The Ultimate Guide to Getting Nominated in the 2018 Autumn Elections!
Wednesday 17-10-2018 - 12:50
It’s that time of year again!
The Autumn Elections have arrived, and for you, the student body, that means all manner of campaigning, voting, and cupcake bribery is about to descend onto campus.
But what are the Autumn Elections, and how exactly do you get involved?
There are loads of ways you might want to get involved in this year’s elections, from voting and campaigning for your favourite candidates, to actually nominating yourself for one of our available positions.
At the end of the day, amid all the confusion and chaos, student elections are there to ensure that your voices are heard, and this article is there to ensure that you can achieve just that.
We’ll take you through the available positions, the exact steps you need to follow in order to nominate yourself, and some key tips from past officers on how to ensure election success!
So, want to find out how to influence student policy, and campaign for change on campus?
Carry on reading!
What can I run for this year?
Every year, the Autumn Elections take place to find the best candidates for any available part time officer positions, as well as for NUS Delegates and committees. This year, your SU is also looking for Student Council positions, and a Student Council Chair to help oversee student policy on campus.
Quite understandably, if you’re new to student elections, what I’ve just said might not mean a whole lot.
If this is the case, no need to panic and give up your burgeoning political career just yet. There are whole pages dedicated to each of our available positions on our website, where you can find all the information you need with regard to each position and the responsibilities they come with.
For the time being then, let’s go on a whistle-stop tour of all the positions available in our 2018 Autumn Elections:
Part time officers
NUS Conference Delegates
NUS Conference Delegates are given the opportunity to attend the annual NUS conference, where they help to shape student policy on a national level.
This year, there are three available positions, two of which must be filled by candidates who self-define as women.
Student Committees
Each committee is looking for board-members in order to inform and direct policy and action in various aspects of campus life.
Basically, if you want a say in a specific area or student group, but perhaps don’t want to take on the role of a part time officer, then becoming a committee board member is the best way to get your voice heard.
- Environmental and Ethical Committee
- LGBT+ Committee
- BME Committee
- Women’s Committee
- Disabled Students’ Committee
- The Commercial Insight Group
Sections Councils
Sections councils support specific student groups and advocate for change on their behalf. This year, there is also the addition of the overarching Student Council, alongside electing for a Student Council Chair.
In addition to these roles, the SU is also looking to elect:
How to Stand in the Autumn Elections 2018
Now the important bit.
You know all the positions that are available, so what next?
Standing in the autumn elections is incredibly easy. It’s designed to be easy.
After all, the more people that nominate themselves, the more choice students have when it comes to voting!
If you want to throw your hat into the autumn elections ring, all you need to do is follow the step by step process outlined below:
- Step One: Complete the selfnomination form on the EHSU Website
- Step Two: Attend Candidate Workshops and Briefing
- Step Three: Campaign!
- Step Four: Vote!
Step One: Completing your nomination form!
Want to know where to find your nomination form?
Simple: log into the Students’ Union website, select My Account via the menu button at the top right hand of the page, then select My Nominations.
Behold! All of the positions that you are eligible to stand for, right before your eyes!
To complete a nomination, all you have to do is click on the position you are interested in standing for, and complete the online form using the instructions provided on the page.
REMEMBER: Once you have nominated yourself, you will receive a confirmation email. You must, must, must read this! It will have vital information about candidate workshops, briefings, and further actions.
A quick note on writing a manifesto…
Yep, you heard right. To nominate yourself you're going to have to write a manifesto.
Don’t worry, this needn’t be your masterpiece – 200 words or so on who you are, what you want to do once you are elected, and why people should vote for you is more than enough.
If you’re still a bit unsure on how to write your manifesto, keep reading. We’ll go through all the best tips for setting out your campaign goals later in this guide!
Step Two: Candidate Workshops!
A key stage in the election process is attending a candidate workshop.
Basically, this session ensures that you have everything you need to know to start campaigning once voting opens.
You’ll cover rules, how voting works throughout the election, and will be able to ask any questions you have regarding student elections.
If I’ve not mentioned it yet, I’ll say it now: DO NOT MISS THIS MEETING.
If you fall off the end of the word (or have another valid excuse), make sure to email suelections@edgehill.ac.uk to recieve the information via other means.
It’s also worth noting that if you’re going for a Student Rep or Faculty Rep position, you don’t need to attend a candidate briefing. You’re off the hook.
Step Three: Campaign and Vote
You didn’t think it was as easy as nominating yourself and praying for the best, did you?
All of our previous successful candidates have one thing in common…they campaigned.
They got their friends to campaign, they got their family to campaign; we wouldn’t be surprised if they got the Edge Hill ducks to campaign as well.
If you don’t get out there and engage with the student body – the people who will be voting for you – then how do you expect them to know who you are and place trust in your ability?
Now your audience, get out and about, and utilise social media to ensure campaign success!
Remember, voting opens on Tuesday 23rd October until Friday 26th, so you better have a plan in place to capitalise on your manifesto pledges during this period!
Mastering your campaign strategy!
Unless you’ve been waiting for this moment your whole life, or binge-watching all the American political dramas you can get your hands on, you might not know too much about executing an effective campaign.
And that’s fine!
As with most things in life, campaign strategising is far less complicated than it sounds.
All you need to do is follow our steps below, and you’ll be banging on the doors of Downing Street in no time at all!
- Have a clear goal in mind, and stick to it! Your manifesto isn’t just your opportunity to introduce yourself to students, it’s also the place you should be setting out your ambitions for the role. Think about your skillset: what can you bring to the students’ union, and why is that important? More important than anything else, be realistic. Students can spot empty claims from a mile away, and it’ll only affect your campaign in negative terms if you promise something undeliverable.
- Branch out from The Hub! As its name suggests, The Hub is a great place to campaign, as it is always full of students. However, you should not spend all of your time campaigning there. Is The Hub the best place to reach students based at Waters Edge in the Faculty of Education? Or those who study in the Faculty of Health Building? Or Sporting Edge? Or Creative Edge? Think about where your target demographic is based, and head over there with cupcakes and fliers in hand!
- Campaign online! Try as you might, you cannot be in more than one place at a time. But meeting people face-to-face is not the only way to let people know you are standing for election. More and more campaigning is now conducted online via social media. Your online presence will be especially important if you are to reach the significant proportion of Edge Hill students who are off campus on placement.
- Posters WILL NOT win you an election! While posters may remind students to vote for you, they need to know the candidate behind the picture. As such, it is much more important that students are able to encounter you either in person or through your online campaign. If you think having dozens of pictures of yourself on display around campus will help win you the election, you are likely to be disappointed!
- Make yourself available! In addition to being a visible presence on campus, you may wish to set up an email account or dedicated social media pages for your campaign. Doing so will allow students to contact you with any questions they may have. However, you should be careful about giving out any personal information.
And that’s that!
Easy-peasy, right!?
The most important thing to remember is to research what role you believe would best suit you, and to commit to your campaign efforts.
There’s still plenty of time to get involved. Voting doesn’t open until 23rd October, and you can rope in your friends and classmates to help you with your campaign (buying sweets and biscuits can take candidates a long way).
First thing’s first though, be sure to attend your client workshop on Thursday 18th October, followed by your candidate briefing on Monday 22nd in SU1 (12:00pm) so you’re all prepared for the week ahead.
And good luck!
