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► Elections

UBSU Elections

Elections and being an elected officer is a major part of the students’ union democratic process.

Being an officer can be a useful and unique part of university life and helping elect those people into position and then holding them to account is equally important.

There are two election points during the year, the Main elections and the By-elections.

Main elections:

The main elections are held in February/March time and this is when all the sabbatical and student officer positions are up for nomination.

By-elections:

These are held in the October/November time and is when any student officer positions not filled in the main elections are re-opened, when the faculty reps are elected and when you have the chance to run for an NUS Delegate position.

How do I run?

The process is very simple and is split into different sections:

1. Investigation: This is where you do your home work on the positions available and make a decision as to whether you’re the right candidate for the job!
2. Nomination: To run for any position you need to nominate yourself and to do this you download the forms and get 12 friends to agree and sign to say they support your nomination. You need to hand this form back to either Rebecca Heard (GM16 Luton) or Steve Ball (Students’ Union offices Bedford).
3. Manifesto: This is an A4 document that outlines why people should vote for you and what you’re standing for. This will be displayed around the voting areas to let people see what you’re all about. This needs to be handed in before the close of the nomination period.
4. Candidates meeting: Once you have officially nominated yourself, you will be invited to a meeting with all the other candidates to discuss the rules of the election and the campaigning for votes processes.
5. Campaigning: This is when you try and persuade people to vote for you in an attempt to win the position you’ve gone for. You will be given guidance about how to go about this.
6. Voting week: This is when students get to cast their votes in secret on ballot papers about who they want to see win.
7. Results: Once the voting is complete, the ballots will be counted and the winners announced.

Positions available for the by-elections:

STUDENT OFFICER POSITIONS Luton

Campaigns Officer - Help run campaigns that currently affect the student body

Mature Students Officer - Ensure mature students are represented within UBSU and the University

Disability Officer - Represent students with a seen and/or unseen disability

Women’s Officer - Ensure women are represented within Beds SU and the University

STUDENT OFFICER POSITIONS Bedford

Campaigns Officer - Help run campaigns that currently affect the student body

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) Officer - Look after and promote the interest of lesbian, gay bisexual and transsexual students

Mature Students Officer - Ensure mature students are represented within Beds SU and the University

RAG Officer - Promote Raise and Give activities amongst the student body

Women’s Officer - Ensure women are represented within Beds SU and the University

Disability Officer - Represent students with a seen and/or unseen disability

Newspaper Editor - Edit UBSU’s Newspaper and ensure diverse student participation in its production

Sports Officer - Support the development and promotion of the Athletic Union and Intramural League

Entertainments Officer - Help organise and promote a wide range of diverse events for students

BOTH CAMPUSES:

Student Trustee - Be part responsible for the management and administration of Beds SU, including the governance, strategy and budget of Beds SU

Faculty representative - Ensure students thoughts and concerns are heard by the University at Faculty Academic Board meetings

NUS Delegate - Ensure the University of Bedfordshire student voice is heard by the National Union of Students at the annual conference

Dates of the By-elections:

Mon 26th September- Elections Notification

Mon 17th October -Nominations Open

Tues 25th October at 3pm- Nominations Close

Fri 28th October am+pm- Candidates Meeting

Fri 4th November am+pm- Question Time/Soap box time

Mon 7th November Voting

Tues 8th November Voting

Weds 9th November Voting

Thurs 10th November Voting and announcement of results

To find out more about the elections and how to run click here

To find out more about the Student Trustee position click here

To download the election handbook click here

To view the copy shop prices click here

To view the Job Description click here

To view the Application Forms click here

To view the Election Regulations click here

Keep up-to-date with the Beds SU website or pop into the Students' Union to find out more about how to run and the positions available!