Transcript Students’ Union Elections 2013

Students’ Union Elections 2013
www.northamptonunion.com
Amanda Stanford
NUS Learning & Development Advisor
What is the role of the Union?
What is the role of the Union?
To develop and enhance the academic, social and cultural
experiences of members by:
• being student led and student focused through an open and
transparent democratic structure
• making it easier for students to participate, improve their skills
and enjoy new experiences
• implementing best practice on sustainability, the environment
and ethical issues
• being committed to equality of opportunity, inclusivity and a
high level of integrity
• being outwardly looking, open and inclusive of the wider
community
• being committed to the development of staff
You are a Change Maker
You are a Change Maker
Mature Students
International Students
Lesbian Gay Bi and
Trans (LGBT) Students
Women
Ethics & Environment
Entertainments
Student Rep
Hall Rep
Elections
• Mechanisms for appointing people to research
opinion, represent views and make decisions
• Supported by democratic structures for student
body to set campaigning direction and hold
elected Officers to account
• Elected Officers should strive to make
improvements to the student experience
• Change can be made in:
– The Union
– The University
– The wider community
Elected not Selected
Elected
Selected
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Most popular
Policies and ideas
Credibility
Selected by the people
Best fit for the students
Most suitable
Skills and knowledge
Experience
Selected by experts
Best fit for the job
Your Role
If elected, you will be expected to:
• Represent students: find out and react to
student opinion
• Deliver manifesto pledges
• Help the Union develop its services
• Drive campaigns
• Uphold the constitution and bye laws
• Attend meetings
Marketing and Publicity
MARKETING METHODS:
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Posters
Flyers
Face to face promotion
The Union Website
Email Marketing
Facebook
Twitter
Plasma Screens
Press Releases or event invitations
Marketing and Publicity
PRINTED MATERIAL:
Printed posters and flyers can be a great way to target
students in high footfall areas, but it is a method won
predominantly on the law of averages i.e. 1 in every 20
may read your poster or 1 in every 10 students flyered may
look up more information.
Marketing and Publicity
PRINTED MATERIAL:
Keep posters simple. Stick to your key messages and don’t
try and clutter it with too much information or too many
colours or graphics.
Marketing and Publicity
FACE TO FACE PROMOTION
Face to face promotion is a fancy term for talking to
people. Often the best way to get your message out there
is to go out and talk to people yourself. It’s also the easiest
way to tailor your message to your different target
audiences.
Marketing and Publicity
UNION WEBSITE
The Union Website will promote the Elections generically
and be the primary method by which students can vote.
It’s also where all students can find your manifesto so
don’t forget to promote WHERE students should vote for
you.
Marketing and Publicity
EMAIL MARKETING
You are not allowed to use any sports club or society
mailing lists in your campaigns, however, how many people
can you message through your own personal email or
through facebook mail? You’ll have a lot of contact details
for friends and colleagues that perhaps you haven’t used
or even thought about in a while.
Make sure you are short to the point and have an action –
to vote for you!
Marketing and Publicity
FACEBOOK
Facebook has changed the internet.
• 20% of all webpages visited last year in the UK were on
Facebook.
• Facebook has 300 million users and its pages receive 2.7
BILLION likes every day.
• Pages are preferable to groups for promotional
purposes.
Marketing and Publicity
TWITTER
• 175 million tweets are tweeted every day.
• Twitter is a fantastic tool for creating buzz about your
organisation or event and expanding your reach, when
retweeted.
• The Union will as policy retweet all tweets that contain
@northamptonsu and #NorthamptonElections
Marketing and Publicity
PLASMA SCREENS
There are a number of plasma screens all over campus
which you can ask to use in the promotion of your
campaign.
• There is no cost to this advertisement
• They will need time to upload it, it won’t be immediate.
CONTACTS:
• Hayley Hunter – NBS
• Paul Bramble – Education
• Karin Ferngren – Social Sciences
• Gail Redmond – Library
Marketing and Publicity
NUNews
Your manifestos will all be made available in the next
edition of NUNews so distribute these – it’s a great way of
getting your message out at no cost to you!
Your Campaign Budget
WHAT YOU GET
You will receive a campaign budget of £20. All expenses
used in your campaign must come from this budget. You
may not use your own personal funds to supplement it.
If you are a member of a slate you will receive £10 plus £10
for every candidate within your slate. E.g. slate of 4 will
receive £50.
Your Campaign Budget
WHAT YOU GET
Every individual candidate will also receive the following:
• 250 A5 Flyers
• 10 A3 Posters
• 10 A4 Posters
• 150 Stickers
Election Calendar
Campaigning Begins: 4 March at 9am
Avenue Question Time: 6 March at 6pm
Park Question Time: 7 March at 6pm
Voting (online) Begins: 11 March at 9am
Voting (online) Ends: 15 March at 5pm
Rules
Campaigning
• Nominees and supporters must adhere to the rules of the
University and the rules of the Union and must not break the
law.
• Candidates or slates are responsible for the actions of
supporters assisting in their campaign.
• All Election Regulations apply to supporters as well as
candidates.
• It is the responsibility of the candidate(s) to ensure, as far as
reasonably possible, that anyone assisting in their campaign
read, fully understand, and abide by these regulations.
Rules (2)
• Use of official websites, such as the Union website and clubs’ and
societies’ websites, may not be used to promote any candidate.
• All purchases must be made from the campaigning allowance (£20).
• All expenditure must be recorded using the form provided, with
itemised receipts. Receipts must be submitted before the count.
• Posters and publicity must not be put up prior to the start of
campaigning.
• Campaigning materials must be removed on the last day of voting.
Any costs incurred for removal of materials, damage to property or
cleaning as a result of campaigning will be billed to candidates.
• All printing must be done in the Students’ Union.
• Candidates must recycle campaign material, where possible.
Rules (3)
Canvassing
• It is the responsibility of candidates to ensure that they have the
necessary authority and/or permission to canvass in University-owned
accommodation.
• Any complaints made by residents regarding the conduct of candidates
during canvassing shall be dealt with by the Returning Officer.
• Candidates shall not canvass in the clearly marked area designated for
polling or enter the area except to cast their personal vote.
• No candidate shall use Union meetings as a forum for campaigning, except
for the election Question Times, if applicable.
• No candidate or supporter shall use sporting fixtures or training sessions
or society events as a method of campaigning.
• No candidate must coerce students in computer rooms to vote there and
then. Flyering in computer rooms is permitted.
Rules (4)
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Requests for interpretation of regulations or complaints about the conduct of
candidates shall be made in the first instance to the Deputy Returning Officer in writing.
The Returning Officer, assisted by their assistants if necessary, shall investigate all
complaints and make adjudication according to the seriousness and complexity of the
complaint.
In the event of a candidate or slate being found to have broken one or more of these
Regulations the Deputy Returning Officer shall have the power to:
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issue a verbal or written warning
impose a fine on the campaign budget
restrict the amount of publicity available to the candidate or slate
disqualify the candidate or to take other action as they see fit
In the event that a candidate wishes to appeal a decision of the Deputy Returning
Officer, they must do so within 48 hours of the ruling or 1 hour before the start of
balloting, whichever is sooner. They should address their appeal to the Returning
Officer whose ruling is final.
All rulings made by the Returning Officer or the Deputy Returning Officer shall be
posted on the website. Candidates are expected to consult these regularly.
Rules (5)
• If in doubt, ask!
• Candidates are advised to check in each day.
Question Time
• Given 2 minutes to give a speech
• You will be asked 3 pre-submitted questions and
given 1 minute to answer each.
• Part-time Officers will go first, and Sabbatical
Officers last. The order will be chosen at random.
• Candidates are asked to arrive at 5.45pm each
night.
• Free pizza will be on offer to the audience: bring
friends! You want to look like a popular
candidate!
Question Time Rules
• Attendance is compulsory. Failure to attend may result
in disqualification.
• All candidates must deliver a speech, then answer
questions from the floor.
• Candidates shall refer to their opponents in a factual
manner.
• Candidates should concentrate upon issues and are not
permitted to make derogatory or personal remarks
about other candidates, University staff or individual
students.
• Speeches should not refer to the direct content of
other candidates’ manifestos.
Voting
STV (Single Transferable Vote)
• This voting method is more democratic, and takes
into account more opinions from members.
• All voters need to do is number the candidates in
order of preference for each position on the
ballot paper.
• There must always be an option to ‘Re-Open
Nominations (RON) for example, the choice of ‘I
don’t want any of these people to win. This must
be on ALL ballot papers.
Voting
Counting STV
• Count up all the first choice votes (all the 1s). Include RON
at every stage and just imagine it’s another person standing
for the position.
• The candidate with the lowest score gets knocked out (call
them Person A). That’s the end of the first round.
• Look at all the votes that put person A as their first choice.
Transfer all of the 2s from those votes onto the totals for
the candidates still left.
• Whoever has the lowest number will be removed and the
process repeated as long as necessary, bumping up all the
votes when people get knocked out!
• Whoever’s left at the end wins!!!
Voting
• When former NUS Treasurer Dave Lewis restood as President at his Union (Reading Uni)
he almost failed…
RUSU President 06: Round 1
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
Quota 768
600
400
200
0
Dave
Lewis
Elinor
Cross
Mike
Jenkins
Matt
Tebbit
Bill
Smith
RON
TOTAL
RUSU President 06: Round 1
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
Quota 768
600
400
200
0
Dave
Lewis
Elinor
Cross
Mike
Jenkins
exclude mike
Matt
Tebbit
Bill
Smith
RON
exclude ron
TOTAL
RUSU President 06: Round 2
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
Quota 768
600
400
200
0
Dave
Lewis
Elinor
Cross
Mike
Jenkins
Matt
Tebbit
Bill
Smith
RON
TOTAL
RUSU President 06: Round 3
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
Quota 768
600
400
200
0
Dave
Lewis
Elinor
Cross
Mike
Jenkins
Matt
Tebbit
exclude elinor
Bill
Smith
RON
TOTAL
RUSU President 06: Round 4
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
Quota 768
600
400
200
0
Dave
Lewis
Elinor
Cross
Mike
Jenkins
Matt
Tebbit
Bill
Smith
Dave wins by 4
RON
TOTAL
Voting
• Last year, Pankaj Llawani received the most
first preference votes for President. Tim
Joaquim won following the elimination of
other candidates.
• As a tip – if students intend to vote for
another candidate above you, try get their #2
vote.
Online Voting
• Students need to register on the website then
validate their account
• Guidance on front page of the website
Skills
There are a number of skills that will see you in
good stead for Campaigning. These include:
• Public Speaking
• Leading a Campaign Team
• Networking
• Creativity/Initiative
Public Speaking
The ability to present yourself in front of an
audience and speak clearly and authoritatively
on a subject will not only lead to campaign
success, but is key to the role of any elected
Officer.
As an Officer your ability to effectively
communicate with the students you represent is
paramount. Otherwise, what are you doing?
Public Speaking
Top Tips on Public Speaking
• Know your material
• Practice makes perfect
• Prepare bullet point notes, not a script
• Know your audience
• Concentrate on your key message
• Relax!
Leading a Campaign Team
Without a Campaign Team behind you, you are
unlikely to spread your message as far as you
would like or as far to win. Word of mouth is a
powerful tool.
Its important to know how to manage and how
to lead and to know the difference between the
two.
Leading a Campaign Team
How to Lead a Campaign Team
• Be clear of your expectations
• Know your campaign team’s motivations
• Support your team
• Provide clear guidance
• Stay in contact!
Leading a Campaign Team
How to Manage a Campaign Team
• Be clear in your own head what needs to be
done.
• Create a list of roles and responsibilities, keeping
in mind that some of these may be time specific.
• Put together a contact list and know your team’s
availability, skills and contacts.
• Timetable your Campaign Team and ensure they
are aware of when and where they should be.
Leading a Campaign Team
Why Students Vote
• 72% were asked directly
• 70% had seen a poster or flyer
• 60% knew what the candidate stood for
• 29% had read the manifestos
• 4% had read the Union’s message board
Leading a Campaign Team
Some roles you might want:
• A Campaign Manager
• Marketing Coordinator
• Online Marketing Coordinator
• Hall Reps
• School Reps
• Sports/Society Reps
Leading a Campaign Team
The Difference between Management & Leadership
• Managers have subordinates, Leaders have
followers.
• A Manager is work focussed, authoritative, has
objectives and tells his/her team what to do.
• A Leader has vision, passion, persuasion and sells
that vision to his/her team in order to meet their
aims.
Networking
Campaigning by its very nature is all about
networking, about expanding your reach and
conveying your message to a greater audience.
Again, it is also a key skill you will need as an
Officer so Campaigning is a fantastic opportunity
to demonstrate or develop it.
Networking
Top Tips for Networking
• Understand their needs before pushing your own
goals.
• You don’t need to know the most people, just the right
people.
• Don’t leave networking to chance, make a plan and be
strategic.
• Provide as much value as you can. What is in it for
them in developing a relationship with you?
• Email is easy to send and just as easy to ignore, look at
the value of the relationship and invest the time that it
is worth.
Creativity and Initiative
You might not think this a key skill, however
demonstrated creativity and initiative is far more
likely to capture the imagination of the population
than something repeated again and again.
Think about what would appeal to you and how you
might convey your message in a more meaningful
way. How might these relate to your manifesto
pledges?
Creativity and Initiative
You are on a limited budget. How might you be able
to get the most value out of this?
A flashmob costs nothing, how might this increase
your message reach compared to the cost of flyers?
Similarly, what value does sweets add to your
campaign compared to the printing of an equal cost
of posters? Which will have the greatest effect on
voter conversion?
Examples
Examples
Examples
Examples
Campaign Tips
• Pick a campaign colour and ensure your promotional material is
consistently produced using it.
• Ensure there is consistency in your message. What are you for?
• Make enough T Shirts for your key Campaign Team. Ensure your
campaign colour is one that your ‘on the ground’ volunteers will
have in abundance. Primark is a good place to start for cheap
Campaign T-shirts.
• Stickers are a relatively cheap method by which to spread your
message. Design something simple and bold. They are well worth
the investment.
• Sweets are great, but how much value do they add? Is someone
who was unlikely to vote before, likely to vote for you after a free
sweet? They are only useful for the use in swing votes. Use
sparingly.
Campaign Tips
• Create a Facebook group – mail your supporters through
this and create any campaign events you need your
supporters at.
• Facebook and social media provides a medium through
which to directly converse with the electorate. Don’t simply
use it to advertise your pledges, use it to DISCUSS.
• Keep your messages short, concise and impactful. Point
them in the direction of where they can find more
information – Facebook, website or volunteer.
• Get yourself out and about and SEEN! Visibility is key in any
election. Ensure you timetable volunteers appropriately
and get round as much of the electorate as possible.