2014 NTSU Society By-elections:Candidates’ Guide

Your Guide To Becoming THE ONE

www.trentstudents.org/elections

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Nice to meet you

Contents

IntroductionDo you want more responsibility and involvement in the Student Union? Are you part of a society? If so, you may be the perfect candidate to lead your society forward. We are looking for engaging, organised and enthusiastic students to nominate themselves for a society committee positions. If you are successful in your election you will be trained in Finance, Health and Safety, Communication and Democracy so you are fully equipped to run your society. Whether you have done something like this before or not, don’t miss your chance to get involved. You could be the perfect President, Treasurer, Social Secretary or Events officer for your society.

Liz McCluskey VP Activities, 2012-2014

Introduction

Available roles

How to get involved

Nomination checklist

Rules & Regulations

- NTSU Election Rules

- NTSU Election Regulations

- Societies Code of Practice

- Permitted Acquisitions list

- Breaches of rules

How voting works

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Who could you be?Available roles

President

Secretary

Vice President

Treasurer

In the by-election, only key positions will be filled to ensure that the society has the very best chance to continue to operate into the next academic year. Other positions - if vacant - will be filled at a later date.

• The president shall be the principal officer and spokesperson for the society and the chairperson of meetings of the Executive Committee, AGM and EGM. He/she shall have overall responsibility for the promotion and development of the society.

• The Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings, maintain the membership records and issue membership cards. He/she shall be responsible for the receipt of and response to any external mail sent to the society. He/She shall be responsible for weekly communications to the membership.

• The Vice-President shall take minutes of all meetings, maintain the membership records and issue membership cards. He/she shall be responsible for the receipt of and response to any external mail sent to the society. He/She shall be responsible for weekly communications to the membership. They shall also deputise for the President when they are unavailable.

• The treasurer shall be the chief financial officer and accountant for the society.. The treasurer shall set and oversee the production of an annual budget and present a financial report to the committee at the end of the year. They shall be responsible for sumbiting requisition and grant forms throughout the year.

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NUS Delegates

Fancy a bit on the side?Alongside our democratic processes, students are also engaged in our governance at the highest level: students are elected to sit on our Trustee Board, the final decision making body of the Union, monitoring the progress and strategic direction of the Students’ Union.There are currently two vacancies for Student Trustees on the Trustee Board of NTSU, a registered charity with an annual turnover of over £4 million. This role is part-time, carried out alongside your studies, and simply amazing experience for your CV.

NUS Delegates are elected annually to represent Nottingham Trent Students’ Union at a national level. As an affiliate of the National Union of Students, NTSU engages with the National Union on a variety of levels, culminating in the annual National Conference on 8th-10th April 2014, bringing together delegates from all affiliated Unions across the country. As a 26,000 strong Union, NTSU is entitled to seven delegates who attend with the President to represent our membership on the national stage.

If you are thinking about getting involved in the Union in any way, now or in the future, this is a brilliant opportunity to find out what happens across the rest of the student movement. There is nothing quite like annual conference: thousands of students descend upon a city to attend, debate is wildly varied, and a huge number of special interest groups attend with special showcase events in the evenings.

For more information contact elections@su.ntu.ac.uk

Student Trustees

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So you’ve found the role for you: how do you get your hands on it? Make sure you don’t miss any of the key dates below and miss out on your chance of getting the right job for you!

Let’s get started!How to get involved

3rd March

27th February

to

7th March

14th March

21st March

7th March

Nominations open• Details of the roles available and how to get involved are released

(you’re reading it now!)

Nominations close: 5pm• Nominations received after 5.00pm WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!• Make sure you use the Nominations Checklist before submitting so that

your nomination can be accepted, no problems!

AGM period• During this period your society should hold an AGM, reviewing the past year and accepting the constitution for the next year• They should also provide you with an opportunity to tell society members why they should vote for you and allow them to ask any questions they may have

Voting opens: 5pm

Voting closes: 5pm

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Are you ready?Nomination checklistReady to go? Make sure you get the following submitted ONLINE no later than 5pm on Friday 7th March to complete your nomination to be the one!

Online Nomination Form including your 150 word statementWhen completing the online Nomination Form you will asked to provide your:- full name and university ID number (N number or equivalent)- your name as you would like it to appear on the ballot paper (e.g. Amy ‘Maccers’ McLaughlan)- your contact details- name and university ID number (N number or equivalent) of three nominators who must be full members of the Students’ Union

ManifestoThis is your opportunity to tell our members why they should vote for you: what experience do you have, what would you do if elected? Keep it realistic! Students know when you’re promising something you cannot deliver.The manifesto should be submitted in .jpg format and sized 950x534px. Please see the next section for further details.

Passport-style photograph of yourself This should be sized 150x200px and submitted in .jpg format. Just you please – no housemates, pets, silly wigs/glasses etc!

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Do’s and don’tsRules & RegulationsAll elections held at NTSU are governed by a set of rules and regulations to create a level playing field for all candidates. It’s important that you make yourself familiar with them and that if you choose to campaign, you let your campaigners know all about them: breaches of the rules and regulations by candidates or their campaigners are taken very seriously and can result in people being disqualified from the election process.If you have any questions at all, please contact the Elections Committee at elections@su.ntu.ac.uk.

(Part 12 of the Democratic Processes Document)Section One: Purpose1.1 These rules are to be used for any election which involves electing Executive Officers, Student Officers or NUS Delegates. All other elections will be subject to election rules outlined in individual Codes of Practice

1.2 Elections for Executive Officers, Students Officers and NUS Delegates will be carried out by cross-campus secret ballots.

Section Two: Returning Officer2.1 The Returning Officer will be a nominee of the National Union of Students. They will be presented with a copy of the Election Regulations as devised by the Elections Committee, the Constitution, and the Democratic Processes Document.

2.2 The Election Regulations can be amended by the Returning Officer in liaison with the Elections Committee if it is deemed necessary.

2.3 The lead staff member with responsibility for democratic affairs within the Union shall serve as the Deputy Returning Officer, and shall assist the Returning Officer in advising and ruling on all elections-related matters.

Section Three: Election Rules3.1 A copy of the rules and regulations will be issued to all candidates who will sign to say they have received them.

3.2 A formal notice of elections should be issued no later than 14 days before the start of voting and 7 days before the opening of nominations.

3.3 The notice of elections should include: 3.3.1 Date and time when nominations open and close; 3.3.2 Procedure for nomination; 3.3.3 Date and location of hustings;

NTSU Election Rules

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3.3.4 Rules and regulations for elections; 3.3.5 Date and time when voting opens and closes; 3.3.6 Date and time when the results will be announced; 3.3.7 Contact details for election queries. 3.3.8 The voting mechanism to be used for the election.

3.4 Nominations shall open no later than 14 days before the start of voting.

3.5 Nominations shall close no later than 7 days before the start of voting.

3.6 Members eligible to stand for election (as detailed in the Constitution and this document) must submit an official online nomination form, before the close of nominations, which includes: 3.6.1 The candidate’s full name (and their name as they would like it to appear on the ballot paper) and university student ID number (N number or equivalent). 3.6.2 The name and university student ID number (N number or equivalent) of three nominators who must be full members of the Students’ Union. 3.6.3 The candidate’s manifesto and any relevant publicity as defined in the Election Regulations that will be used in the election. 3.6.4 A recent passport-style photograph of the candidate that will be used on the ballot paper. 3.6.5 A 150 word statement that will be placed on the ballot paper. 3.6.6 Candidate’s current contact details, including but not limited to; telephone number and email address.

3.7 If any of the information in section 3.6 is missing from the candidate’s nomination, the nomination will become invalid and the candidate will be asked to resubmit the nomination where reasonably practicable. If the nomination is not submitted in full by the nomination deadline, the candidate will be excluded from the election.

3.8 Any member who is eligible to stand for election may only stand for one position on the Student Directorate at any given time.

Section Four: Breaches of Rules and Regulations:4.1 All suspected rule breaches must be made in writing to the Elections Committee and emailed to elections@su.ntu.ac.uk no later than 24 hours after the incident has occurred or the concern has been realised.

4.2 The Elections Committee will communicate with all parties involved in any dispute electronically via email.

4.3 For a complaint to be considered, clear evidence must be attached which warrants the Returning Officer making a judgement. Acceptable forms of evidence include but are not limited to: 4.3.1 Photographs and videos; 4.3.2 Screen shots of web pages; 4.3.3 Copies of emails; 4.3.4 Staff witnesses (who are considered neutral).

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4.4 The Elections Committee will investigate any reported rule breaches and make a decision on potential punishment within 24 hours. The Elections Committee have the power to choose a range of punishments at their discretion, ranging from limited campaigning bans to exclusion from the election.

4.5 Candidates can appeal the decision of the Elections Committee via the Returning Officer, who will return a final decision within 24 hours of the appeal being submitted.

4.6 For issues of gross misconduct concerning candidates and/or their campaigners, the Students’ Union reserves the right to use the ‘Code of Conduct for NTSU Members’ guidelines in addition to these Election Rules.

4.7 The absolute deadline for receiving complaints will be one hour after voting has closed, at which point all candidates must sign a statement agreeing that they are satisfied that all complaints raised have been investigated and that they have no further complaints to raise. The calculation of the elections results may not take place until all candidates have signed and submitted their statements to the Chair of the Elections Committee.

Section Five: Appeal Process5.1 Candidates, in which a penalty has been imposed upon them or their campaigners, have the right to appeal to the Returning Officer. The Deputy Returning Officer will submit the appeal to the Returning Officer on behalf of the candidate.

5.2 The Returning Officer will hear any complaint made against a candidate or their supporters and will take action if they feel a rule has been broken.

5.3 The Returning Officer can rule that there is insufficient evidence that a rule has been broken, and can overrule the original decision of the Elections Committee.

5.4 If the Returning Officer reaches the decision that the complaint should be upheld, they can either agree with the original decision of the Elections Committee or decide to increase or decrease the original penalty imposed.

5.5 If a candidate submits an appeal to a punishment levied by the Elections Committee, the punishment in question is suspended until the Returning Officer rules on the appeal. 5.5.1 In the event that the Returning Officer rejects the Appeal and chooses to uphold the Elections Committee’s punishment (or increase the severity of said punishment), and there is insufficient time to carry out the punishment, the candidate will be excluded from the election.

5.6 The Elections Committee will inform the candidate of the Returning Officer’s ruling within 24 hours of the ruling being taken.

5.7 The Returning Officer’s ruling is final.

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Section Six: Election Results6.1 The results for the elections will be calculated within 24 working hours after the close of the voting period, subject to the following 6.1.1 Calculation of the voting taking place within the presence of the Returning Officer and/or Deputy Returning Officer, and Chair of the Elections Committee. Counting cannot take place until the aforementioned are present. Any counting of the votes without the aforementioned present will invalidate that result, and a recount will take place; 6.1.2 Calculation of the voting taking place where there are no candidates or campaigners present; 6.1.3 All complaints being settled as per section 4.7.

6.2 The results will be announced by the Elections Committee, and will take place no later than 72 working hours after the counting of the elections has finished.

Section Seven: Executive Team Elections Arrangements7.1 Executive Team positions will be elected in the second term of the academic year. The positions available are: 7.1.1 President (full time sabbatical, paid); 7.1.2 Vice President Education & Representation (full time sabbatical, paid); 7.1.3 Vice President Services & Communication (full time sabbatical, paid); 7.1.4 Vice President Sport (full time sabbatical, paid); 7.1.5 Vice President Activities (full time sabbatical, paid); 7.1.6 Vice President Welfare & Community (full time sabbatical, paid); 7.1.7 Brackenhurst Campus Liaison Officer (part time, unpaid); 7.1.8 City Campus Liaison Officer (part time, unpaid); 7.1.9 Clifton Campus Liaison Officer (part time, unpaid).

7.2 The Executive Team will serve for a period of one calendar year from the first working day of July until the last working day of June of the next calendar year.

7.3 To stand for an Executive Team position the individual must be a fully enrolled student at Nottingham Trent University at the time of nomination. An incumbent Executive Officer can seek re-election only once as stipulated by the Education Act 1994.

7.4 If an Executive Team position becomes vacant, a by-election will take place during a time and place as decided by the Elections Committee.

Section Eight: NUS Delegate Elections Arrangements 8.1 NUS Delegate positions will be elected in the second term of the academic year. The number of positions available is decided by the National Union of Students using a formula based on how many students study at the institution.

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8.2 If a NUS Delegate position becomes vacant, the election results will be recalculated after withdrawing applicable candidate(s), and the unfulfilled position will be offered to the next highest polling candidate. In the event where there are no surplus candidates, the Deputy Returning Officer will agree an appropriate course of action with the Elections Committee.

Section Nine: Student Officer Elections Arrangements9.1 Student Officers are unpaid voluntary roles which do not fall under the role of the Executive Team. The roles are: 9.1.1 BME Students’ Officer; 9.1.2 Disabled Students’ Officer; 9.1.3 International Students’ Officer; 9.1.4 LGBT Students’ Officer; 9.1.5 Mature Students’ Officer; 9.1.6 Postgraduate Students’ Officer; 9.1.7 Parent Students’ Officer; 9.1.8 Women Students’ Officer.

9.2 Student Officer positions will be elected in the second term of the academic year.

9.3 The Student Officers will serve for a period of one calendar year from the first working day of July to the final working day of June of the following calendar year.

9.4 To stand for a Student Officer position, the individual must be a fully enrolled student at Nottingham Trent University at the time of nomination and throughout their term in office.

9.5 If a Student Officer position becomes vacant, a by-election will take place during a time and place decided by the Executive Team in consultation with the Returning Officer

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NTSU Society Election Rules (Point 3 of the Societies Code of Practice)

3.1 All Society Elections will be governed by the Election procedures set out by theDemocratic Processes Document.

3.2 In addition to the procedures set out by the DPD, societies must adhere to the following procedures set out in the Code of Practice.

3.3 Any changes to the Democratic Processes Document in relation to societies must be suggested to Elections Committee before the end of the first academic term.

3.4 The Election Periods for societies will be from November until the last day of the first academic term and a second period outlined by the VP Activities and ratified by Elections Committee.

3.5 Societies that fail to hold an election during the periods stated and within an academic year, will be automatically nominated for disaffiliation at the next Societies Assembly.

3.6 Each election must have a nomination period that lasts for a minimum of 7 days. There must also be a period of at least 7 days between the close of nominations and the start of voting to allow an AGM to take place if needed.

3.7 Only registered members of the society are permitted to stand for a position, this excludes Alumni and Affiliate members.

3.8 Only registered members of the society are permitted to vote in the election. Registered members are those that are signed up before the close of nominations.

3.9 The results for the elections will be calculated within 5 working days after the close of the voting period

3.10 The results will also be published online via the Students’ Union website within 10 working days

3.11 In the even that a society cannot fulfil its responsibility to hold elections, it can appeal to the VP Activities to be exempt from this process. The society must provide a genuine and valid reason why they cannot hold elections. The VP Activities retains the right to refuse this authority to ensure democracy is retained within the society.

3.11.1 Any appeals of this process must be made to the Student Voice Manager within a week of the decision being made.

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2. Campaign Budget2.1. Each campaign will have a campaign budget capped at £150. Candidates must submit their receipts for all purchases and declare all acquired items to the Elections Committee by the deadline for complaints, 6pm on 21st March 2014. Overspends will be considered a breach of the regulations and will be dealt with accordingly.

2.2. Candidates will be supplied with 5,000 professionally printed fliers, free of charge, by the Students’ Union.

2.3. Candidates are personally responsible for the costs of their campaigns.

Campaigns

Campaigners

Candidate

Elections Committee

Nominations

Publicity

Returning Officer

All activity taking place with the intention of getting a particular candidate elected.

Any NTU student or non NTU student promoting a candidate within the election, whether they are known to the candidate personally or not.

An NTU student who has had their nomination for the elections accepted by the Elections Committee.

The Committee that oversees the running of the elections and rules of complaints, as per the Democratic Processes Document.

The period of time in which students may submit their application and promotional materials to be formally accepted into the elections process.

Any promotional material or activity for a candidate. This includes electronic promotion.

Appointed by the National Union of Student to oversee the election and resolve any appeals against the decisions of Elections Committee.

These regulations should be taken in conjunction with the Elections Rules as set out in Part 12 of the Democratic Processes Document and apply to the elections of all officers (both executive and part-time), NUS delegates, and student trustees.For the regulations regarding the election of Sports and Society Committees, please refer to the relevant Code of Practice.

1. Definitions

NTSU Election Regulations 2014

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2.4. The Elections Committee, the Returning Officer, or any individual acting under the direction of the Elections Committee or the Returning Officer, shall have the right to audit the expenditure of a candidate’s campaign to ensure compliance with the budget limit.

2.5. The Elections Committee, the Returning Officer, or any individual acting under the direction of the Elections Committee or the Returning Officer, shall have the right to assign a market value/non-value to the following goods or services, based upon the value that the Union would purchase them for, of: 2.5.1. Goods or services obtained at a discounted price through personal relationship or family connections. 2.5.2. Goods or services already owned by the candidate (as specified in Appendix A: Permitted Acquisitions).

3. Campaigning3.1. Campaign plans must be submitted at the point of nomination (templates will be provided by Elections Committee). This plan may only be amended after submitting amendments to the Elections Committee for approval. The Elections Committee will provide a response within 48 hours and no new campaigning activity should take place until authorised.

3.2. Campaigning will not be take place before nominations have closed and no sooner than 7 days before voting starts: the start of campaigning shall be 9am on Monday 10th March 2014.

3.3. Campaigning will not be permitted to take place in any form of accommodation before 11:00am and after 8:00pm.

3.4. Fliers will not be distributed in Halls of Residence.

3.5. Campaigners will not enter the rooms of voting members.

3.6. When campaigning, campaigners must ensure that their conduct does not contravene:

• NTSU Elections Rules http://www.trentstudents.org/elections

• NTSU Members Code of Conduct http://www.trentstudents.org/democracy

• NTU Student Code of Behaviour http://www.ntu.ac.uk/current_students/document_uploads/87330.pdf

• NTU Computer Use Regulations http://ntu.ac.uk/information_systems/document_uploads/85636.pdf

this includes first year campaigners campaigning

within their own halls

you may pin publicity on to

noticeboards but nothing must be

left loose.

for example fly-posting is illegal so leaving fliers littered on the street could land you in bigger trouble than you think!

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• 1994 Education Act http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/30/part/II

• 1998 Data Protection Act http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents

• Nottingham City Council/Newark and Sherwood District Council (for Brackenhurst) Bye-laws http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ http://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/

• and all other UK law.

3.7. Do not use the University computer to spam users. This is in breach of the NTU Computer Use Regulations (found at http://ntu.ac.uk/information_systems/document_uploads/85636.pdf).

3.8. Whilst campaigning, you and your campaigners must not use any Nottingham Trent University or Nottingham Trent Students’ Union branding. This includes sports tops and kits.

3.9. Non NTU students may campaign for a candidate; however, their name, address and contact details must be registered with the Elections Committee at the time of nomination.

3.10. Candidates are entirely responsible for the actions of individuals acting on their behalf, regardless of their relationship to the candidate or their level of campaigning activity. This includes but is not limited to the use of social media and other electronic communication.

3.11. Candidates may not post on official NTU/NTSU official social media sites. Please consult our social media directory for further information: http://www.trentstudents.org/socialmedia.

3.12. Candidates and their campaigners must not harass or pressure any members to vote, and should leave members alone if they so request. This includes shouting from a distance, crowding students trying to go about their business, and blocking entrances and exits with campaigners.

3.13. Candidates and campaigners may not attempt to influence a member engaged in the act of voting: you should not be able to view the screen that they are using to vote.

3.14. Campaigning is not permitted through any official trade union.

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3.15. Campaigners are not allowed to campaign or wear any campaign materials espousing support for a particular candidate if they are employed by the Union and working their shift at the time. Campaigning outside of work hours is permitted for student staff members, but at no times for permanent staff members.

3.16. Candidates are not allowed to seek sponsorship, support or endorsement from external businesses.

4. Publicity Design4.1. All items produced with the intention of publicising a candidate must be approved by the Elections Committee through the nomination process (templates will be provided by Elections Committee). Additions or amendments may only be made after submitting amendments to the Elections Committee for approval. The Elections Committee will provide a response within 48 hours and no new publicity should be distributed/used until authorised.

4.2. Candidates must ensure that their manifestos are honest, and are respectful of other candidates and Union Policy. The Elections Committee has the power to refuse a manifesto and will provide reasons to the candidate for the decision.

4.3. Candidate publicity must not include any of NTSU’s or NTU’s logos, including in campaign videos. This includes the inclusion of signage, branded clothing, and sports kits.

4.4. It is the responsibility of candidates to ensure that their publicity is proofread and correct before it is sent to print and/or submitted with their nomination form.

5. Display of publicity5.1. No publicity may be displayed until the start of campaigning, as specified in the official notice of elections: 9am on Monday 10th March 2014.

5.2. No publicity may be displayed within 3 meters of a public access computer terminal or any other electronic device with the ability to access the internet, with the exception of officially designated notice boards, or any other area as specified by the Elections Committee and/or ballot station staff.

5.3. Candidates or campaigners may not provide members with personal electronic devices in order to secure votes.

5.4. Candidates will be liable for all costs to repair any damage caused by publicity or attempts to secure publicity . Nothing is to be stuck on windows in the Students’ Union building.

5.5. Candidates need permission from the relevant building management to stick anything up. Be aware that buildings on campus are managed by a range of different people so you must make sure that you are addressing the correct person for the appropriate space .

If you are elected, this then creates a conflict of interest.

Don’t use sellotape on painted surfaces!

NTU for University buidings; NTSU for Students’ Union space; and the correct private Halls

provider/Halls Manager for Halls of Residence.

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5.6. Stickers are not to be used during campaigning.

5.7. Publicity that contravenes University or Union regulations may be removed without notice and refund.

5.8. Only the Elections Committee and/or the Returning Officer or any individual acting under their direction, shall have the right to remove publicity that does not comply with these regulations. In the case that it is in University buildings, University staff has the right to remove such publicity. Candidates or campaigners are not permitted to tamper with, in any way, or remove other candidates’ publicity.

5.9. Candidates may not refer in a negative, personal manner to other candidates in their election publicity: comments should be restricted to matters of policy disagreement. This includes but is not limited to the use of social media and other electronic communication.

5.10. Candidates may collect and create their own mailing list for the purposes of campaigning, provided they comply with the Data Protection Act. Such lists must not contain information gained from any third party (such as a departmental distribution list, Students’ Union society, or Facebook group).

6. Calculation of results6.1. Results will not be calculated until notification of completion of complaints is signed off (as specified in Rules) and all expenses are calculated and declared by each individual candidate.

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it’s best not to duplicate your fliers on a University printer as they will make your campaign look less professional.

Try something different instead.

Permitted Acquisitions List

Breaches of Rules: Complaints and AppealsIf you wish to submit a complaint surrounding a possible breach of rules please email elections@su.ntu.ac.uk stating:

- Your name- Which candidate or candidates your complaint is about- An outline of the rules you believe have been broken- Evidence to support your claim (including any potential witnesses)

Once received, the Elections Committee will investigate the complaint and aim to publish their decision within 24 hours. If you are unhappy with the decision made, you may appeal to the Returning Officer, whose decision will be final.

This process is the same for candidates who have action taken against them as a result of a complaint.

The deadline for submitting a complaint is 6pm on Friday 21st March.

As per the Elections Regulations, the following items may be ‘acquired’ without the need to pay for them from your £150 budget. It is assumed that most members will reasonably have access to the following items for free.It is important that you still declare these as free otherwise you face confiscation of your materials.

Each campaign may acquire the following items free of charge:• 1x double bed sheet• blu-tack• marker/flipchart pens• poster paint• cable ties• posters and flyers printed from a home PC or University printer (this does not include items obtained from the University print shop)

This list is final and amendments may only be made by a ruling of the Elections Committee. If you would like to suggest an addition or amendment, you may do so by detailing your suggestion in writing to elections@su.ntu.ac.uk. A ruling shall be issued within 48 hours and circulated to all candidates.

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How matches get madeHow voting worksIf you have voted in an election before (either here at Trent or back home) you are probably used to going to a polling station, getting a piece of paper, putting a X next to your favourite candidate, and putting it in a box.

Well, it’s not quite the same here at NTSU; first of all, our elections are online, and secondly, we (mostly*) use a system called Single Transferable Vote (STV).

What is STV, and how does it work?STV, or Single Transferable Vote, is a system of preferential voting designed to minimise ‘wasted’ votes and provide proportional representation.

To give an example, let’s say your mate is popping in to SU Express for a snack, and they ask you if you’d like anything. You fancy some chocolate, so you say that you’d like a Cadbury’s Caramel, but if they haven’t got any you’ll have a Creme Egg, and if they have neither just to get whatever.

What you’re saying is that Cadbury’s Caramel is your first preference, a Creme Egg is your second preference and after that you don’t really mind what you get – you have no further preferences. This is essentially how the STV system works, you select your first preference but should that option be eliminated your second preference will come into play and so on until you don’t mind what you get.

Order of preference

1

2

Type of chocolateCadbury’s Caramel

Nutrageous

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Creme Egg

Kinder Bueno

Topic

R.O.N. (Re-Open Nominations)

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Alternatively, you might say to your friend that you want Cadbury’s Caramel, but if the shop doesn’t have that to get a Creme Egg but to not get Nutrageous or anything else with nuts as you have a nut allergy. In this case you are actively voting against the other options and so would vote RON.

Who is RON?RON isn’t actually a candidate – it stands for Re-Open Nominations. You can put RON as a preference if you feel that the remaining candidates are not suitable for the position.

Voting RON is an active vote against the other candidates – it’s not an expression of indifference. So, looking back at the example above, if you hadn’t told your friend that there were certain types of chocolate that you definitely don’t want, they might bring you back a Topic bar if that’s all the shop has - and who wants that?! Voting for RON tells us that you don’t find any of the remaining candidates suitable for the position, so even if your first or second choice isn’t elected, you are still able to have a say in the final result.

If Re-Open Nominations is elected to a position then nominations for that post are re-opened at a later date, and another election is held.

Order of preference

1

2

3

Type of chocolateCadbury’s Caramel

Nutrageous

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Creme Egg

Kinder Bueno

Topic

R.O.N. (Re-Open Nominations)

this will appear on

the ballot paper

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Why am I ranking candidates and not just putting an X next to my favourite?In most elections, you just put an X in a box next to the candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins. If five people were running for one position, it is likely that the candidate with the most votes will have less than half of the total votes cast. In other words, more than half of the people that voted DID NOT vote for the winner.This isn’t fair.

When NTSU runs elections, it uses a system where a candidate needs a set number of votes to win (called a quota). If, after counting all the first preference votes, no candidate has reached this number, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated.

When a candidate is eliminated, their votes are re-counted. The counters look at who received the second preference votes on those ballots, and allocate them to the remaining candidates accordingly.

The counters then look at the updated totals for the remaining candidates. If one has reached the quota, he or she is elected. If the quota still hasn’t been reached, the new lowest candidate is eliminated, and their second preference votes re-allocated. This is repeated until a candidate has reached the quota.

For further video explanation of the STV system, check out http://tinyurl.com/ya2m2rl.

So to make sure my favourite candidate wins, I should put them as 1 and leave everyone else blank?No. You can put only one first preference down, but second (and further) preferences are not counted until the candidate you give your first preference to has no chance of winning the election. If your first preference candidate wins the election, your other preferences have never been counted.

If you don’t give any candidate a preference after your favourite/first preference, and your favourite is eliminated, your vote will play no further role in the election.Example Election:

1. 100 votes were cast: o Candidate A = 40 first preferenceso Candidate B = 35 first preferenceso Candidate C = 25 first preferences

The quota is 51 votes (over 50%). No candidate has reached this.

2. Candidate C has the lowest number of votes and is eliminated.

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3. The counters look at the second preferences for everyone who gave Candidate C their first preference: o Candidate A = 18 of C’s second preferenceso Candidate B = 7 of C’s second preferences

4. The totals are updated: o Candidate A = 58 voteso Candidate B = 42 votes

5. Candidate A now has over 51 votes, and so WINS the election.*Alternative Vote (AV) is another system we sometimes use here at Trent. For further explanation of the AV system, click here.

If you have any questions please get in touch with us on elections@su.ntu.ac.uk.