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Election Rules

Last update: 25 March, 2024

The success of the 2024 SU elections is down to you, the candidates. Your ability to successfully promote yourself, engage students with your ideas and convince them to vote is key. The ideal election is exciting, good-natured and leads to a high turnout at the polls of well-informed, engaged voters. These rules are designed to make this possible, and are based on two overarching principles:

  • The elections process must be fair and properly conducted
  • The success of the elections is based on the participation of candidates and accessibility of the process for voters

While we have specific rules for elections, the rules that apply all year round still apply during an election period too. These include:

  • SU Rules: Candidates must abide by Bristol SU’s Code of Conduct. If broken, candidates are subject to Bristol SU’s disciplinary procedure, which can revoke SU membership and thus disqualify them from the election.
  • University Rules and regulations: The University has rules relating to the student community, their behaviour and use of facilities and property. If broken candidates may be subject to the University’s disciplinary procedure, which may put their candidacy and student status in jeopardy.
  • The Law: If candidates break the law, the Returning Officer reserves the right to refer the matter to the appropriate authorities.
  • Coronavirus regulations: We will advise government Covid-19 guidance and suggest you remain home if you test positive for COVID-19.

SU Elections Rules

  1. Do not do anything that another candidate cannot do.
  2. Treat all other students and staff with respect. Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.
  3. Candidates will be held responsible for the conduct and management of their own campaign and campaign team (if they have one).
  4. Do not spend more than the budget allocated to the role you are standing for.
  5. Do not campaign before the campaigning period (10:00am, Tuesday 16th April).
  6. You cannot campaign in a slate (where two or more candidates campaign collaboratively on a joint platform.) There is however an option to endorse which is outlined below:
    1. Candidates can endorse no more than 2 candidates. You cannot endorse fellow candidates running for the same category of position e.g. a Full-Time Officer candidate cannot endorse a fellow Full-Time Officer Candidate.
    2. You can however endorse a different category – e.g. a Full-Time Officer could endorse:
      1. 1 Faculty Rep, 1 Network Chair
      2. 2 Faculty Reps
      3. 2 Network Chairs (Chair of Student Council candidates are counted as Network Chairs)
    3. You must inform the Elections Teams of your endorsements before sharing on any platforms.
  7. Any information about candidates not adhering to the rules must be submitted through the Election Complaints Form to the Deputy Returning Officer before the close of voting (21:00, Thursday 18th April).

Campaigning

  1. To help publicise voting times, all campaign material (graphics, videos etc.) must contain the following information about how and when students can vote:
    Vote at bristosu.org.uk/elections
    10:00 Tuesday, 16 April - 21:00 Thursday, 18 April
  2. Campaign materials must only promote a single candidate’s candidacy.
  3. Lists, databases or networks created to inform a group about specific activities cannot be used to publicise your campaign. You are allowed to create new lists or databases for the purposes of the election.
  4. Candidates are free to post in online groups (including group chats) that are plausibly open for other candidates to post in. Affiliated student groups may choose to either allow all or no candidates post, or only allow role-relevant posts. They may not exclude if someone running for the same role has already posted.
  5. A candidate’s identity must be obvious when they campaign online (e.g. candidates must post as their personal Facebook/Instagram account or one specifically set up for their campaign and not as another page to which they have access).
  6. If posting in online groups, candidates are advised to seek permission from group admins before doing so. SU groups or clubs are free to refuse access to candidates to post, in line with Rule 11.
  7. Candidates must not harass potential voters, check who they are voting for or record votes.
  8. Campaign material must foster positive democratic debate and must not make allegations against other individuals, or make false or misleading claims
  9. Campaigners must not use Bristol SU resources to develop or publicise their campaigns, with the exception of spending money as set out in election rule 26. This includes no usage of either the University and/or Students Union logo.
  10. Campaign teams that include current officers and elected representatives (e.g. society presidents) are not allowed to use Bristol SU resources for election campaigns (including membership lists and databases).
  11. Candidates must send a signed copy of these Rules to the Elections Team at bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk by Thursday 19th April at 21:00.
  12. Candidates must not campaign before 10:00 on Tuesday 16th April until they have emailed a signed copy of these Rules to the Elections Team at bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk. This includes, but is not limited to: posting on live websites, Twitter accounts or Facebook pages specifically supporting their campaign; communications that request voters’ support.
  13. Candidates may announce that they are standing for election and gather feedback from students to inform their campaign messages. They can do so by posting the following message once, on no more than three online platforms (Facebook, Instagram etc.):
    1. ‘I’m running for [INSERT ROLE] in the SU elections! Campaigning starts on Tuesday 16th April 10:00 so I can’t say anything more right now, but if you’d like to be involved in my campaign team please get in touch with me privately.’
  14. Student groups; societies and sport clubs may endorse a candidate if they follow these steps:
    • They must not endorse until they can read all candidate manifestos. This means they cannot begin the endorsement process until the campaign period has begun at 10:00 on Tuesday 16th April
    • They must hold a Student Group Committee meeting or a forum of their membership if specified in their group constitution to discuss if they wish to endorse candidates
    • They must inform the Elections Team by email at bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk announcing their endorsement and the voting numbers for the endorsement. Votes must be quorate, by the standards set out in the groups constitution. The candidate they have endorsed cannot do this; it must come from the student group committee.
  15. Bristol SU Networks and affiliated student media should not endorse candidates, but student media are allowed to offer interviews and coverage of candidates. Network Chairs (and other elected reps) can endorse candidates in a personal capacity.
  16. You may not use/take another individual’s device and vote on their behalf.
  17. Candidates must not affix stickers or use sellotape to affix material as part of their campaign.
  18. Candidates are responsible for the timely removal of their own campaign material. All materials, including banners and posters must be removed by 10:00am on 19th April 2024.

Respectful campaigning behaviour

  1. In line with the Jo Cox Foundation's pledges on respectful elections candidates must set an appropriate tone when campaigning.1
  2. Candidates must lead by example to foster constructive democratic debate.
  3. Candidates must promote and defend the dignity of others, including their opponents.

Spending allowances

  1. Candidates have an allowance for campaign expenditure and must not spend more than this. All candidates' expenses (within the allowance) will be refunded by Bristol SU.
    1. Full Time Officer candidates have a £65 allowance
    2. Student Trustee, Network Chair and Faculty Rep candidates have a £30 allowance
    3. Course Rep candidates should not spend money on their campaign.
  2. This allowance is to be spent on a single candidate's campaign and will be refunded on the production of receipts at the end of the election using the expenses form.
  3. Any sponsorship, special offers or discounts must be available to all candidates in a given election. Candidates must report any such opportunities to the Returning Officer before using or receiving benefit from them.
  4. Campaign expenditure is any expenditure that is carried out with the purpose of promoting a candidate's campaign. This includes video editing, paid social media content etc. The Returning Officer's decision on the application of this definition is final and candidates are advised to check beforehand with the Elections Team and declare all expenditure/materials on their expenses form.
  5. All candidates must submit their expenses and receipts to bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk by 10:00 on Friday 19th of April. Failure to do so will delay the results of the election and may lead to a candidate's disqualification.

    If the Returning Officer has evidence that any candidate is not adhering to the rules they will assign sanctions as appropriate. Sanctions include, but are not limited to:

    • Disqualification from the election
    • Bans on campaigning for a certain period of time (or for the entire remainder of the election)
    • Removal of some or all of a candidate's budget
    • Confiscation of campaign materials

    During the course of the elections, the Returning Officer (RO) may vary or further define the election rules. Please check your email regularly so you can stay up to date with any changes to the rules or new guidance.