Elections Myth and Jargon Buster

Got questions about Elections? This handy guide will help dispel some myths around the process and what some of our most popular Elections terms mean!

THE ELECTIONS ARE JUST A POPULARITY CONTEST

Elections are absolutely not about being a big name on campus or having the most Instagram followers - 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! Instead, the 'popular' candidates usually earn this status over the course of the Elections period, through a clear manifesto, well thought out campaigning, good policies and attendance at election events like Question Time. So no, it’s not the person with the most social media followers, it's the person who campaigns the best!


I'M NOT THE RIGHT SORT OF PERSON

In short there is no such thing as the 'right sort of person'! Every year different people with different views, ideas and experiences win. You can make the position your own and we, the Students' Union, will help support you along the way! Just because the current officers have focused on a certain area, it doesn't mean you have to.


BEING A ELECTED OFFICER ISN'T A FULL TIME JOB

Elected Officers don’t always work Monday to Friday, 9-5 and this isn't necessarily a 'normal job' but it is a full-time role and pays an annual salary of £20,000+!

What happens day to day can vary dramatically. You could be doing anything from attending board meetings, to planning campaigns or representing students. There is a lot of reading to be done on a variety of subjects, but there will be plenty of opportunities to get out and about, talking to students and lobbying for change.


NOMINATING MYSELF IS TOO COMPLICATED

If you are struggling to nominate yourself, please just ask us for help. The nominations process has been designed to be as easy as possible but if you do have any questions or need some help, just shout – we are here to help! You will need to fill out some details about yourself and select the role you are looking to run for (this is the minimum). You can also go one step further and upload a photo of yourself and a short paragraph outlining why people should vote for you.


PORTSMOUTH IS GREAT ALREADY – I’M NOT SURE WHAT I CAN CHANGE

You don't have to be angry or upset about issues facing Portsmouth students or have a list of changes that you would like to make. There is nothing wrong with putting together a simple manifesto with small suggestions. Sometimes it is small changes that can make the biggest difference. Think about what would have made your life easier and talk to your friends - what would you like to see changed for the better?


YOU CAN’T BE AN ELECTED OFFICER IF YOU’RE A POSTGRADUATE/INTERNATIONAL/NOT A FINAL YEAR STUDENT.

Wrong! To run in the Elections, for any role, 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 bacially means going on sabbatical (the roles used to be called Sabb or Sabbatical Officers) which means 'taking a year out'. This means that you can run at any point during your student life. As a first or second year, you can take a year (or two years) break from your studies, hold office for a year, and then jump straight back into your course once you’re done. If you’re a Postgraduate student, you can run too, exactly the same as if you were an Undergraduate.

Many international students worry that they won’t be able to run due to issues with their visas. The truth is, it’s possible to gain a specific Elected Officer visa and the Students’ Union can assist you through this process.


THERE'S NO POINT, YOU'LL NEVER CHANGE ANYTHING

Elected Officers have been instrumental in introducing big changes at Portsmouth over the years - Free Zoom access for all students, development of the sexual harassment policy, online submission for work – The list goes on. There are also many more examples of smaller changes that improve things for students. If you put your mind to it, you can and will drive change!

Jargon Buster

  • Elected Officer. We have five Elected Officers at the Students' Union who are voted for by the student body. Elected Officers are here to make positive change and represent students who are studying at the University of Portsmouth. As full-time Elected Officer you have the chance to improve the experience of students!
  • EO. Short for Elected Officer!
  • Nominations. To run for an Elected Officer role you first need to nominate yourself. This means putting yourself forward where you'll then write a manifesto and then campaign to show your peers why they should vote for you. 
  • Manifesto. A manifesto is a written statement that covers the beliefs, aims and intentions of the person or people who wrote it. If you decide to nominate yourself for an Elected Officer role, you will need to write a manifesto to show the student body what you're standing for and where you believe you can make positive change for them.
  • Campaigning. Once you're confirmed as a nominee, you'll need to campaign - This basically means that you need to go out and about around campus and online to talk to your fellow students, explaining why your manifesto could mean positive change at Portsmouth. You can have a campaign team (friends or course mates) to help you spread the word about why you're the best person for the role. 
  • Question Time. During your campaigning week, the Union will host Question Time. It gives students the chance to ask you questions about your manifesto, your aims and the positive change you'd like to make. It's a great chance for students to get to know you and why you want the Elected Officer role!
  • Voting Week. This is the week where voting officially opens and students can choose who they want to get each role. Voting 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. The outcome is announced at results night where all of the canidates can gather together and find out if they're going to be an EO for the following year!

Page created: Mon, 05 Dec 2022 12:16:43 GMT
Page updated: Tue, 06 Dec 2022 10:17:43 GMT

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