Nominations Now Open!

Thursday 04-02-2016 - 16:32
Harry articles

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

Shakespeare said that a while ago. Thankfully it still rings true today – we all have the chance, at least once in our lives, to try and change the world around us for the better. As of February 3rd, we all have our opportunity to do just that.

My name is Harry Sampson, your friendly neighbourhood Communications Officer, and today I’ll be informing you about the SU Elections.

This is because nominations for all the SU elected positions are now open. You, for some of you the first chance ever, have the opportunity to run for the thirteen positions and create a new direction and purpose for our Student Union.

Henry Sims, Vice-President Activities had this to say:

“Nominations are now open! There is no better way to have your say. You can go to www.winchesterstudents.co.uk/suelections to find out more about the three full-time sabbatical positions, the nine part-time officer positions and the one NUS Delegate. Please contact suelection@winchester.ac.uk for any queries regarding the election process.”

As he is unable to stand again, barred by our SU Constitution from more than two terms, Henry is now the RETURNING OFFICER for this upcoming election. The Returning Officer is not a candidate and instead ensures the election runs smoothly and no rules are broken. This provides a just and fair outcome for the students of the University of Winchester, making sure that there has been no cheating or unfair practices.

NOMINATIONS (3rd – 22nd February)

This is the first step in running for an SU elected position. Nominations have changed slightly from the previous years, as it now takes place online. To be nominated, you need to visit www.winchesterstudents.co.uk/suelections and follow the links to a web page containing all of the available positions.

It is worth remembering at this point that you cannot run for more than one position, unless that is the NUS Delegate. Your nomination will contain a pretty picture of yourself, a 25-word ‘election statement’ and a 500-word manifesto that outlines why you are standing for the position. If your nomination is rejected, you will receive an explanation why so you can either amend your submission or visit the office for further clarification.

CAMPAIGINING & VOTING

Once the nomination period is over, ending on the 22nd February, the campaigning can start. All successfully nominated candidates report to a meeting where the election rules are explained and clarified for their benefit. This is also the first time you will discover who is running for which position.

There will be lots of tips and warnings about how to and how not to run a campaign, including staying on top of your coursework, staying well-fed and of course not breaking any election rules. Some of these include not campaigning in the University Centre (the SU building) and in other key areas. There are a variety of rules that are decided on by the Returning Officer before the election commences, ensuring each candidate has a fair playing field on which to campaign.

Voting itself is held online similar to the nomination process. Each student will receive an email containing a link they can follow to vote on each position. Unlike the General Election in the UK, which is a First-Past-The-Post system, our elections are different. Our voting system allows you to rank the candidates for a position in order of preference. For example, Joe Bloggs as 1st preference and Jane Doe as 2nd preference and R.O.N (return on nominations) as 3rd preference. If no single candidate reaches over 50% of the total votes cast for that position, then the lowest candidate is eliminated and their second preferences are added. This continues until a candidate gets over 50%.

RESULTS NIGHT (1st March)

At 5pm of 1st March, voting will close and the results will be checked by the Returning Officer to ensure there are no irregularities. All candidates must have submitted a completed budget otherwise they will be disqualified. What follows is a relaxing evening in the Vault, where the Bars are open and the likely exhausted candidates and supporters can enjoy a responsible drink or two while they wait for the results to be announced.

The Returning Officer then takes to the stage to announce the results. Candidates elected to the positions take a photo on stage and receive information about what happens next. From there, training is provided and the new officers-elect take their new positions on the 1st July.

Related Tags :

Shakespeare returning officer process Henry Sims students positions student union elections Nomination,

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