Bristol SU Elections
Bristol SU Elections are YOUR opportunity to influence the changes you'd like to see at the University of Bristol.
From course complaints to University-wide issues, it's important that your needs are represented. That’s why you elect your student leaders; after all, when elected, these are the people who will speak and act for you.
Your elected student leaders include academic reps for your course and faculty, Network Chairs who create communities that campaign for great causes, and your paid Full-Time Officer Team who lobby the University for the big changes to student life.
Bristol SU Elections take place twice a year. TB2 is our biggest Elections period. It’s where you elect your Full-Time Officer Team and all your other representatives for the next academic year. In TB1, you elect your Democratic Standards Committee (or DSC!), first-year students will elect their course reps, PGTs will also elect faculty reps, and there might be some other roles up for grabs if they weren’t filled in TB2.
Currently, we have by-elections running for PGT Science Faculty Rep and Junior Common Room roles for Print Hall and The Courtrooms. These roles were left unfilled in the recent TB1 Elections. Nominate yourself to make sure your communities are represented.
How do we represent your academic interests?
Your academic interests are at the core of all that we do here at Bristol SU. As students, you may face various issues that affect your education. To resolve these issues, and create positive change, you will need support in voicing any concerns you have to University staff and senior management.
Our student voice structure, which runs right the way from your volunteer course reps to your Undergraduate and Postgraduate Officers, means that your voice has a platform, and these issues can be heard and addressed.
Election FAQ
When do Elections happen?
There are two sets of elections each year. The main Bristol SU elections take place in March, electing Full-time Officers, Chairs of Networks, Faculty Reps, returning Course Reps and Student Trustees. In October we elect Course Reps for all new students (both 1st year undergraduates and new postgraduates). We also elect some other roles including Democratic Standards Committee. Please get in touch if you are interested in more information about any of these elected positions.
Who oversees the elections?
All Bristol SU elections are overseen by a Returning Officer (a staff member or external expert) who makes sure that they are fair, transparent and successful. You can email bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk at any time to ask the Returning Officer a question, voice a concern or report an unfair situation.
What is a manifesto?
A manifesto tells people why you want to represent them and why they should vote for you; it sets out your ideas and plans. Essentially your manifesto needs to say WHY you think you would be a good elected representative and WHAT you would do if you were elected. The manifesto word limit is 300 words.
Can I run in an election if I am an International student?
Yes! It’s a great way to develop new skills and meet people. If you stand to be Chair, Faculty Rep or Course Rep alongside your studies then please be aware you are only permitted to work a maximum of either 10 or 20 hours per week (your visa will state which). This information is for general guidance and does not constitute immigration advice. If you require more details about your rights or what action to take, please contact the University of Bristol International Student Office.
I've stood to be a candidate, why am I unapproved?
When you nominate yourself in an election your nomination will appear as 'unapproved'. A member of Bristol SU staff will check your eligibility to stand in that election and approve your nomination. Once you're approved and the nominations have closed you will receive an email with next steps!
What if I can’t stand or vote in an election?
If you see a message that says you're ineligible to stand or vote for a particular position please contact bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk. It's possible that you may not meet the requirements for that position or there may be a technical error. Please include your full name, University username and the specific position you would like to stand for in your email.
Can I stand for more than one position?
Sometimes - it depends on the positions. You can stand to be a Course Rep and any other part time position (Chair of Network, Faculty Rep, etc.) aside from Democratic Standards Committee. Because of our accountability structure, you can only stand for one of the Network roles, Faculty Rep roles or Democratic Standards Committee. If you want to be on Democratic Standards Committee, you can't be in any other SU role. JCR and Halls roles are separate to the SU’s structure. It can be quite confusing, so if you aren't sure, please email bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk.
Do the elections have rules?
Yes, the rules can be found on the Elections Rules page - please read through them carefully. If you have any questions or would like a clarification, please ask the Returning Officer.
How does campaigning work?
In the context of elections, campaigning is what candidates do to get votes. For our course rep roles, this tends to be more lowkey – we recommend chatting to people on your course to let them know you’re running. Course Rep candidates should not spend money on their campaign.
Faculty Rep, Network Chair and Democratic Standards Committee candidates can be reimbursed for up to £30 for their campaigning. We recommend utilising social media and putting yourself out there in places your voters might be.
JCR and Postgraduate Halls Rep candidates should not spend any money on their campaign.
Successful candidates take time to listen and speak to students, find out about the current issues relevant to the role they're standing for and persuade voters with ideas and enthusiasm. All campaigning activity needs to follow our Election Rules
What support is available for candidates?
If you have any questions, please email bristolsu-elections@bristol.ac.uk and someone from the Bristol SU Team will be in touch.
For JCR and Postgraduate Hall Rep roles, the University of Bristol’s Inclusive Communities Team are holding some candidate support sessions online as follows:
Candidate Info drop-in sessions: 18 and 19 September 2-3 via Microsoft Teams. These will be an opportunity for potential candidates to ask questions about the roles and campaigning process
Candidate briefing: 27 September 4-5pm via Microsoft Teams. This is compulsory for all candidates to attend to hear about the rules and regs of the elections.
How does voting work?
Bristol SU uses Single Transferable Vote (STV), a representation system in which a person’s vote can be transferred to a second or third choice (according to their stated preference) if their first choice is eliminated during the vote count. If you want to understand more, take a look at this YouTube video explaining how another SU used STV. The most important aspect of STV is that a voter ranks candidates in order of their preference so if you speak to a student who has already decided not to vote for you, convince them to make you their second choice – it could make all the difference when determining the result.
Who is R.O.N?
RON stands for Re-Opening of Nominations. All Union elections give the option for voters to express their wish that nominations for a role should be re-opened. Voting for this option is usually taken when voters do not feel as though any of the candidates offer viable or credible policies.
