Student Elections 2025 - Myth Buster

Around the campus, you may have stumbled upon the topic of Elected Officers. Perhaps during your visit to the Union shop or down the street at a coffee shop. Let’s learn something new or refresh your memory about Elected Officers here at the UPSU. What are Elected Officers? Are you passionate about making a difference? If you are, then we got some good news - UPSU Student Elections are just around the corner, so nominate yourself to become the next Elected Officer.

❓ Quick question ❓ – did you ever use the library for some late-night studying? Let’s take a moment to thank the previous Elected Officer who introduced the 24-hour library opening hours for making that possible!

The Student Elections is a democratic process where students (a.k.a you!) vote for the people that will lead The Union and represent the student body for the next academic year. This time around, there is a refreshed structure for Elected Officers that will better represent students’ needs and enhance inclusivity. The new roles for Elected Officers are: Opportunities Officer, Education Officer, Welfare Officer and Inclusion Officer. Each role comes with different responsibilities. To learn more about what each role involves, take a look at this article - Could I be an Officer?

Additionally, you can refer to this article to express your interest and find out more information about the elections including key dates and frequently asked questions: Student Elections Information.

Time for some myths busters about Student Elections:

The elections are just a popularity contest

Absolutely not! The most popular candidate isn’t always the one who’s been a part of every sports team or has never missed a night out. The so-called ‘popular’ status is earned throughout the course of the Elections period by having a well thought out campaign, policies and manifesto.

I’m not the right sort of person

There is no ‘right person’ for the role. You can make the position your own and we, the Students’ Union, will help support you along the way! Every year different people with different views, ideas and experiences win.

Being an Elected Officer isn’t a full time job 

An Elected Officer doesn’t always work Monday to Friday 9-5. But it is a full time role and pays an annual salary of £20,000+!

Nominating myself is too complicated

If you would like some assistance to nominate yourself, please ask us for help! We are here to help you with any questions you may have. You will need to fill out some details about yourself and select the role you are looking to run for. Even better - you could upload a photo of yourself and a short description outlining why people should vote for you.

I'm not too sure what I can change

Your manifesto doesn’t have to be a complex list of changes you would like to make. Even smaller changes can make a big difference so it is worth still putting together a simple manifesto with small suggestions. Put yourself back in the situation when you were a student. What would you have done differently back then to make your life better? 

You can’t be an Elected Officer if you’re a postgraduate/international/not a final year student

Wrong! The only rules are that you must be a current student in the academic year the Elections are taking place or a current Elected Officer who has not already completed two years in the role.

Being an Elected Officer means going on sabbatical - a.k.a taking a year out

You can run at any point during your student life. As a first or second year student, you can take a year (or two) break from your studies, hold office for a year, and then jump straight back into your course once you’re done. If you are a Postgraduate student, you can run too, exactly the same as if you were an Undergraduate.

If you are an international student you may worry about running due to your visa. But in reality, it is possible to gain a specific Elected Officer visa which the Students’ Union can assist you with!

Jargon Buster

Elected Officer - voted by the student body, they are here to make positive change and represent students who are studying at the University of Portsmouth.

EO - short for Elected Officer!

Nominations - to run for an EO role, you have to nominate yourself first. This means putting together your manifesto and campaigning. 

Manifesto - a written statement that covers the beliefs, aims and intentions of the person or people who wrote it. This is your way of showing the student body what you are standing for.

Campaigning - once you’re confirmed as a nominee, you’ll need to campaign. This includes going around the campus and talking to your fellow students about your manifesto and how this could mean a positive change at Portsmouth.

Question Time - during the campaigning week, the Union will host Question Time. The students get the chance to ask questions about your manifesto. It’s a great chance for students to get to know you and why you want the EO role.

Voting Week - voting officially opens and students can choose who they want to get for each role. It runs for 4.5 days before the polls are shut. 

Results Night - when voting closes, the results are counted and the winner of each role is decided. This is announced at results night where all of the candidates can gather together and find out if they’re going to be an EO for the following year.