Society Committees are elected annually in Semester 2. If positions are not filled then by-elections take place. Throughout the year if a position becomes vacant then a by-election will take place at the earliest convienience. See below for a list of current elections. To stand or vote in an election you must be a member of that society.
Getting people interested in running
Throughout the year you will notice students who are really engaged in your society activities. These are likely to be the students who in the long run will be interested in taking on committee roles. Make the most of this, they will gain far more experience helping you to put on events, and you will find an extra pair of hands which you previously didn’t have. Remember, if you recognise and appreciate their support, they are going to find the idea of running for your role in future far more appealing.
Checking that the election is being run for the correct roles
Each year we will assume that you are electing the same roles as the previous year unless we hear otherwise. We will email details before the elections, but if you are aware that you are planning to elect a different set of roles, please let Carmela know.
Promoting the elections
Ensure that in the run up to elections opening you start to remind your members about thinking about running. Encourage them to talk to people already in the roles. Encourage them to write a manifesto. When nominations open ensure that you email everyone on your BathStudent mailing list to make them aware of the elections and the fact that they can run and vote.
During the elections
The elections will all be set up centrally, you do not need to do this. During the nomination period, you can find out whether anyone has put themselves forward for each role by talking to the Sport and Societies Office or the Exec. Each candidate and their manifesto will be approved by us beforein order for the polling to open. During polling remember to continue to remind your members that it is time to vote to ensure that the committee for the coming year is the committee they want.
If at any point in the election process a candidate is unable to put themselves forward, please ensure that they have paid their membership. If the problem persists, talk to the staff in the Sport and Societies Office. The same is the case for voting.
If you find any other problems during the elections, or someone is breaking the rules, please talk to the Activities Officer. We are far more likely to be able to deal with problems whilst the elections are still going on, problems brought to our attention once a committee has been elected are more difficult.
Finding out the results
The results will be put up on the main societies election pages after the election.
Running a by-election
Did you fail to fill one of the roles on your committee? Did someone on your committee drop out of Uni? Do they simply not want to be on the committee any more?
We will automatically run by-elections for any of the original roles after Easter. If you still fail to fill these roles then you should pop into the Office to discuss the next steps.
If an originally filled role has been vacated then you will need to organise a by-election. To do this, contact Carmela and she will get one set up
Election Tips
To find out more about writing manifestos, campaigning and other ways of increasing your chances of election take a look at our election tips.