ELECTIONS 2023/24 STUDENTS’ UNION OFFICER AND NUS CONFERENCE
GUIDE TO ELECTIONS
Rules and Information for Candidates
ABOUT THIS GUIDE Any changes to this Guide will be communicated to students prior to the opening of nominations. This Guide provides practical guidance for candidates standing in the Officer and NUS Conference elections and is underpinned by the Elections Regulations byelaw to the Constitution. It will be interpreted solely by the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) and Returning Officer (RO) during the elections process when guidance and rulings will be issued accordingly. Minor changes to this Guide will be communicated to candidates by the DRO. Any major changes (e.g. changes to the elections’ dates) will be approved by the University’s ViceChancellor or nominee. It is the Candidate’s responsibility to read, understand and apply the content of this guide – please seek clarification from the DRO if you are unsure of any part. If you are having difficulty balancing campaigning with your University work speak to your candidate mentor. Candidates for Students’ Union elections can receive extensions to assessment deadlines subject to meeting a set of criteria.
COMPULSORY MEETINGS FOR ALL CANDIDATES: (Locations to be confirmed)
1. DRO Briefings to Candidates – These will be publicised at the time of nominations 2. Candidates Briefing to be held on Friday 23rd February 2024 from 5.00pm 3.
Meet the Candidates to be held on Thursday 29th February 2024 from 11:30am
4. Meeting with DRO to be held on Monday 4th March 2024 at 8pm Non-attendance at any of these meetings will lead to you to being removed from the elections. If you are unavoidably unable to attend due to prior commitments or last minute emergencies, please discuss with the DRO prior to the meetings.
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CAMPAIGNING The Students’ Union recommends that you do not start campaigning until the list of candidates is published by the Students’ Union after nominations close.
VOTING Voting is open from 10am to 8pm Monday 4th March only.
CAMPAIGNING Candidate may publicise their campaign and candidates running for different positions can work together by combining their campaigning efforts and budgets permitted as follows: Permitted: • • •
Posters, flyers, business cards or similar based on your personal statement Social media, blogs, websites, campaign email addresses Videos
Not permitted: • • • • • • • •
Stickers of any type
Posters in University buildings unless the SU advises you otherwise
University or SU mailing lists or any official University or SU media or promotions Fixed installations on campus e.g. stalls, tables, cars Anything offensive or damaging to the reputation of the SU or University Material including SU branded clothing connected with any post you hold within the SU. Displays and publications featuring any re-standing Officers will not be removed University staff endorsements Endorsement or assistance by any SU commercial partners or associates including at events taking place at the SU or elsewhere
Please email elections@tees-su.org.uk for permission to use anything outside of this list. Anything not permitted or not separately approved will be removed. All posters and flyers must state “Campaigning pledges are the individual views of candidates and not necessarily those of the Students’ Union”.
CAMPAIGNING RESTRICTIONS INCLUDE (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): • Comply with all Students’ Union and University policies and procedures, health and safety and the law • Respect the other candidates, the University, community and fellow students who may be studying or sleeping particularly with respect to noise 2
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All campaigns material that is produced must include the official Students’ Union logo downloaded from www.tees-su.org.uk/elections which will go live prior to the opening of nominations
• Access to University buildings will be explained during the Candidate Briefing and this will form part of these campaigning rules. Campaigning is currently not allowed in the Library, the University’s sports facilities or SU toilets. • You are responsible for moderating content and comments on any social media. The SU will NOT moderate or consider any content on closed social media groups such as WhatsApp • Posters may only be displayed in the SU building along the rear corridor and on the SU Activities windows. The number of posters will be limited at the discretion of the Students’ Union. • Posters or flyers placed in unauthorised places will be removed and destroyed without recompense. Budget to replenish flyers etc. • Removal or defacing of other Candidates’ posters or publicity by Candidates or their friends or supporters will not be tolerated and will be subject to sanctions • Current or previous Officers not re-standing in the elections must remain strictly neutral and cannot show support for particular candidates. • Please respect students who do not want to vote in the elections
CAMPAIGNS BUDGET Each candidate will have a maximum campaigns budget of £50 or an equal share of £1000 whichever is the lowest which will be confirmed at Candidates’ Briefing. Candidates standing in both NUS and Officer elections do not receive extra budget. Budgets cannot be topped with sponsorship or any other form of income, either in cash or in kind. Candidates must not exceed their budget limits. Items freely and readily available to all campaigners can be used without itemisation. Please note that the SU is no longer able to print or photocopy candidates’ material. All candidates must submit a written list of all campaign costs with corresponding receipts to the Deputy Returning Officer no later than 1 hour after polls close and will duly be reimbursed. If candidates do not spend any money during the course of their campaign this must be made clear on the submission.
MEET THE CANDIDATES – COMPULSORY MEETING Meet the Candidates is a key part of the elections process and is an opportunity to outline your personal statement and answer questions from students. If you are unavoidably unable to attend you may, following discussion with the DRO, have a proxy attend on your behalf. It is strongly recommended that Candidates seek support from the Candidate Mentors to properly prepare. You can ask any questions, seek feedback and be fully aware of the format 3
and what is expected. You will also receive a full briefing of time to arrive/ running order and other important details from the organising SU manager a few days before the event, please read it fully. Failure to prepare properly may disadvantage you.
MISCONDUCT ISSUES Breaches of this Guide, the Elections Regulations or any other misconduct issues arising through the actions of Candidates, their friends or supporters will be dealt with by the DRO.
COMPLAINTS If a candidate wishes to make a formal complaint about another candidate then a complaint form must be downloaded from the SU website (link to be advised). This must be fully completed, any evidence attached and returned to elections@tees-su.org.uk from the candidates University email address. Should the DRO decide that there is a case to answer then an SU staff investigator will be appointed who will report findings and based on this report the DRO will either dismiss the complaint or apply sanctions similar to those described below as deemed appropriate. Please note that complaints lodged elsewhere or at odds to the process described above will not be acknowledged or processed. Duplicate complaints will also not be acknowledged or processed unless additional evidence is provided. Complaints relating to outside the control of the SU will also not be processed. Recording of students voting is prohibited.
SANCTIONS The level of warning and sanctions issued by the DRO depends on the magnitude of the violation and any previous warnings issued. These will all be issued in writing. • Verbal warning – a minor or accidental breach of the rules conferring no advantage to the candidate and not requiring a sanction • Written warning – a breach of the rules that could advantage the candidate. Sanctions applied such as publicity being removed and the candidate may be stopped from campaigning • Final written warning – a significant or cumulative breach of the rules. Sanctions applied such as all publicity removed and severe/total restriction on campaigning by that candidate • Removal from the election – a major or cumulative breach of the rules. Candidate removed from the ballot paper and any votes cast automatically transferred to the other candidates in the election Appeal against any decision of the DRO may be done by writing to the Returning Officer c/o DRO. This must be within 24 hours and prior to the count.
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VOTING AND RESULTS The details of the voting process will be fully explained during Candidates Briefing. Students will cast their vote by logging in to the Students’ Union website using the username and password they have been issued with by the University and their eligibility to vote is authenticated this way. If a student does not know their username and password there will be details of how to request a reminder on the website and all queries about logging in as a student should be put to the University IT support team not the Students’ Union. The Students’ Union cannot accept responsibility for students being unable to vote if they do not know their log in details or any delays caused by waiting for assistance from the University. We also cannot accept responsibility for an individual being unable to vote if records show they are not currently registered as a student, again this will need to be discussed with the University in a timely fashion.
BALLOT Candidates’ names will appear on the ballot in a random order. Voting will be by alternative transferable vote with the option to vote for Re-Open Nominations (RON). Should RON be elected to an Officer position then nominations for that election will be re-opened and a new election held. Should RON be elected as an NUS Conference Delegate then nominations will be re-opened for unfilled places. Should there be insufficient time to hold a fresh election for NUS Conference then remaining delegate places will be filled from the following in order: 1. From current elected Chairs of the Students’ Union Forums 2. From other ordinary members holding elected positions within the Students’ Union
E-VOTING Candidates cannot campaign with Personal Devices, must not touch any electronic voting device and must allow a vote to be cast in secret. Contravention of any of these points will lead to automatic Candidate removal.
RESULTS The results from each election will be announced on the evening of Wednesday 6th March 2024 and then published by the Students’ Union.
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FULL LIST OF KEY DATES Nominations Open Monday 19th February 2024 at 9am Nominations Close Friday 23rd February 2024 at 4pm Candidates’ Briefing (COMPULSORY MEETING) Friday 23rd February 2024 at 5.00pm List of Candidates Published Monday 26th February 2024 Meet the Candidates (COMPULSORY MEETING) Thursday 29th February 2024 from 11.30am. Details to be advised Voting Monday 4th March 2024 10am to 8pm Meeting with Deputy Returning Officer (COMPULSORY MEETING) Monday 4th March 2024 at 8pm Results Night Wednesday 6th March 2024 Details to be advised.
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