Democracy Toolkit
Elections Pack 2008/9
Holding elections is one of the ways that unions can be member led. Although being truly democratic and giving ownership to the student body means much more than yearly elections, the fact that the members decide who will lead them is an important starting position. Students’ unions exist primarily to carry out campaigning and representation work. The process of election means that the officers have a mandate to represent those who voted for them.
This pack from NUS helps you run effective, vibrant and accessible elections for your Union.
Elections Resources
These resources will help you gain candidates for your elections, promote the events you are running and offer templates for key documents you will need to use. All of these will need adaptation for your local union. We have highlighted these specific areas in red throughout the resources, but you will want to look over all of the text to make sure it is relevant.
Space has been provided for you to add your union logo to the documents.
Getting candidates to Stand!
Letter to send to all students, student groups and volunteers
Posters to advertise the opportunities on offer
First poster
Letter to send to candidates once nominations have closed
Promoting elections
Posters and leaflets to use at the start of your elections
Poster to advertise candidate question time
Posters and leaflets to use with a few days left of voting
Voting
The Count
After Elections
Results sheet to send to NUS:
Elections Research 2007/8
NUS has produced an analysis of the election of officers for the 2008/9 academic year. This represents the widest research into union democracy that NUS has produced for many years. We have asked further questions on electronic democracy and the support for candidates around issues of trusteeship in an attempt to respond to the needs of twenty-first century students’ unions and the roles of officers within them.
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