Society Committee Elections

All societies have three core committee roles - President, Secretary and Treasurer - plus a Health and Safety Officer for high-risk societies.

Additional committee roles can be created where needed. Additional roles are decided by the current committee and based on demand from society members. Examples of additional roles include Vice-President, Social Media Officer, or Events Officer. To have additional roles added or changed prior to the bulk election, ensure you complete the Role Request Changes form that will be circulated via email.

There are two types of elections: the main election that all societies participate in in March/April, and the by-election in October of the next academic year.

For the main election, all committee positions will be open for election for the new academic year. Members will nominate themselves for committee positions, and society members will vote for who they want in the role. After these two weeks, the results are published! Failure to elect a committee during this period may result in your society closing down. You may choose to organise an Annual General Meeting (AGM). For more information on the AGM, check out the governance and democracy page of the Committee Portal.

A by-election is held when you have a vacant position that needs to be filled because a committee member has stepped down, etc. Any vacant committee roles from the spring bulk election will be automatically added to an Autumn Bulk by-election. We've created a Google Form that allows you to choose when each stage of your election will take place. It is important that you read the form thoroughly, as incorrectly completed forms will delay how soon your by-election can be held. If you have any questions regarding this form, contact activitiesadmin@shu.ac.uk.

To nominate themselves, your members will need to go to your society page during the nominations period, click on the role they want, and press nominate. They will be given the option to upload a photo and a manifesto. Their status will show as pending until we approve the candidate before voting starts. Other members will not be able to see who has been nominated yet.

To vote, your members will need to go to your society page during the voting period. They will be able to view all the candidates for each role and read any manifestos uploaded. They will then be able to vote for who they want in each role. Candidates can vote for themselves.

When voting has closed, your coordinator will communicate the results with the committee.