Nomination
Thinking about standing for election?
If you are interested in standing in our Students' Union Officer Election, then you might like to take a look at the nomination information below, as it contains a lot of the detail you will need in order to make your decision. In addition, any of the current Elected Officers can answer any questions you might have, or you can browse the resources available on our election information page.
From 9am, Monday 27th January 2025, if you're ready to nominate yourself, either follow this link or select 'your account/profile' at the top right of the page and then select 'My Nominations' from the side menu. You must be logged in to our website with your '.ac.uk' email address to do this.
If you have any issues logging in, or nominating yourself through our website - please get in touch with us at suelection@winchester.ac.uk
Quick links:
Manifesto - What do I need to write on my nomination?
Nominations timetable - When can I nominate myself?
Candidate briefing - When do I find out the other candidates?
Candidate development sessions - What support does the Student Union provide?
Campaigning - When can I promote my candidacy?
Candidate Q+A - How will students know about my campaign?
Voting - When can people vote?
Elections Results - When do we find out who the successful candidates are?
Further information - What else should I know before nominating myself?
Should I nominate myself?
You should be aware from the outset that standing for one of these elected positions should not be undertaken lightly. The role will look great on your CV, and yes you will develop and experience many new skills and attributes whist having some fun, but the roles also come with a great deal of responsibility and commitment. You will be entrusted with representing the views of thousands of students at the University of Winchester.
There is of course lots of information online about what the Students' Union and its Elected Officers currently do, and lots of other information which may be of use in your campaign if you decide to run. Additionally, you're more than welcome to speak to current officers and/or members of staff to find out more about what each role entails and what scope there is for you to contribute to the further development of Winchester Student Union.
The roles that are being elected are defined in our Paper – Executive Officers: Role and Responsibilities (found in Bye-law 1 on the Union's Governance page)
If you can't find what you're looking for on our information page, or would like to ask ask a question about elections, then please email us at suelection@winchester.ac.uk
From Monday 27th January 2025, if you're ready to nominate yourself, either follow this link or select 'your account/profile' at the top right of the page and then select 'My Nominations' from the side menu. You must be logged in with your '.ac.uk' email address to do this.
Nominations open on Monday 27th January 2025 at 9am and close at 12pm on Wednesday 19th February 2025; all nominations must be completed by this time to be eligible.
Please note that under our election regulations you are not able to promote your candidacy or campaign for votes until the campaign period begins (for the Officer Elections 2025, campaigning is allowed from 9am on Monday 3rd March 2025).
Manifesto - What do I need to write on my nomination?
When completing the online nomination, you will need to write an elections manifesto, a statement (max 500 words) outlining what your aims are, and why people should vote for you. Try to be realistic with your manifesto promises, as you may be held to account if you are unable to deliver on your promises. It would be a good idea to research the Students' Union and its activities before writing your manifesto.
You may want to check our Strategy (please note we are in the process of setting our new strategy from 2024 onwards!). You could also attend one of our information drop in sessions to ask any questions about writing your manifesto.
You will also need to upload a clear passport style photo of yourself, so our members can put a name to a face. The ideal size for this is 400px high by 280px wide, although the site will stretch any image to fit.
You can check out previous candidates' manifestos below:
Nominations Timetable - When can I nominate myself?
Monday 27th January 2025, 9am through to Wednesday 19th February 2025, 12pm: This is the period in which you can confirm your nomination. It is good to have an idea at this time of what position you want to stand for; if you are unsure, we urge you in the strongest terms to speak to any member of the current Elected Officer team to find out more about each role. All current officers are available to be contacted during this time to talk about their roles, or to answer any questions.
Candidates may not stand for, or hold, more than one elected Officer post.
Candidate Briefing - When do I find out who the other candidates are/rules of the election?
The mandatory Candidate Briefing will be held on Monday 24th February 2025 (5-7.30pm). This is when you find out the rules and regulations of campaigning, and are reminded of the voting process and when results will be announced. You can also ask any further questions you might have about the whole elections process.
It is essential that all candidates attend if possible, as if you break an election rule later that was explained in the briefing, it will still count against you.
Candidate Development Sessions - What support does the Students' Union provide?
All candidates are invited to attend our Candidate Development sessions, taking place on Wednesday 26th February 2025 (12.30-4.30pm). Across this afternoon, candidates will receive training from experienced Students' Union staff across a range of topics, including building a brand, writing manifestos, public speaking & more!
The Development Sessions are also an opportunity to ask further questions about your campaign, and the rules and regulations candidates must adhere to.
Campaigning - When can I promote my candidacy?
The campaigning period begins at 9am Monday 3rd March 2025 and ends at 3pm on Friday 7th March 2025. Between these dates and times, is when you promote yourself, talk to students, get them interested and engaged in the elections, and encourage them to vote for you. Be aware that there are 'exclusion zones' where campaigning isn't allowed, and other important rules and regulations which you will be told about at the Candidate Briefing.
You cannot promote yourself as a candidate in any way before campaigning begins. This means that no flyers, posters, items of clothing associated to a candidate’s campaign, or other means of written or digital publicity can be displayed or shared before this time. Formal electronic/social media sites (e.g. Instagram accounts) dedicated to your election are also not permitted prior to this time.
Candidate Q&A - How will students find out about my campaign?
In addition to the campaigning that you undertake to promote your candidacy, the Students' Union will be holding a Candidate Q+A session. Taking place on Monday 3rd March 2025 at 6pm, panel style Q&A will be hosted by the Union's DRO, and/or outgoing officers, and livestreamed on the SU's Instagram.
The Q+A will be an opportunity for candidates to respond to questions that have been submitted by our student members and/or will be based on member responses to recent surveys. Afterwards, a recording of the Q+A will be released and shared across the Students' Union's social media.
Voting - When can people vote?
Voting opens at 9pm on Monday 3rd March 2025, and will close at 3pm on Friday 7th March 2025. Voting is undertaken electronically via our website. Please do remind people to vote, and make sure they know how to do it. More information about voting is available, here: www.winchesterstudents.co.uk/vote
Elections Results - When do we find out who the successful candidates are?
Friday 7th March 2025, 9pm: Results will be announced via the Students' Union website (winchesterstudents.co.uk) and across our social media channels. We will also be hosting a live Results Night in the Terrace Lounge, with a free prosecco and nibbles gathering especially for our candidates beforehand.
Further information - What else should I know before nominating myself?
There is a lot of information about the Union and its activities on this website, all of which which would be very helpful for candidates to be familiar with. However, we would recommend that before you complete your nomination, you take time to look at the information available in the governance of the Union section of the website.
If you can't find what you're looking for on our information page, or have any further questions, then please email us at suelection@winchester.ac.uk
