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Candidate Handbook

2020

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ELECTION 2020 - CANDIDATE HANDBOOK ELECTION 2020 - CANDIDATE HANDBOOK ............................................................................................... 2

1) Hello .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Key Contacts ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

2) Election Timetable ............................................................................................................................... 4

3) Election Rules ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Conduct ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 Budget .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

4) Campaigning Budgets & Help Available ............................................................................................... 7 Budget & Help Available ................................................................................................................................... 7

Point System ............................................................................................................................................ 8

5) Campaign planning and preparation ................................................................................................. 10 Beds SU Candidate Filming .............................................................................................................................. 10 Candidate Briefings ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Campaigning Starts: Monday 2nd March.......................................................................................................... 10 Public Speaking Workshop .............................................................................................................................. 10 Question Time: Thursday 5th March ................................................................................................................ 11 Union Parliament: Question the Candidates ................................................................................................... 11

6) Campaigning Tips ............................................................................................................................... 12 Physical Campaigning ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Digital Campaigning ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Endorsements ................................................................................................................................................. 14 Candidate Videos ............................................................................................................................................ 15

7) Voting ................................................................................................................................................ 16 The Voting System .......................................................................................................................................... 16 The Count........................................................................................................................................................ 16 The Results ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 Voting Problems.............................................................................................................................................. 17

8) Candidate Welfare ............................................................................................................................. 18 Staff Buddies ................................................................................................................................................... 18 Morning Drop-Ins ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Concerns ......................................................................................................................................................... 18

9) Grievances ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Grounds for Submitting a Grievance ............................................................................................................... 19 Elections Committee ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Appeals Process .............................................................................................................................................. 19

Appendix 1 - Bylaws Part Nine: Elections .............................................................................................. 22

Appendix 2 - Bylaws Part Ten: Elections Committee ............................................................................. 25

Appendix 3 - Important Extracts from The University Poster Policy ...................................................... 28

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1) HELLO Welcome to the Beds SU Candidate Handbook. This guide will provide you with all the information and advice on how to be an effective election candidate. It is the responsibility of Beds SU to ensure that the elections for our major office holders are free, fair and transparent, in order to adhere to the Education Act 1994. This handbook lays out the steps and measures that both Beds SU and candidates are in place to ensure that this happens. The elections are governed by a set of rules and regulations in the Beds SU Bylaws (Appendix 1) and Beds SU Election Rules (Section 4). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these rules before you start planning your campaign. This handbook – along with our Candidate Briefings – will also give you lots of advice to ensure that you don’t accidently break any of them.

KEY CONTACTS

Election Leads Kristina Cartwright-Riley

Amy McLaughlan

The election leads are part of the Union staff team, tasked with ensuring a free, fair and transparent election and handling the day to day administration of the election.

Elections Phone: 07491 910 250 (9am – 5pm) Elections Email: elections@beds.ac.uk

Elections Committee

The Elections Committee handles grievances and alleged breaches of election rules. The EC is made up of a mixture

of elected Officers who are not re-running and regular students. They act as the “jury”, deliberating on the

evidence provided and giving out sanctions where they judge a rule to have been broken.

Deputy Returning Officer Mark McCormack

The Deputy Returning Officer is the point of appeal for candidates who are unhappy with the Elections Committee's

interpretation of the rules.

Returning Officer NUS

The SU also enlists support from a national Returning Officer who is independent of Beds SU and returns

numerous elections around the country. The Returning Officer is the final point of appeal for

candidates who are unhappy with the decision of the Deputy Returning Officer. The Returning Officer's decision is final.

All of the above can be contacted at elections@beds.ac.uk The Beds SU website hosts a lot of useful information for students and candidates. You can find all the documents and information you might need if you are standing in this election at www.bedssu.co.uk/lead

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2) ELECTION TIMETABLE

DATE TIME TASK VENUE

Campaign Preparation Period 24th Feb – 2nd March

Wed 26-Feb

Candidates to book (see below) Candidate Video Filming* Luton

18:00 Candidate Briefing Luton

Thu 27 Feb

Candidates to book (see below) Candidate Video Filming* Bedford

18:00 Candidate Briefing Bedford

Campaigning Period 2nd – 12th March

Mon 2 Mar 9:00 Start of campaigning

12:00 noon onwards Candidates' announced Online

Wed 4 Mar 13:00 – 15:00 Public Speaking Training Luton

Thu 5 Mar

15:30 – 16:30 Candidates’ Question Time briefing Luton, GM01

17:00 – 18:00 Candidates’ Question Time (live-streamed online) Luton (TV Studio)

18:00 VOTING OPENS! Online

Mon 9 Mar 16:00 – 18:00 Union Parliament SPECIAL: Question the Candidates Bedford, G1.14

Thu 12 Mar 17:00 Voting Closes Online

Thu 12 Mar 18:00 Candidate Debrief Luton, Metro

Fri 13-Mar 20:00 – 00:00 Elections Result Night (live-streamed online) Luton, Metro & Online

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3) ELECTION RULES BEDS SU HAS A LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERTAKE FREE, FAIR AND TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS, AS ENSHRINED IN THE EDUCATION ACT 1994.

The following information is provided to candidates and voters alike to ensure the smooth running of the election. The principles upon which our elections are run are:

i. Candidates must treat other candidates, students and members of the public with respect.

ii. Candidates’ campaigns should be fully transparent and accountable to the Union.

iii. Candidates must not do anything to gain an unfair advantage.

iv. Candidates must not undermine the fair and democratic running of elections.

v. Every electronic device will be deemed a ballot box.

vi. Candidates shall be responsible for the actions of their campaign teams.

vii. Candidates must not break any general Union and University rules and regulations. This also includes the Law.

ANY BREACH OF THESE RULES WILL RESULT IN SANCTIONS AND/OR DISQUALIFICATION.

CONDUCT 1. Campaigners should not undertake campaigns activity which others could not also

reasonably do. 2. Campaigners must take reasonable steps to ensure that their supporter’s actions comply

with the campaign rules at all times. Campaigners must be able to demonstrate the steps that they have taken to ensure this in the event of a complaint against them.

3. Campaigners may only alter, move or remove their own campaign materials. 4. Campaigners may only use mailing lists where lawful to do so. In most cases this will require

the explicit consent of all members on the list to use their details for the purpose of electioneering.

5. Campaigners must allow voters to cast their ballot freely and must not communicate with voters in any way once they have begun to complete their ballot.

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6. Campaigners must not use electronic devices – personal or public – in the course of their face-to-face campaigning. This includes – but is not limited to – mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers.

BUDGET

7. Campaigners must not exceed their budget limits. 8. All campaigners must submit a list of all campaign costs with corresponding receipts to the

Deputy Returning Officer no later than 1 hour after polls close. If candidates do not spend any money during the course of their campaign this must be made clear on the submission.

9. Items freely and readily available to all campaigners can be used without itemisation. An indicative (not exhaustive) list shall be included in the candidate handbook each year.

The Returning Officer will have final responsibility for interpretation of these rules and Union Bylaws, following a grievance lodged with the Elections Committee. Interpretation will be in the interest of the electorate (voters) above all others. These rules are in addition to general Union and University rules and regulations and the Law. Any breach of these will also result in sanctions and/or disqualification and may jeopardise your student status. An indicative (not exhaustive) list of pertinent rules and regulations shall be included in the candidate handbook each year.

ANY ALLEGED BREACH OF THESE RULES WILL BE REFERRED TO AND JUDGED BY THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

PLEASE SEE SECTION 9 ON GRIEVANCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

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4) CAMPAIGNING BUDGETS & HELP AVAILABLE In order to make the election process as fair as possible, there are limits to what you can spend on your campaign.

We believe you can run an effective campaign without spending any money, and there are a range of hints and tips in the following section. However, if you do spend money, it must be within the budget limit below.

You also need to keep in mind all the key election principles when putting together your materials. For example, if not every student could reasonably access a limousine, it would be breaching our election principles to borrow your uncle’s limousine!

You must remember that:

• You and your supporters must not exceed the budget limit. • You must submit a list of all campaign costs with corresponding receipts to the Deputy

Returning Officer no later than 1 hour after polls close. If you do not spend any money during the course of your campaign, this must be made clear on the submission.

BUDGET & HELP AVAILABLE Each candidate can spend a maximum of 100 budget points on election materials (see the next page). Items freely and readily available to all campaigners can be used without itemization (see the list of pointless items on the next page). **NEW!** Additionally, each candidate may reclaim up to £50 of elections costs, upon production of receipts. **NEW!** Beds SU will also print unlimited A5 fliers (no more than 200 at a time) and up to 50 A4 posters for candidates, in-house, using recycled paper. **NEW!** Beds SU will pay/reimburse reasonable expenses (i.e. train/bus, not taxis) for you and one supporter to travel to a campus that you do not study on, e.g. our Study Centre sites at London Bridge, Birmingham, Hitchin etc. Budget forms must be sent to elections@beds.ac.uk for sign off by the Deputy Returning Officer no later than 1 hour after the voting polls close.

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THINGS TO REMEMBER

• You and your supporters may only alter, move or remove their own campaign materials. • Materials that are not freely and readily available to all campaigners must be declared

using the Budget Form with corresponding receipts. The Budget Form can be found on the ‘Helpful Documents’ page of the election website at www.bedssu.co.uk/lead.

• You may accept donation of materials, with the exclusion of external commercial partners or businesses (e.g. nothing branded with an external company’s name/logo), but these must be disclosed and accounted for in your campaign points budget. E.g. if 3 supporters donate you 3 t-shirts, you must still declare 3 x 5 points.

• Pre-owned items may be used for your campaign, e.g. speakers, fancy dress costumes, etc. but they must be accounted for in your budget, if they are not pointless items.

• Travel is not included in the budget, unless as stated above (e.g. you cannot claim for your regular bus ride to/parking at University).

• You and your supporters must not use the Beds SU and/or University logo in any publicity.

• You and your supporters should follow the University Poster Policy (Appendix 3) at all times. Any materials that breach these guidelines may be removed and will not be reimbursed.

• You and your supporters are not permitted to do anything that might deface or damage University property. This may have an impact on your status at the University and you may be charged for the damage incurred.

POINT SYSTEM POINTLESS ITEMS CANDIDATES CAN USE INCLUDE:

• Cardboard boxes • Basic stationery, e.g. felt tips pens, glue, sticky tape, blue-tack,

drawing pins • 1x bedsheet (or equivalent piece of material) • 1x t-shirt • Fancy Dress Outfits • Electronic audio equipment • Fliers (provided by Beds SU) • Posters (provided by Beds SU)

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COSTED ITEMS INCLUDE:

Category Materials Point Value

Clothing T-shirt Badge/Rosette

5 1

Consumable Giveaways

Sweets Cakes Drink

All £1 = 1 point

Stationery / Printing Paint/Spray Paint Additional bedsheet (or equivalent piece of material) A4 Sticker Sheet Professionally/additional printed leaflets/business cards (unlimited)

5 10

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Media

Boosted social media posts Professional film production/copy writing

All £1 = 1 point

Any other items If you would like to use any other items, please contact the Elections Committee elections@beds.ac.uk who have the power to decide upon point value of unlisted items. Please wait for ruling use.

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5) CAMPAIGN PLANNING AND PREPARATION Preparation is fundamental to a successful election campaign. Here is a list of important things that you should do or take note of over the campaign preparation period.

BEDS SU CANDIDATE FILMING Beds SU provide all full-time Executive Officer candidates with an opportunity to meet with our fantastic videographer to deliver a short pitch to camera. These videos will be promoted by Beds SU throughout the election period. It is a good idea to prepare a 30 second pitch with reasons why students should vote for you. We also suggest that you avoid wearing white or green as it can cause issues with the backdrop. This year our videographer will be on site on Wednesday 26th in Luton and Thursday 27th February in Bedford. We highly recommend that you book your time in advance as we work on a first come first serve basis. You can do using this link. Please contact elections@beds.ac.uk if you would like support with travel to either venue.

CANDIDATE BRIEFINGS We appreciate that elections are new to most people and our elections have rules that will be different from any other election you have ever witnessed. In order to help you understand these and to give you an opportunity to ask questions of the elections team, we are holding Candidate Briefings on Wednesday 26th, 18:00 in Luton and Thursday 27th, 18:00 in Bedford. You only need to attend one briefing, but we do strongly recommend that you attend. Please contact elections@beds.ac.uk if you would like support with travel to either venue. In order to help you ensure that your supporters’ actions comply with the campaign rules at all times and do not end up getting you in trouble, we will also be providing digital Supporters’ Briefings for you to circulate throughout your campaign teams. We encourage you to send this to everyone you have asked to actively support you.

CAMPAIGNING STARTS: MONDAY 2ND MARCH You are not permitted to campaign or publish any materials before the list of candidates and manifestos have been released on Monday 2nd March at 09:00.

PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP The Public Speaking Workshop, Wednesday 4th March, 13:00 has been designed to give candidates an opportunity to learn about public speaking theory. It is packed full of useful hints and tips to help candidates to combat those nerves and deliver the best speech when in front of the cameras for Question Time.

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QUESTION TIME: THURSDAY 5TH MARCH Beds SU provides all full-time Executive Officer candidates with an opportunity to reach a large range of students at the Question Time event. Filmed in the TV Studio in Luton and live streamed online, this professional production will give you the opportunity to pitch your manifesto ideas and to answer both pre-submitted questions from the student membership and those that we receive whilst on air.

We will be holding a briefing and giving you a sneak peek at some of the questions coming your way from 15:30 Thursday 5th March. In order to ensure that the live stream runs smoothly, please arrive at GM01 in Luton no later than 16:30 on Thursday 5th March. Due to the limited space in the TV Studio, each candidate may only bring one supporter to join you in the studio: we will also be live-streaming the event in the Metro where other supporters are welcome to watch from.

UNION PARLIAMENT: QUESTION THE CANDIDATES Beds SU is providing all full-time Executive Officer candidates with an opportunity to get to know some of the work of the various student volunteers and representatives that support the running of the Students' Union. You can also pitch some of your manifesto ideas to this audience of key voters. Union Parliament is being held on Monday 9th March at 16:00 – 18:00 and will also be streamed online.

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ü Videos ü Performances ü T-shirts ü Badges ü Banners ü Social Media ü Music ü Sweets ü Dressing up

6) CAMPAIGNING TIPS It is important to consider the elections rules when planning out your campaign. The rules are in place to make sure the election is fair for all involved, not to stifle any creativity. Applying the following questions to your campaign plans can avoid you getting into trouble:

• “Is this campaign idea something that other candidates can do?” • “Does it give me an unfair advantage in any way?” • “Is it disrespectful to anybody?” • “Do my campaign team and supporters know the boundaries of what they

can and cannot do?”

You can use a wide variety of materials to promote yourself and your aims over the campaign and voting week.

You can run an effective campaign without spending any money. You need to consider all the key election principles when putting together your materials, but you also must remember that:

• You and your supporters must not exceed the budget limit. • You must submit a list of all campaign costs with corresponding receipts to the Deputy

Returning Officer no later than 1 hour after polls close. If candidates do not spend any money during the course of their campaign this must be made clear on the submission.

• Items freely and readily available to all campaigners can be used without itemisation.

We must also highlight to you the University Poster Policy (Appendix 3): any materials that breach these guidelines may be removed and will not be reimbursed. But don’t worry, Beds SU will be creating poster spaces near physical polling stations so you can get your face out there.

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PHYSICAL CAMPAIGNING Going out and speaking to students is one of the best ways to engage your voting audience. It is important to consider all the key election principles, but you also must remember that:

• You and your supporters must allow voters to cast their ballot freely.

• You and your supporters must not communicate with them in any way once they have begun to complete their ballot.

• You and your supporters must not use electronic devices (personal or public) when campaigning face-to-face.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Physical Campaigning can begin once Question Time has concluded on Thursday 5th March at 18:00.

• Halls of Residence: You and your supporters are only permitted to campaign: o between 15:00-18:00 in the CLV Fitzroy Hall of Residence (Luton) common areas o between 15:00-17:00 in the Liberty Park Hall of Residence (Bedford) common

areas during the voting week (N.B. common areas refer to the open spaces near Reception).

• You and your supporters are not permitted to door knock in any hall of residence, even if you/they live there.

• You and your supporters are not permitted to campaign at the Polhill Hall of Residence.

HANDY HINTS

ü Be innovative! The more exciting your campaign, the more engaged students will be. Think about gimmicks and giveaways.

ü You and your campaign team should try and engage with voters. There is nothing more effective than speaking to students when trying to convince them to vote for you.

ü Be mindful of where you are campaigning. Is it an IT hotspot? Does it look like you could be breaking a rule?

ü Recognise and respect people’s boundaries. Some people might not want to engage with you or your campaign team. They might be in a rush, have already spoken to somebody about the elections or could just be having a bad day. Focus your efforts on those who want to be interactive and avoid harassing people who do not want to be involved.

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DIGITAL CAMPAIGNING You can run very effective campaigns without spending money.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• The use of social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) sites is permitted from Monday 2nd March at 09:00.

• You and your supporters can may only use mailing lists where lawful to do so. In most cases this will require the explicit consent of all members on the list to use their details for the purpose of electioneering. This is usually very difficult to obtain, so if you are in doubt, it is best not to risk it and check with the elections team first. (N.B. mailing lists here includes society membershiplists, WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups/messenger, etc.)

HANDY HINTS

ü Use a variety of mediums. Videos, blogs, images are all ways of engaging people. ü Say something worth reading/watching – students will be thinking “What’s In It For Me”. ü Be mindful of other people’s comments. ü Don’t react too emotionally to personal or provocative arguments. ü If it’s not yours, ask permission! ü You may only use mailing lists where it’s lawful to do so. ü Have fun and make your followers have fun too!

ENDORSEMENTS ü Individual students or student groups (for example, a sports team or a society) can endorse

a candidate. û External or commercial partners cannot endorse your

campaign. This includes members of university staff and associated third parties, e.g. halls of residence. Any endorsement which may lead to a conflict of interest when in post as an Officer, is not permitted.

û Current elected Beds SU Executvie may endorse candidates, but they cannot use Beds SU resources (including social media and time) to endorse a candidate.

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CANDIDATE VIDEOS Beds SU provide full-time Executive Officer candidates with an opportunity to meet with our fantastic videographer to deliver a short pitch to camera which will be promoted by Beds SU throughout the election period. Whilst the official SU videos are helpful publicity, making your own videos are an excellent way of reaching your voting audience, especially as the voting will take place online and across multiple campuses, therefore your campaign will need to be virtual as well as physical.

MAKING YOUR OWN VIDEO

You can be as creative as you want, but they must adhere to the election regulations: ü No Beds SU/UoB employee can be in the video (unless the employee in question is you

or you are an Officer re-running in the election). Student staff employed by Beds SU or UoB may appear in your video, as long as they are not working at the time or wearing their uniform.

ü You cannot use the University or SU logos/brands in a way that looks like they’re endorsing you. For example, you can use a shot of a building that might contain a logo, but you cannot use an image of the logo to suggest that it was made by the SU or University:

ü O

HANDY HINTS

ü Search online SU election videos to inspire you (but don’t just copy as it looks lazy!) ü Keep your video concise, ideally 90 seconds. Research shows you have about 10 seconds

to capture someone’s interest before they choose whether to keep going or change video. ü Talk about who you are and what you would like to do once you are elected. ü Mention any involvement that you've already had in the University and/or the Union. ü Mention the skills, knowledge and experience you have. ü If your manifesto has a strapline, include it in the video. ü Highlight any social media handles (for example @votecandidatename) you have. Remember

that these cannot be launched until the opening of campaign week though!

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7) VOTING

THE VOTING SYSTEM Beds SU uses the Single Transferable Voting system (STV). The difference between this and the ‘first past the post system’ that we see in UK elections is that it allows the voter to express a descending order of preference for candidates by placing a 1, 2, 3 and so on, against the candidates of their choice. Single Transferable Voting is counted like this:

• All the 1st votes are counted and the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. • The votes for second choice preference on the eliminated ballot papers are then counted. • This cycle repeats until there is only one candidate left or more than 50% of the votes have

gone to one person. The system provides proportional representation and means that if a voter does not get their first-choice preference, they will get their second or third, etc. meaning that most voters will be happy. Because of this, you can still “win” votes from people who say they are voting for someone else, if they put you as their second preference: if their first choice is knocked out in earlier rounds, their second preference vote comes into play. There are loads of resources online that explain how this works: try this one on for size.

CHANGING VOTES

Voters have the right to change their vote at any point until the close of elections.

RE-OPEN NOMINATIONS

On the ballot, there is always the option to ‘Re-open Nominations’, otherwise known as RON. RON is always counted as a valid candidate, therefore if RON achieves over 50% of total votes then the Students’ Union would have to re-open nominations for that position and run the elections for that position again.

THE COUNT The Returning Officer will allow positions to be counted once they are satisfied that all grievances about candidates have been dealt with. The count will be automatically generated by the online

VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE ONLINE BETWEEN

THURSDAY 5 MARCH, 18:00 - THURSDAY 12 MARCH 17:00

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voting system. Access to the results pages on the website will be limited to the elections team until the results are announced.

THE RESULTS The results will be announced at the Elections Results Party on Friday 13 March at 20:00. This will be in Luton at the Metro Bar and Kitchen.

VOTING PROBLEMS Every evening the Beds SU website refreshes student details of registered student from the university systems. This means that every student can log on to the Beds SU website using their UoB credentials and submit their vote. If there is a student facing any technical issue, they must contact elections@beds.ac.uk for support. We cannot handle issues if we do not know the student details and the nature of the issue so please encourage students with issues to send us screenshots of the error, alongside their details.

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8) CANDIDATE WELFARE Elections are very exciting but can be very stressful. It is really important that you take care of yourself and your supporters over the election period.

• Take breaks, drink water and eat. • Remember your team are giving up their own time to support you. • Rejection is a guaranteed part of the process. • Know your limits. • Attend the coffee mornings. • Check your emails regularly.

Remember: be nice and look out for each other, not only are you the only people that will know what this experience feels like, but you may end up working together!

STAFF BUDDIES The Beds SU staff team will be offering their support to individual candidates during the election period. Your buddy will not be able to help with your campaign in any way, but will be able to share practical advice about the experience of running in the election and making sure that you stay top of your game throughout the period. Buddies will be automatically assigned, but do get in contact with elections@beds.ac.uk if you would like more information.

MORNING DROP-INS Beds SU staff will host daily drop-ins for any questions or concerns that you might have and to recap any rulings made by Elections Committee in the meeting the previous evening. We’ll also provide updates on the voting statistics. These drop-ins are entirely optional. These will take place during the voting period at 10:00 on 6th and 9th-12th March at the Metro Bar and Kitchen in Luton. There will also be drop-ins hosted at other campuses but these will not be every day: please contact elections@beds.ac.uk to request a staff member drop-in. You can also follow the live voting statistics online at: www.bedssu.co.uk/election_stats

CONCERNS If you do become worried about the elections, or are concerned about the welfare of somebody involved with the election, then please reach out to the member of the Election Team. You can contact them using the elections@beds.ac.uk email. Concerns of this nature will be handled in confidence.

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9) GRIEVANCES

GROUNDS FOR SUBMITTING A GRIEVANCE Grounds for submitting a grievance are:

• Failure in the administration of the election • Breaches of rules and regulations

If you would like to log a grievance, you need to submit this in writing to the Elections Committee via the Election Grievance Form which can be found on the ‘Helpful Documents’ page of the election website at www.bedssu.co.uk/lead You can submit grievances at any point in the election. All grievances must be submitted to the Deputy Returning Officer no later than 18:00, Thursday 12th March The count shall not commence for any one position until all candidates have declared that they are content with the conduct of the election and the Elections Committee have dealt with all grievances.

ELECTIONS COMMITTEE Once submitted, grievances are considered by the Elections Committee who are made up of a mixture of elected Officers who are not re-running and regular students (as per the Bylaws, see Appendix 2 for further details). They act as the “jury”, deliberating on the evidence provided and giving out sanctions where they judge a rule to have been broken. The Elections Committee has a range of actions available to them after reviewing all the appropriate evidence, including but not limited to:

• Not to uphold the grievance; • Halt elections for specified posts pending investigation; • Disqualify candidate(s); • Re-run the election; • Impose penalties such as campaigning bans; • Pass the decision to the Deputy Returning Officer.

APPEALS PROCESS Candidates may appeal a penalty or decision made against them or their campaign team to the Deputy Returning Officer. Candidates must submit appeals to the elections via the Election Appeals Form which can be found on the ‘Helpful Documents’ page of the election website at www.bedssu.co.uk/lead.

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The Deputy Returning Officer will hear any grievance made against a candidate or their supporters and will take action if they feel a rule has been broken. If the Deputy Returning Officer reaches the decision that the grievance should be upheld, they can either agree with the original decision of the Election Committee or decide to increase or decrease the original penalty imposed. If a candidate submits an appeal to a punishment levied by the Elections Committee, the punishment in question is suspended until the Deputy Returning Officer rules on the appeal. In the event that the Deputy Returning Officer rejects the appeal and chooses to uphold the Elections Committee’s punishment (or increase the severity of said punishment), and there is insufficient time to carry out the punishment, the candidate will be excluded from the election. The candidate will be informed of the Deputy Returning Officer’s ruling within 24 hours of the ruling being taken. Should the candidate in question have a grievance against the conduct of the grievance and/or appeals process, candidates may appeal a penalty or decision made against them or their campaign team to the Returning Officer, an independent official of the National Union of Students. Candidates must submit appeals to the elections via the Election Appeals Form which can be found on the ‘Helpful Documents’ page of the election website at www.bedssu.co.uk/lead. The appeal will be submitted to the Returning Officer on behalf of the candidate. The Deputy Returning Officer will inform the candidate of the Returning Officer’s ruling as soon as possible after the ruling has been taken.

Appeal against the Election Committee decision is submitted via the Election

Appeal Form

Deputy Returning Officer invesitgates, deliberates and makes a ruling on the

Election Committee decision

Candidates are informed of ruling within 24 hours

Grievance submitted via the Election Grievance

Form

Election Committee deliberate and make

decisions

Candidates are informed

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APPENDICES

These documents are supplied for information and were referenced elsewhere in the Handbook.

APPENDIX 1

Bylaws Part Nine: Elections This is taken from the Beds SU governing documents and

outlines how elections should be run at Beds SU.

APPENDIX 2 Bylaws Part Ten: Elections Committee

This is taken from the Beds SU governing documents and outlines how the Elections Committee should be run at Beds SU.

APPENDIX 3 University of Bedfordshire Poster Policy (extracts)

These important extracts are taken from the University of Bedfordshire’s Poster Policy and may be of interest to candidates planning to use posters in their campaign.

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APPENDIX 1 - BYLAWS PART NINE: ELECTIONS

9.1 Purpose

9.1.1 These rules are to be used for the Union’s elections when electing Executive Officers, Student Officers or NUS Delegates. All other elections are subject to elections rules outlined in their individual Codes of Practice.

9.1.2 Elections for Executive Officers, Student Officers and NUS Delegates will be carried out via secret online ballots.

9.1.3 The Returning Officer will be nominated by the National Union of Students. They shall work independently of the Union and provide an external decision when rulings are appealed.

9.1.4 The Election Regulations can be amended by the Returning Officer in liaison with the Executive Committee, if it is deemed necessary.

9.1.5 A member of the Union’s staff will be the appointed the Deputy Returning Officer and shall lead on the operational running of the elections. They will hold responsibility for the democratic affairs and procedures, assisting the Returning Officer in advising and ruling on all elections-related matters.

9.1.6 The Returning Officer’s decision is final.

9.2 Election Rules

9.2.1 All candidates will receive a copy of the Union’s Election Rules and Regulations, who will sign to confirm that they have received them.

9.2.2 The Union will publicise a formal notice of an election no later than 14 days prior to the opening of nominations.

9.2.3 The notice of elections shall include:

9.2.3.1 Date and time of nominations opening and closing; 9.2.3.2 Procedure for nomination; 9.2.3.3 Date and location of husting; 9.2.3.4 Election Rules and Regulations; 9.2.3.5 Date and time of the opening and closing of voting; 9.2.3.6 Date and time of the election results announcement; 9.2.3.7 Contact details for elections queries.

9.2.4 Nominations shall open no fewer than 14 days before voting opens.

9.2.5 Nominations shall close no fewer than 7 days before voting opens.

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9.2.6 Members eligible to stand for election (as detailed in the Memorandum and Articles and Part Two: Membership) must self-nominate via the Beds SU website, before the close of nominations. This nomination must include:

9.2.6.1 Their full name (as on their University records); 9.2.6.2 The name that they wish to have displayed upon the ballot paper; 9.2.6.3 A written statement that will accompany their photo on the ballot paper.

9.2.7 Any member who is eligible to stand for election may only stand for one position in any one category in any given election (e.g. one Executive Officer position, one Society Committee position).

9.3 Breaches of Rules

9.3.1 All suspected rule breaches must be formally submitted to the Elections Committee via the email provided in the elections rules and regulations, no later than 24 hours after the incident has occurred or the concern has been realised.

9.3.2 The Elections Committee will be responsible for communicating with all parties involved in disputes.

9.3.3 Communication shall be via the candidates University email.

9.3.4 For a complaint to be considered, clear evidence must be provided and attached, which warrants the Elections Committee to make a judgement. Acceptable forms of evidence are, but not limited to:

9.3.4.1 Photographs and videos; 9.3.4.2 Screenshots of webpages; 9.3.4.3 Copies of emails; 9.3.4.4 Staff witnesses (who are considered neutral).

9.3.5 The Deputy Returning Officer will investigate any reported rule breaches and make a decision on potential punishment within 24 hours.

9.3.6 The Deputy Returning Officer reserves the right to seek advice from or delegate the decision to the appointed Returning Officer.

9.3.7 For issues of gross misconduct concerning candidates and/or their campaign team, the Students’ Union reserves the right to use the Beds SU ‘Code of Conduct’ guidelines in addition to the Election Rules. The University of Bedfordshire’s student behavioural polices shall remain throughout and in some circumstances, actions may jeopardise student status within the institution.

9.3.8 The final deadline for receiving complaints will be one hour after the close of voting, candidates must sign a statement agreeing that they are satisfied that all complaints raised have been investigated and that they have no further complaints to raise.

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9.3.9 The calculation of the election results may not take place until all candidates have signed and submitted their statements to the Deputy Returning Officer.

9.4 Appeals Process

9.4.1 Candidates may appeal a penalty or decision made against them or their campaign team to the Returning Officer. Candidates must submit appeals to the elections email provided in the Elections Rules and Regulations, the appeal will be submitted to the Returning Officer on behalf of the candidate.

9.4.2 The Returning Officer will hear any complaint made against a candidate or their supporters and will take action if they feel a rule has been broken.

9.4.3 If the Returning Officer reaches the decision that the complaint should be upheld, they can either agree with the original decision of the Deputy Returning Officer or decide to increase or decrease the original penalty imposed.

9.4.4 If a candidate submits an appeal to a punishment levied by the Elections Committee, the punishment in question is suspended until the Returning Officer rules on the appeal.

9.4.4.1 In the event that the Returning Officer rejects the Appeal and chooses to uphold the Elections Committee’s punishment (or increase the severity of said punishment), and there is insufficient time to carry out the punishment, the candidate will be excluded from the election.

9.4.5 The Elections Committee will inform the candidate of the Returning Officer’s ruling within 24 hours of the ruling being taken.

9.4.6 The Returning Officer’s ruling is final.

9.5 Election Results

9.5.1 The election results will be calculated and announced within 24 hours of the close of voting, subject to the following:

9.5.1.1 Calculation of the voting takes place within the presence of the Returning Officer and/or Deputy Returning Officer and a member of Union Staff (who is deemed neutral). Any counting of votes without the aforementioned present will invalidate that result, and a recount shall take place;

9.5.1.2 All complaints being settled as per section 9.3.9; 9.5.1.3 Death of a candidate.

9.5.2 The results will be announced by members of the Elections Committee, and will ordinarily take place within 72 working hours after the counting of the elections has finished.

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APPENDIX 2 - BYLAWS PART TEN: ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

10.1 Purpose

10.1.1 During the elections outlined above, an Elections Committee will be appointed. The purpose of the Elections Committee shall be to:

10.1.1.1 Decide upon the regulations of the election; 10.1.1.2 Ensure that all candidates adhere to the rules and regulations of the election; 10.1.1.3 Act as the body responsible for the consideration of official complaints; 10.1.1.4 Commission an investigation and, if required, reprimand candidates where a

complaint has been submitted; 10.1.1.5 Open investigation into any form of election irregularity, even if a complaint has

not been received in advance; 10.1.1.6 Actively promote the election process, both before and during the elections, as

well as acting in a neutral manner to raise election turnout and engagement; 10.1.1.7 Ratify the timetable of elections and referendums which have been decided by

the Executive Officer Team in the prior summer recess and to ensure that the dates set are within the parameters of the Memorandum an Articles and the Bylaws;

10.1.1.8 Receive and comment upon plans for the procedure and running of hustings within the period of the election; and

10.1.1.9 Ensuring candidates have equal representation as far as reasonably possible.

10.1.2 The Elections Committee will produce rulings to provide clarification to the elections rules set out in 9.2. These rulings will help the Committee to articulate their interpretation of the rules in that given year.

10.1.3 The regulations must be decided at least fourteen days before nominations open and will be published on the Beds SU website with a link adjacent to the notice of elections.

10.2 Composition

10.2.1 The Elections Committee will be appointed at the beginning of the academic year, which shall be comprised of the following members:

10.2.1.1 The President of the Students’ Union, who will act as Chair of the Elections Committee and shall have a casting vote only (or in the case of the President re-running in the elections, or due to another unspecified conflict of interest, a nominee of the Board of Trustees shall be appointed);

10.2.1.2 Two members of Union Parliament, who will act as Vice Chairs for the Elections Committee and shall have voting rights and will chair any meetings they are called on to deputise on a rotational basis (if there are not any members of the Union Parliament available to appoint to the Elections Committee, due to re-running in the elections or due to another conflict of interest, the Chair of the

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Elections Committee in consultation with the Board of Trustees shall appoint two members of the Students’ Union in their place who will act as Vice-Chairs);

10.2.1.3 Up to six ordinary members of the Students’ Union, of whom a minimum of 40% shall belong to one of the ethnic groups of Black, Asian or minority ethnic, and who shall have voting rights and who are not a candidate in the elections or a part of any candidate’s campaign team, or who have had a role in planning the elections.

10.2.2 Up to three staff members, nominated by the Chief Executive, may attend to advise the committee, guide and record proceedings and act on their behalf in coordinating or influencing the democratic affairs of the Union.

10.2.3 At the request of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, a University staff member attend as observer in support of the University’s duties in the Education Act 1994.

10.3 Removal of Elections Committee Members

10.3.1 A member of the Elections Committee may be removed via a Vote of No Confidence from any voting member of the Elections Committee; this requires a simple majority of voting members to approve in order to be enacted.

10.3.2 A Vote of No Confidence in a member of the Elections Committee can be triggered when one or a combination of the following occurs:

10.3.2.1 If that member leaks information to a candidate and/or campaigners about any decisions being made which give that candidate and/or campaigners an unfair advantage;

10.3.2.2 If a voting member of the committee fails to turn up to three successive meetings without giving a reasonable apology.

10.3.3 In the case of a Vote of No Confidence against a member of the Elections Committee, at least one member of Students’ Union staff or the Returning Officer must be present to observe the vote. The member upon whom the Vote of No Confidence has been called against has a right to defend themselves to the committee before the vote is taken.

10.3.4 The committee member upon whom the Vote of No Confidence has been called against must be informed by the Chair of the Elections Committee at least 24 hours before the vote is to be taken, informing them of the reasons why the Vote of No Confidence has been called against them.

10.3.5 If the Chair of the Elections Committee has had a Vote of No Confidence called against them for the reasons detailed in section 10.3.2 or due to a lack of confidence in their ability to successfully chair a meeting of the Elections Committee, then using the

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methods outlined in section 10.3.2 a Vote of No Confidence can be called against the chair.

10.3.6 In this instance, the Returning Officer will be informed by a member of the Elections Committee (not the Chair) that a Vote of No Confidence in the Chair is due to take place, who will subsequently inform the Chair of the Elections Committee 24 hours before the Vote is due to take place, informing them of the reasons why the Vote of No Confidence has been called against them.

10.3.7 In the instance of a Vote of No Confidence being passed against a voting member of the Elections Committee or the Chair, an appeal can be lodged to the Returning Officer within 24 hours. In this instance, the Returning Officer will make a ruling within 24 hours of receiving the appeal, and whose decision will be final.

10.4 Meeting Arrangements

10.4.1 The Elections Committee shall meet no later than the final week of Term 1 to decide upon the regulations of the Executive Officers, Student Officers and NUS Delegates elections, and to ratify the dates of the election itself which will be decided by the Executive Team during the summer period prior to the start of the academic year.

10.4.2 The Elections Committee will, after meeting to decide upon the regulations of the election, meet once per week after the start of Term 2 to receive updates and continue planning the election. This shall continue until the date of when campaigning begins.

10.4.3 When voting opens, the Elections Committee shall meet once per day; this shall then subsequently continue until the election has ended.

10.4.4 No business can take place at the Elections Committee unless 50% plus one of all voting members of the committee are present.

10.4.5 All votes shall be a simple majority vote.

10.4.6 Any candidate may request a copy of the minutes of an Elections Committee meeting.

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APPENDIX 3 - IMPORTANT EXTRACTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY

POSTER POLICY

INTRODUCTION This policy ensures a consistent approach to poster communications at all University campus locations, enabling University stakeholders to embrace the University brand and help maintain the professional appearance of our buildings. The poster policy applies to all internal communications, including raising awareness for staff and/or student events, conferences, sporting or social activities and religious groups' events or announcements. The exception to this rule will include posters produced by academic departments, who display information for both students and staff on existing departmental managed poster board spaces. Academic departments will continue to manage their own poster board spaces. Marketing, Admissions, Recruitment and Communications (MARC) fully supports the implementation of the poster policy and encourages all University staff and stakeholders to be aware of the following guidance. MARC will also provide advice as to which alternative internal communications channels may be appropriate.

WHEN POSTERS ARE PUT UP THEY MUST: ü Only be displayed on designated noticeboards around campus ü Be correctly attached on noticeboards by using Blu-tak (where indicated on designated

noticeboards) or using drawing pins (where indicated on designated noticeboards) at all four corners of the poster. Incorrectly attached posters may be removed.

ü Not be put up with any form of sticky tape or glue ü Not be placed over other in-date posters ü No posters, flyers or other announcements shall be placed at any LRC or SID spaces without

prior consent ü No posters, flyers or other announcements shall be placed on brick, concrete, glass, plastic,

painted or timber walls, doors, windows, pillars, toilet areas, floors, A-stands, outside spaces, trees or any other space other than a designated bulletin board or official announcement wall space.

ü Identified stakeholders who continually breach or disregard the above requirements will have their material removed and reported to their Head of Department.

EXISTING POSTER BOARD LOCATIONS: ü Departmental and faculty noticeboards at various locations across the University ü Park Square foyer, Luton campus

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ü Beds SU offices, The Hub, Bedford campus Student Common Room, Buckinghamshire campus

ü Adjacent wall space to Reception, Campus Centre, Luton ü First floor 'S' corridor noticeboards, Butterfield Park ü The Hub, Campus Centre and SiD office, Bedford campus ü Social Learning Space, Putteridge Bury ü Beds SU offices, mezzanine level, Campus Centre, Luton ü Adjacent wall space to SiD Helpdesk, First floor, Campus Centre, Luton ü Reception, Buckinghamshire campus ü Poster board: wall at walk-through between Reception and Business School entrance, ground

floor, campus centre, Luton ü Poster board (glass cabinet): next to Beds SU office, first floor walkway, Campus Centre,

Luton ü Poster board: on wall at exit walkway automatic doors, rear of reception, Campus Centre,

Luton ü Four Perspex poster holders: 2nd floor walkway, adjacent to Finance Office, campus centre,

Luton