Running a successful and good natured campaign is crucial to you getting elected. If you need some pointers on how to campaign take a look at the ‘How to Stand’ section of this guide or on the Union website. If you still need help or have questions make sure you come along to the Elections Information Workshops in the Union or contact a member of the SU Elections Team.
The rules around campaigning are there to make sure our elections are as fair as possible and the welfare of all candidates is looked after.
- All candidates must attend a mandatory Candidates Briefing before their candidacy is confirmed. The Candidate Briefing will be at 12pm on Monday 31st March 2025. If you cannot attend, contact Charlotte O’Neill by clicking here at the earliest opportunity to see if an alternative can be arranged.
- Campaigning cannot begin until 1pm on Monday 31st March 2025. This includes publicly announcing that you are running. If you are unsure of what this means, please check with us.
- Candidates are responsible for the actions of their campaign team and supporters. This includes campaign activities and spending on campaign materials.
- Candidates and campaigners are not permitted to interfere with another candidate’s campaign materials.
- Candidates and campaigners should respect students’ personal space. For example, candidates should not disturb students who are studying in the Main Atrium or the St Hilda Atrium. Campaigning is forbidden in the library.
- Negative campaigning in which you attack, intimidate, or bully another candidate physically, verbally or in writing is prohibited.
- The use of coercion or bribery to obtain votes is not permitted. For example, you cannot ask people to vote for you in return for something.
Campaigning in Lectures
At Newman, for some lectures it is possible for candidates to attend lectures, with permission to deliver a short pitch of their Manifesto. Not all lecturers are obliged to allow this as teaching time is important at this time in the year.
To ensure that access to lectures and by virtue, a captive audience is fair and open to all, the following rules will apply. These rules will be closely monitored by the SU Elections Team. Attendance to campaign in Lectures is limited to Officer Trustee Positions. This is owing to the number of Part-Time positions and the need to keep teaching time to teaching.
- Where possible, the SU Voice & Governance Co-ordinator will distribute the dates and times when ALL Officer Trustee candidates are able to attend together to deliver their manifestos.
- Where this provision has not been possible to arrange, you may approach individual lecturers to attend a session. This is allowed on the proviso that ALL other candidates will be allowed access to a lecture of that class during campaign week. If you are granted access to a lecture that is not one of those distributed by the SU Voice & Governance Co-ordinator as above, you must inform the SU Voice & Governance Co-ordinator of the details of the lecture you are planning to attend. This is to ensure that availability will be made for other candidates either at that lecture or at a different time.
- If availability is not made for ALL Officer Trustee candidates, then it will be in contravention of the Election Rules for any candidate to attend a lecture for that course and year.
- It is in contravention of the Election Rules for you to try to access a lecture to Campaign without prior consent of the lecturer and notification being sent to the SU Voice & Governance Co-ordinator.
- CAMPAIGNING IN LECTURES DURING THE VOTING PERIOD WILL NOT BE PERMITTED – 7th -9thMarch 2025.
- It is not essential that you campaign in lectures and should form only a small part of your campaign plan.
Social Media/Websites
- Candidates may post in Facebook groups including networks, societies, and sports clubs. Be aware that if they allow you to post messages, they will be required to allow all candidates to do the same.
- Candidates and campaigners cannot post on official SU or University pages (apart from dedicated candidate social media takeover opportunities).
- Candidates may have their own social media accounts or websites for their campaign. These can be set up before campaigning begins but you should not promote them in any way until 1pm on Monday 31st March 2025.
- Candidates must not spam or troll students as part of any online campaigning.
- Candidates should not post to mailing lists or closed groups to which all other candidates are not able to request access.
- Candidates must not post from club, society, network, School Rep or Couse Rep accounts but may post to these groups from personal accounts if all candidates are allowed to post.
Societies
- In the interest of fairness, networks, societies and sports clubs must agree with their committee to do either one of the following:
- allow NO candidates to post in their social media pages, attend their virtual meetings/events or sessions.
- allow ALL candidates to post in their social media pages, attend their virtual meetings/events or sessions.
- Failure to adhere to either (i) or (ii) above may lead to disciplinary procedures being invoked against individual members of societies.
- Student Groups cannot endorse any one candidate.
Campaign Materials
- A copy of all campaign materials must be submitted via email here for approval before it used either online or physically.
- If candidates would like their allocation of posters produced in time for the start of campaigning at 1pm on 31st March 2025, publicity should be submitted by e-mail by clicking here by 12pm on Friday 28th March 2025. Production of publicty received after this date will be subject to capacity of the SU Elections Team.
- Printed publicty per candidate is subject to a standard allocation for each candidate, as follows:
- Each Officer Trustee Candidate will receive 10 A3 & 10 A4 posters at the Candidate Briefing.
- Each Part-Time Officer Candidate will receive 4 A3 & 5 A4 posters at the candidate Briefing.
- Each candidate/slate/campaign team is responsible for producing and distributing their own campaigning materials.
- No Posters will be placed on woodwork or White walls around Campus.
- Candidates must not incorporate the SU’s or University’s branding or logos on any promotional material. This includes the use of the phrases “Your Union, Your Voice.”
- Candidates cannot use the Union’s resources or those of societies.