What is an Election Campaign?

Created by Eleanor Addison, Modified on Mon, 4 Dec, 2023 at 1:58 PM by Eleanor Addison

A Swansea University SU (Student Union) election campaign is the organized efforts made by students to run for various positions within the Student Union at Swansea University.

The elections for SU positions are held annually and there are various roles that students can run for. There are 6 full-time officer roles with a salary over £20,000, they include:

President
Education Officer
Sports Officer
Societies and Services Officer
Welfare Officer
Welsh Affairs Officer

These positions shape the future of the Union and University, and they're great for students graduating this year or anyone who wants to take a year out from their studies.

There are also 10 part-time officer positions available, these are voluntary and come with lots of benefits and opportunities (and it looks great on your CV). These positions are fulfilled alongside your studies. The part-time officer roles include:

Women’s Officer
Race Inclusion Officer
Environment and Ethics Officer
International Officer
Students with Disabilities Officer
LGBT+ Officer
Trans and Non-Binary Awareness Officer
General Secretary
Postgraduate Officer
Atypical Experience Officer

A typical Swansea University election campaign involves:

1) Nomination: Students interested in running for a position in the student union would need to nominate themselves by submitting an application and a manifesto on the SU website. A manifesto is a document that outlines why people should vote for you.

2) Campaigning: Once nominated, candidates can start campaigning to encourage others to vote for them. There are two types of campaigning: Soft and Active.

Soft Campaigning is the preparation period. This is when you might get a campaign team together, make a Facebook page, set up Twitter accounts, make videos etc. Basically, you can tell people you are standing for your position, but you can’t tell people to vote for you or give them reasons that would encourage them to vote for you. No materials with your manifesto on, no videos online, no posters up. You can start soft campaigning when nominations close.

Active Campaigning is going out and getting people to vote for you. Materials are allowed to go online, posters and banners are allowed to go on display, lecture shout outs are allowed! You can start actively campaigning at a designated time.

You can only campaign within the University campuses - this includes the entire of the main campus and other University buildings. You may also campaign within student nightclubs (at the discretion of their managers). You can't campaign in the library or Students' Union buildings or around computer labs.
The Students' Union will refund £75 allocated for Full-time Officer campaigning materials and £30 for Part-time Officer campaigning materials. You must provide receipts to show what you have spent by the end of the voting period to be able to claim back.

3)Hustings: During campaigning Hustings will occur, it is an essential part of candidates' campaign. Hustings is an event where candidates can debate issues affecting students. Questions for the candidates can be submitted by students.

4)Voting: At the end of the campaign period, students would have the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidates online.

5)Results: After the voting period ends, the votes are counted, and the candidates with the most votes for each position are declared winners. They then take on their roles within the student union for the upcoming term.

Overall, a Swansea University SU election campaign is a significant event that allows students to actively participate in the governance of their university and have a say in choosing the individuals who will represent their interests within the student union. It can be a very rewarding experience for those who get involved.