Rules

Returning Officer

All elections shall be overseen by a Returning Officer who shall be appointed annually at the first meeting of Student Council on the recommendation of the Executive Committee

The person appointed as Returning Officer shall neither be a current member of the Union nor shall they have been a member of the Union in the preceeding two academic years.

The Returning Officer shall be responsible for the good conduct and administration of the elections and to this end shall appoint a Deputy Returning Officer and such number of Polling Station Supervisors and Election Assistants as they deem appropriate. The Deputy Returning Officer and Election Assistants shall be members of staff of the Union.

The Returning Officer shall have sole authority to interpret these election rules and any such interpretations shall not be subject to challenge in any meetings of the Union called under the terms of the Constitution

The Returning Officer may act to prohibit any statement or publicity that they deem to be in contravention of the Union's Constitution or its current policies.

The Returning Officer shall establish a procedure by which any member of the Union may complain about the conduct of an election. The Returning Officer shall have sole authority as to determining a complaint and any resulting action. Such authority shall include disqualification of a candidate in an election. Such determinations shall not be subject to challenge in any meetings of the Union called under the terms of the Constitution.

Deputy Returning Officer

The Deputy Returning Officer shall be a member of the permanent staff of the Union and shall assist the Returning Officer in the administration of the elections.

The Deputy Returning Officer shall prepare by December each year a schedule for elections which shall include the dates and times for the notification and completion of the following:

1. Nomination
2. Candidates Briefing
3. Count
4. Declaration

Such schedule shall also state:

1. the expenditure allowances and limits permitted to candidates
2. the method by which electors shall be required to prove membership in order to cast a vote
3. the arrangements to apply by which members may cast their vote by mail

Such schedule shall be subject to approval by the Returning Officer

1. Nomination

For a nomination to be valid it shall:

1. Be submitted on an official nomination form as issued under the authority of the Returning Officer
2. Show the full name and university number of the candidate, their proposer and ten seconders all of whom shall be current members of the Union
3. Be signed by the candidate as evidence that they accept the rules under which the election will be conducted and that if elected they are prepared to hold office under the terms applicable to the position for which they are a candidate
4. Be submitted by such time and to such place as required in the timetable for the election

In the case of part time officer positions on the Executive Committee, (and only in the case of part time officer positions on the Executive Committee), two candidates may submit a joint nomination to hold office as a job share .In such circumstance for the nomination to be valid it shall:

1. Be submitted on an official nomination form as issued under the authority of the Returning Officer
2. Show the full names and university numbers of both candidates, their proposer and twenty seconders all of whom shall be current members of the Union
3. Be signed by both candidates as evidence that they accept the rules under which the election will be conducted and that if elected they are prepared to hold office under the terms applicable to the position for which they are a candidate
4. Be submitted by such time and to such place as required in the timetable for the election

In cases of joint candidature all election rules and procedures shall be applied as for single candidates.

As soon as is feasible after the time for close of nominations the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer shall issue notice of valid nominations for each post for which there is an election

The Returning Officer shall include notice that in each election there will be on the ballot paper facility for electors to indicate a preference for "No Suitable Candidate"

When submitting their nomination a candidate may submit a manifesto.

The Deputy Returning Officer shall arrange for such candidate manifestos as received to be compiled in a Manifesto Book that shall be printed and widely circulated. All valid manifestos shall be included in the Manifesto Book unamended

For a manifesto to be valid for inclusion in the Manifesto Book it shall:

1. Be submitted as an accompanying document to the nomination form
2. Be in hard copy and electronic , black and white, to a maximum size of one side A4 paper
3. Be free from any statements in contravention of the Constitution or policy of the Union
4. Campaigning

The Deputy Returning Officer shall arrange a briefing for candidates at which they shall have the opportunity to receive advice on:

1. The Election Rules
2. The permitted levels of campaign expenditure
3. Restrictions on campaign publicity
4. Conduct of candidates and their supporters
5. Arrangements for the count and declaration
6. Those Union facilities and equipment which are available to candidates to assist them in mounting their campaign
7. Procedure by which complaints as to the conduct of the election may be made and heard.

1. Eligibility to Vote

The Deputy Returning Officer shall issue notice of eligibility to vote. Such notice shall include:

1. that in all elections all full members of the Union are eligible to vote other than in elections for Chairs of Site Committees in which cases eligibility is restricted to full members of the Union whose programme of study is based at the site for which the Chair of the Site Committee is subject to election
2. that entitlement to vote may only be exercised against production of current proof of identity of membership

1. Electoral System
2. Arrangements for Polling

The Returning Officer shall arrange for the printing of an appropriate number of ballot papers for each election. Separate ballot papers shall be printed for each position being contested and shall:

1. Show the position for which the election is being held
2. Show the names of each candidate in that election as shown on the candidates nomination form to a maximum of twenty characters
3. Show the names of each candidates shown in alphabetical order by family name commencing with a letter to be drawn at random by the Deputy Returning Officer
4. be printed in such format as to allow the Returning Officer to reconcile the number of ballot papers counted against the number of votes cast.

On receipt from the printers ballot papers shall be reconciled to the purchase order and then stored securely.

Prior to the opening of ballot stations ballot the Deputy Returning Officer shall:

1. issue ballot papers to the Polling Station Supervisors. Each issue of ballot papers shall be logged against the signature of the recipient thereby verifying the number of ballot papers received.

1. issue ballot boxes to the Polling Station Supervisors. Such ballot boxes shall be numbered and shall have been locked and sealed by the Deputy Returning Officer. Each issue of a ballot box shall be logged against the signature of the recipient thereby verifying the number of the ballot box received.

The Polling Station Supervisors shall ensure that:

1. ballot boxes and ballot papers are stored securely
2. ballot boxes are sealed outside of the times designated for polling
3. the polling stations are opened and closed and the designated times

The Polling Station Supervisor shall arrange that at the polling station there are provided:

1. a list of the candidates standing in each election
2. an explanation of the conduct of election under the single transferable vote
3. advice as to the process of completing a ballot paper.

Election Assistants shall issue ballot papers against production of proof of membership as designated by the Returning Officer and shall mark the proof of identity in the manner designated by the Deputy Returning Officer such that no elector shall be able to vote on more than one occasion in any one election.

At the final close of polling stations the Polling Station Supervisor shall seal the ballot box, sign across the seal and return the ballot box to the Deputy returning Officer.

8 The Count

The Deputy Returning Officer shall arrange that:

1. the count be held in an area which can be secured for the duration of the count
2. there be sufficient Election Assistants present at the count to process the count in a reasonable time

The Deputy Returning Officer shall prior to the count advise each candidate that they may nominate one person to act as their observer at the count. Such observers as advised to the Deputy Returning Officer shall be permitted to attend the count. Other than designated observers presence at the count shall be restricted to the Returning Officer, Deputy Returning Officer and Elections Assistant.

The count will commence only when the Returning Officer resolves that all complaints relating to the conduct of the election have been considered and ruled upon. Once the count commences no further complaints will be considered other than complaints relating to the conduct of the count itself.

Once the count has commenced no further persons may enter the count nor shall anyone leave the count until the count for all positions has been completed.

The count shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures required by the Returning Officer.

For the avoidance of doubt in elections to fill individual posts should "No Suitable Candidate" reach the quota then no candidate shall be declared elected. In elections to fill more than one representative position should "No Suitable Candidate" reach quota before all of the positions have been filled then only those candidates who had achieved quota prior to "No Suitable Candidate" shall be declared elected. In such circumstances the Returning Officer shall report to Student Council with recommedations as to if and when an elections should be re-run.

9 The Declaration

The results of the election shall be declared by the Returning Officer, the Deputy Returning Officer, or their appointee at such place and time to be decided by the Returning Officer.

A written declaration of the result shall be prepared by the Deputy returning Officer and circulated to all Union premises.

10 By Elections

Should a post fall vacant then the Deputy returning Officer shall make recommendations to Student Council as if an when a by election is held

Any such by election shall be conducted so as to comply with these rules.