All our student group leaders are democratically selected by their members via an online election which typically takes place during the months of March and April each year. All clubs and societies have a set period where their elections are set up by the SU. This was changed to ensure all student groups hold their elections within our governance structure and streamlines the whole election process for all involved.

Setting Up An Additional Election

To set up an additional election, for example an EGM, committee members should fill out the form attached to the bottom of this article. Submit it to us through a help desk ticket so that a member of the Student Voice team can set up an online election on your behalf.

The form asks for the following key information

Student Group Name - Which group requires an election e.g. Surf club or Maths Society

Description of Election - Typically this will be if a member of the committee has stepped down and a replacement needs to be elected midway through an academic year.

Positions up for Election - Which roles can members stand for e.g. President, Treasurer, Social Secretary. 

Nominations Dates - The times between which members can nominate themselves. We'd recommend at least 1 week.

Manifesto Deadline - The final date and time that candidates can upload their manifesto. This can be any time from the close of nominations up until the close of voting.  

Voting Dates - The times between which members can vote for candidates. We'd recommend at least 1 week. 

Role Descriptions - The responsibilities of each committee role, sort of like a short job description so that members know what they're applying for.

Upon receiving your election form, a member of the Student Voice team will set up your election within a couple of days and it will appear on your page on the SU website. 

It's the responsibility of the committee to promote the election dates as much as possible amongst their members to generate lots of nominations and votes. It's the responsibility of members to vote, and to nominate themselves if they wish to stand in the election. 

Election Results 

Once your voting period has concluded you can expect to receive your results the next working day. The results will detail the number of votes each candidate received, the successful candidates, and details of any single transferable voting. The results are published to your SU page under the 'elections' tab. If you would like to announce the results at a later date - please let us know and we won't publish them immediately.

Can We Hold An Election In Person? 

All SU-affiliated student groups must hold their elections via a vote on the SU website.