30pm Thursday 25th September
emailed once your form has been received
by a RO (Returning Officer).
Committee Room 1, Student Union
12.30pm Friday 26th September
Any Candidate for a Student Union Office
Bearer position that remains unopposed shall
be automatically elected to the position and not
be required to campaign or ballot for election. If you can’t attend at one of these times you can send
In these circumstances the Candidate will be a representative in your place. If you are unable to do
this then please contact the RO (Returning Officer) to
informed in writing.
arrange a separate time.
6 7MANIFESTOS CAMPAIGNING
STEP 3 STEP 4
(STUDENT UNION ONLY)
MAN
You should
prepare a
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT
manifesto. BIT! YOU HAVE A SHORT
This is a short
PERIOD OF TIME (1 WEEK
IFE
summary for students
to find out a little
bit about you and AND 2 DAYS TO BE PRECISE)
what you would
do if elected. BETWEEN THE CLOSE
OF NOMINATIONS AND
STO
There are past
candidate
manifestos available
on the candidate
THE CLOSE OF VOTING.
portal if you need
some inspiration. THIS IS THE TIME YOU
Your manifesto should be not more than NEED TO GET OUT THERE
AND TALK TO STUDENTS
one side of A4 paper and it should have a
photograph – preferably of you! You can
submit your manifesto via the Candidate
ABOUT THE ELECTIONS
Portal. Manifesto deadline is 9am Monday
29th Sept.
AND WHY THEY SHOULD
VOTE FOR YOU!
8 9HOW here are our top 10
tips for a winning
TO campaign
RUN A 1
Make sure you have a few key, achievable policies –make sure you talk about
GOOD
something students care about and something you can realistically change (or
start to change) during your year in Office.
2 Put yourself out there – Talking to people is the single most effective way to
CAMPAIGN
persuade students to vote for you.
Paper paper everywhere! – Students hate to see lots of elections posters and
3 flyers everywhere. They stop noticing them so while they’re important to get your
message across, don’t rely on them to do the whole job.
Pick a good campaign team. Rope in your mates to help you talk to as many
WE HAVE WORKED OUT THAT 4 students as possible. It’s useful to set up a Facebook group or email thread to
keep in touch with everyone on your campaign team, and keep them updated.
UNION STAFF HAVE HELPED IN Creative campaigns are winning campaigns – candidates who come up with
OVER 100 STUDENT ELECTIONS
5 unique ways to get their message across to students are more likely to get noticed
and therefore are more likely to get votes.
BETWEEN US. THAT MEANS WE 6 Who are our students? – We have a large international and postgraduate
population so make sure you think about their needs too.
HAVE PRETTY MUCH SEEN IT ALL Go Green – candidates who use a lot of paper and other consumables are a
AND KNOW WHAT WORKS AND 7 big turn off for students. In fact, this is the top complaint we receive from students
during elections so reduce, reuse and recycle whenever you can.
DOESN’T. WE ARE HERE FOR Target the Schools that don’t vote – At the end of this guidance is data from
EVERY CANDIDATE SO USE THIS
8 previous elections. Use this to decide what areas you should target for your
campaigning. Traditionally Schools that don’t vote are ones that could potentially
swing an election!
RESOURCE TO CHAT THROUGH 9 Think before you act – think about what you’re about to do. If you’d hate for your
opponent to do it to you, then don’t do it to them!
YOUR CAMPAIGN AND GET IDEAS.
10 Have fun, and don’t stress about elections too much – a relaxed and happy
candidate is much more likely to get people to vote for them after all!
10 11Campaign Distributing election materials
1. The university allows a temporary relaxing of publicity rules for candidates during
Rules
elections. You should use common sense and not abuse the gesture. You must not
cover official signage or slip flyers under doors.
2. You must use only blue or white tac on internal walls.
WE HAVE A FEW SIMPLE RULES THAT 3. Publicity material must be taken down within one hour of elections closing.
CANDIDATES NEED TO FOLLOW. 4. You are not allowed to canvass on or near fixed computer facilities on campus such
as IT labs and the Library.
WHEN IN DOUBT IT IS ALWAYS BEST 5. You must not use university student email lists including, but not limited to, class lists
and Vision mailings.
TO ASK A DRO FOR ADVICE.
Social media
Approval of election materials
1. Please email a link to your social media pages to the RO.
1. All election publicity material must be approved by the relevant authority. Student
Union materials must be approved by the RO. 2. Closed or Private Groups are not permitted
2. All posters must have an official stamp from the Student Union. 3. You can use #BeYourUnion to post election messages through the Union
Twitter feed.
Printing of election materials 4. Candidates with official Union owned or associated accounts must not use these for
the purpose of elections.
1. You can use the printing facilities at the Union once materials have been approved.
2. Student Union materials within the print quota should be submitted for approval
Other
through the Candidate Portal at www.hwunion.com/candidates
1. You must uphold the normal policy and standards of the Unions and University at all
times during your campaign.
Using Union resources 2. One or more Candidates may want to run a joint campaign (sometimes called a
Slate). This is allowed. Any campaign expenses promoting more than one Candidate
1. You cannot use the Student Union or Sports Union offices, meeting rooms, computers will be charged to each Candidate’s expenses.
or any other resources not freely available to all students for the purposes of their
campaign.
3. Items that are recycled and/or freely available to anyone, for example getting
cardboard from supermarkets or using left over paint etc for signs, will not incur a cost
2. Student staff or Union Volunteers cannot campaign during their hours of work/ to the campaign budget. However, materials sourced specifically, for example wood
undertaking Union duties. Staff and volunteers must not campaign while in Union or paper, will be charged at either the cost or a nominal rate. Please ask the RO for
branded clothing. Non-student staff are impartial in the election process and must not guidance if required.
be asked to support or campaign for a Candidate.
12 13How much you
can print/spend
MATERI ALS AFTER THE PRINTED
Student Union QUOTA CAN BE HAND MADE SO
The Student Union will allow a total of 30 A4 printed posters and 25 A4 sheets of flyers (4
LONG AS MATERI ALS USED TO
flyers per sheet) per Candidate. Should you want to print other sizes then they will be
treated by volume (i.e. one A3 = two A4 posters). PRODUCE THEM DO NOT TAKE A
CANDIDATE OVER THEIR BUDGET
(SEE RULE 6.3).
There is a limit that each Candidate can spend on their
campaign as follows:
Cross Campus Sabbatical – President/Vice President £100
Other Sabbatical – SBC President £50
All other elected positions £25
These expenses will be reimbursed by the Union upon production of a valid receipt.
The RO shall have the authority to reduce the amount of expenditure allowed for any
Candidate if they infringe election rules.
14 15THE VOTE
STEP 5
THE COUNT
STEP 6
VOTING IS ONLINE AT THE ELECTION COUNT
WWW.HWUNION.COM/VOTE WILL BE CONDUCTED
BY THE RETURNING
AND WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN OFFICER UPON
THE FOLLOWING TIMES: RECEIPT OF THE DATA.
Voting opens at: 9am on Wednesday 1st October YOU CAN SEND A
REPRESENTATIVE TO
Voting closes at: 5pm on Friday 3rd October
OBSERVE THE COUNT
Election Results: From 6pm on Friday 3rd October IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
DEPENDING ON THE
Students will vote in order of preference for Candidates. SPEED OF THE COUNT,
The Single Transferable Vote method of voting will apply.
The Electoral Reform Society www.electoral-reform.org.uk RESULTS SHOULD
has a useful guide to STV voting. BE AVAILABLE FROM Any Candidates who
would like to make a
The name of each Candidate will be listed on the
ABOUT 6:00PM. AN complaint regarding
another Candidate
voting page in alphabetical order by surname. If you ANNOUNCEMENT or the conduct of
the election must do
are commonly known by a name other than your given WILL BE MADE IN so in writing to the
name, you may be allowed this name on the ballot Deputy Returning
instead but at the discretion of the RO. THE STUDENT UNION Officer before
commencement of
UPON COMPLETION the Count. The Count
The Student Union uses the Re-Open Nominations OF THE COUNT AND is deemed to have
(RON) system of election for Sabbatical and Executive commenced at 5pm
Committee elections. This will appear at the bottom of the WILL BE OPEN TO ANY on Friday 3rd October.
list for all of these positions on the voting page. STUDENT TO ATTEND.
16 17OTHER
THINGS
YOU
NEED
TO KNOW
COMPLAINTS CANDIDATE PORTAL
Complaints should be made in writing to the RO as soon as you are aware The Student Union elections portal for candidates can be found at
there has been a breach of the rules or other Policy. A form is available online. www.hwunion.com/candidates
You must cite the rule you believe to be broken in order for the complaint to be
considered. Candidates can use the portal to:
Complaints must be received in writing before the commencement of the count. • Submit printed materials requests
• Find out about election rules
On receipt of a complaint the RO shall investigate and decide if action is necessary. Should • Get information and ideas from past campaign materials
a candidate be found in breach of the election rules or other Policy the potential actions
• Submit expense claims against their election budget
are:
• Contact a staff member
1. An informal warning • Submit a complaint
2. A formal warning
3. A reduction in campaigning budget Student Union Candidates will be issued with a login upon receipt of a
4. Disqualification completed nomination form.
5. Any other action as deemed necessary by the DRO Committee or Returning Officer
Instances requiring disqualification of a Candidate will be referred to the NUS
Elections Committee.
Candidates may appeal a decision made by the RO in writing to NUS. Appeals must provide
details of the original complaint and evidence in support of the appeal before it will be
considered.
18 19I (insert name)
Posts electing
Nominate myself to stand for election to the position
of (insert post)
• National Union of Students – National Conference I have read and agree to abide by the election rules. I understand the
Delegation ( 2 places) commitment this position requires and agree to fulfil them.
• National Union of Students Scotland – Scottish
Signature
Conference Delegation (4 places)
• Disabled Student Officer (1 position) Date
• Women’s Officer (1 position) Student No
• Executive Committee SBC Place (1 position) HW Email address
• Executive Committee Open Place (3 positions) Phone number
Information on elections including the guidance for candidates and about the roles
can be found at www.hwunion.com/elections. This form must be returned by 5pm on
Wednesday 24th September
Term time address
You or a representative is required to attend a candidate information and advice
session. If you are not able to attend one of the planned times please let the Returning
Officer know
All Candidates should provide a photo for the election website. It is also helpful to
prepare a manifesto for the election website. You will receive guidance on how to do
this at the candidate session.
For office use
Date Time Initials
20 21USEFUL DATA ABOUT OUR STUDENTS 23
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