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► Election Regulations
1 Purpose
1.1 This schedule outlines what to do for all elections for all positions in the Union . It also outlines the procedure to follow if a vacancy occurs in any position.
1.2 These regulations shall be used in the election of National Union of Students’ Delegates for Regional and National Conferences.
1.3 From time to time there will be a requirement to update these procedures, this will be done at least every five years.
2 Returning Officer
2.1 The Returning Officer, shall not be a full member of the Union , shall be appointed annually by Union Council, from candidates proposed by the Executive Committee, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors.
2.2 The Returning Officer shall have overall responsible for the free and fair running of all Union elections and shall have the sole interpretation of the election regulations and results.
2.3 The Returning Officer shall have the power to penalise or exclude candidates in respect of any breach of election regulations and to postpone or nullify the result of an election in respect of any irregularity. Any decisions will be kept in written records by the Returning Officer and made available as part of their report (see 2.6).
2.4 They shall not be a full member of the Union or a member of Union staff.
2.5 The Returning Officer may appoint assistants to support them in their duties. Assistants will carry out such duties in an impartial manner.
2.6 The Returning Officer shall submit a report on the conduct of the elections to the Executive Committee and Board of Governors following each election. This report shall state whether the election was conducted freely and fairly in line with the Election Regulations and, if it was not, what steps should be taken to ensure future elections are free and fair.
3 Election Timetable
3.1 The election shall be held by a cross-campus ballot.
3.2 The Returning Officer shall ensure that election of the Executive Committee takes place before the end of March each year. Once elected the members of the committee shall take office from August 1st of that year and shall serve for a period of 12 months.
3.3 The Returning Officer shall produce an election timetable, which shall include the dates and times for the notification and completion of the following:
Application for postal votes
Nomination process
Candidates training
Manifestos
Hustings
Voting
The Count
3.4 The Election Timetable shall be published and adequately circulated with materials promoting the election across campus..
3.5 The Election timetable shall be of a sufficient length to ensure the highest level of participation in the election.
* point may be inseted about NUS delegate election.
4 Standing for election
4.1 The members of the Executive Committee shall be.
Full time positions:
The President
The Vice President Education and Democracy
Part-time main exec officer positions
Secretary and Services Officer
Finace Officer
Student Activites Officer
Entertainments Officer
Welfare Officer
RAG Chair
Entertainments Team
Vice Entertainments Officer
Entertainments Technical/Secretary
Entertainments Publicis
Welfare Team
Vice Welfare Officer
Welfare Secretary
Welfare Publicist
RAG Team
RAG Vice Chair
RAG Treasurer
RAG Secretary
RAG Publicist
4.2 All members of the Union are eligible to stand for any of the above Executive Committee positions, with the exception of the President and Vice-President posts.
4.3 Members wishing to stand for the positions of President and Vice-President must be final year students who have successfully completed their course upon commencement of the post.
4.4 Re-open nominations (RON) shall be a candidate in all Union elections.
4.5 All current Executive officers shall have the opportunity stand for re-election, but their term of office will not exceed 2 years.
5 Nominations
5.1 Nomination forms will be available from the Returning Officer and shall be available from the Students’ Union office, the Hardy Building
5.2 The nomination form shall contain a copy of the description of the role of each position in the election. It shall also contain information on the facilities the Union will make available to each candidate and a trustee declaration form.
5.3 Each candidate manifesto must be handed in with the completed nomination form.
5.4 Members of the Union may stand for election upon full and accurate completion of a nomination form, signed by the candidate and at least one proposer and one seconder.
5.5 Members can only nominate one person for any one post.
5.6 Completed nomination forms must be returned to the Students’ Union office.
5.7 The Returning Officer shall have the sole responsibility of declaring a submitted nomination form valid. In the event of two or more candidates having the same proposer in an election for a single position, the Returning Officer may allow up to 24 hours for the candidate(s) to find fresh proposers.
5.8 For a nomination form to be valid it must received by the Returning Officer or appointed assistant, before the started closing date and time.
5.9 On receipt of a valid nomination form the Returning Officer or a person appointed shall provide the candidate with an election campaign pack. The Returning Officer in conjunction with the Executive Committee shall determine the contents of the election campaign pack.
6 Manifesto
6.1 All candidates running for Main Executive Committee positions will produce an A4 ‘camera ready’ manifesto.
6.2 All candidates running for minor Executive Committee positions may produce a manifesto in accordance with 7.1.
6.3 The manifesto should outline the candidate’s previous experience and their reason for standing, etc.
6.4 Manifestos will be distributed with nomination information around designated sites (see 5.1). Copies will be available at each voting station.
6.5 All manifestos should be written in English and must comply with the Students’ Union Equal Opportunities policy.
7 Campaigning
7.1 Candidates will be expected to follow Students’ Union and University College
7.2 Candidates may nominate a full member of the Union to act as their agent, who they instruct to act on their behalf.
7.3 Candidates may form a campaigning team. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that all members of their campaigning team act in accordance with these regulations.
7.4 Displaying of campaign material is not permitted prior to the official commencement of the campaigning period as determined by the Returning Officer.
7.5 The nature and content of campaigning should not contravene Union Policy, the exception being questioning Union Policy and campaigning to change it.
7.6 No candidate should misuse a position of responsibility, equipment or funds of the Union for electioneering purposes.
7.7 Candidates should conduct themselves, their campaign and campaign material to ensure a free and fair election. The Returning Officer will determine whether any action is detrimental and/or unfair to the election process.
7.8 Any complaints regarding the conduct of the election campaign shall be submitted in writing to the Returning Officer before the commencement of the Election count (see section 12).
7.9 All candidates or their agents must attend a pre election briefing and training session to be determined by the Returning Officer.
7.10 There shall be no campaigning within sight or sound of any ballot box.
8 Hustings
8.1 There will be an opportunity for Hustings, a ‘question time’ session, at a time and date to be determined by the Returning Officer.
8.2 The Returning Officer shall determine the length of candidate speeches and responses by candidates to questions.
8.3 Hustings shall be arranged for the elections for Sabbatical and Main Executive Officers, and for other elections as deemed appropriate, as determined by the Returning Officer or appointed assistant.
8.4 If a candidate will be absent from Hustings they may their agent to speak on their behalf.
8.5 The Returning Officer shall appoint a Chair for Hustings.
8.6 Hustings shall be conducted in a free and fair manner.
9 Voting procedures
9.1 The Returning Officer shall ensure as far as possible that all members of the Union have access to vote no matter their place or time of study.
9.2 All members of the Union shall be able to vote for the positions as outlined in 4.1
9.3 All members of the Union may vote on production of a current NUS card or appropriate identification as decided by the Returning Officer.
9.4 A ballot paper will be issued to each voter. Votes will be cast in sealed ballot boxes. Ballot papers shall bear the name of each candidate and the office being contested. There will be a facility for re-opening nominations (RON) as outlined in 4.5.
9.5 Voting shall be by secret ballot. Ballot boxes will be secured at the end of each day of voting and will not be opened until the commercement of the count.
9.6 In the event of a candidate failing to gain more votes than Re-open Nominations, a by-election will be held for the remaining vacancies (see section 12).
9.7 If insufficient nominations have been received to fill all vacancies at the close of nominations, the election shall proceed as normal and a by-election will be held.
9.8 In the event of 10.7 and 10.8 above, the Returning Officer will arrange for a by-election to be held as soon as practical, and in accordance with these Regulations.
9.9 A postal vote shall be granted to any full member of the Union who is unable to exercise their right to vote in person.
9.10 The Returning Officer shall publicise the arrangements for postal voting at the time of close of nominations. The member must inform the Returning Officer in writing, at least 5 University College
9.11 Postal votes will be accepted up until the close of ballot boxes, at the end of the voting period.
10 Counting and declaring votes
10.1 The Returning Officer shall inform the candidates of the time and venue of the count. A candidate’s agent may attend the counting of the votes as an observer only.
10.2 The Returning Officer may be assisted in the count by a number of individuals appointed by them.
10.3 Single vacancy elections will be held by the Alternative Transferable Voting (ATV) system and multi-vacancy elections will normally be conducted by the Single Transferable Voting (STV) system in accordance with the most recently published edition of the rules for the operation transferable voting systems as set by the Electoral Reform Society.
10.4 Once the votes have been counted they should be kept for a period of six months in case of appeals against the result.
10.5 The Returning Officer shall declare results of the elections when the count for each post has been completed and any complaint has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Returning Officer.
10.6 A list of successful candidates will normally be posted at the Students’ Union and on systems provided by the IT Knowledges and Services department within one University College
10.7 The results will become official 48 hours after they have been posted provided that no complaint has been lodged with the Returning Officer within 48 hours. In the event of a complaint being received by the Returning Officer the results shall be suspended until the complaint has been resolved.
11 Complaints
11.1 Any challenge or complaint concerning the administration and conduct of the election will be heard and determined by the Returning Officer within 48 hours of such a complaint being lodged by any full member or the candidate or their nominee.
11.2 The Returning Officer before the start of the count should receive any complaint against the conduct or administration of the election.
11.3 All complaints must be submitted in writing, including appropriate evidence and expected resolution.
11.4 In determining a resolution to the complaint, the Returning Officer after hearing all the appropriate evidence may not uphold the complaint; or may halt elections for specified post(s) or disqualify specified candidate(s) if, in their view, a candidate(s) has breached election regulations. The ruling of the Returning Officer on any complaint shall be final, subject only to a successful appeal via the Unions Complaints procedure.
12 Vacancies for positions on the Executive Committee
12.1 If any post on the Executive Committee falls vacant then the Students’ Union Council will determine if a by-election shall be held. All other election regulations apply.
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