2025 Student Elections: Briefing on Rules, Voting, and Candidates

2025 Student Elections Candidates Briefing

Welcome! In this workshop we will be covering - The Election Rules - The Voting Process & The Voting System - Dates & Deadlines

The Election Rules

Election Rules HISA has Election Rules in place to ensure that its election are fair and open. All candidates and their campaign team members are expected and required to conduct their campaign activities within the election rules. A full version of our election rules can be found online @ https://hisa.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoice/elections/rules/

Election Rules HISA s Election Rules are broken into seven sections: General Rules (GR) Nominations Rules (NM) General Campaigning Rules (GC) Online Campaigning Rules (OC) Physical Campaigning Rules (PC) Candidate Expenses Rules (CE) Complaints & Rulings (CR)

Election Rules (GR03) Candidates will be held responsible for the actions of any member of their campaign team. This includes both campaigning activity and campaigns expenditure. (GC06) Personal attacks on other candidates are not permitted. Candidates must ensure that criticisms made of other candidates must be related to manifesto points or policy, and not of their character, appearance or belief system. Candidates must also adhere to UHI s Student s Code of Conduct. (OC01) No online campaigning must take place before the date and time outlined in the relevant Candidates Nomination Pack.

Election Rules (PC01) No physical campaigning must take place before the date and time outlined in the relevant Candidates Nomination Pack. (PC03) Candidates and their campaign teams must not disrupt timetabled learning and teaching on campus. Permission to conduct lecture shouts at the beginning or the end of lectures should be sought in advance from the relevant lecturer/ teacher.

Election Rules (PC04) Candidates and their campaign teams can assume that they have permission to campaign as well as to display and distribute campaigning material around UHI campuses and learning centres, however they must be prepared to cease any campaigning and/ or remove any campaigning materials from a particular area if asked to do so by either a HISA Elections Team member or UHI staff member. (PC05) Candidates and their campaign teams may only alter, move or remove their own physical campaign materials.

Election Rules (PC08) Candidates must not display or use the Students Association s logo or any UHI logo on their physical or electronic campaign materials. (PC10) Candidate and their campaign teams may not use laptops, tablets and smartphones to collect votes during the voting period. All voting must be through official HISA channels. (PC11) Candidates and their campaign teams must respect that every student has the right to cast their vote freely and confidentially. Once a student starts the process of voting on a device (i.e. logging on to the HISA website) candidates and campaigners should move at least two metres away to give them privacy and should make no further attempts to influence their vote in any way.

Returning Officers HISA sElection Rules are interpreted and enforced by the Students Association s Returning Officer (RO) and Deputy Returning Officer (DRO). Returning Officer: Peter Robertson (Charity Director, NUS) Deputy Returning Officer: Simon Varwell(Director of Student Engagement & Representation, HISA)

Returning Officers The Returning Officers may need to issue clarifications or interpretations to help further define the election rules, as well as issue rulings to address something that is not currently covered by the rules. Candidates can request a clarification or interpretation of the election rule or ruling from the Returning Officers anytime during an election via elections.hisa@uhi.ac.uk. Any clarifications, interpretations or rulings issued by the Returning Officers will be posted on the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) Updates Board.

Election Complaints Complaints about election candidates and/ or members of their campaign team can only be submitted via our online Student Elections Candidates Complaints Form. All complaints about election candidates and/ or members of their campaign teams must be submitted before the close of voting and must contain the following information: Details of what election rule(s) and/or ruling(s) you believe was broken. Details of where and when you believethe election rule(s) was broken. A copy of any evidence you have to support your complaint that an election rule(s) was broken.

Election Complaints Any complaints and concerns about the election rules and elections process should be emailed to the Deputy Returning Officer via elections.hisa@uhi.ac.uk.

Election Expenses Everything you use for your campaign must be accounted for in your Election Expenses, whether you have purchased it or not. In the Student Election there are two types of election expenses: Campaigns Expenses Travel Expenses

Election Expenses Cross-Campus Officer Campaigns Expenses Candidates for Cross-Campus Officer roles can claim and spend 40 of funding from HISA and spend up to 20 of their own money. ( 60 in total) Local Officer Campaigns Expenses Candidates for Local Officer roles can claim and spend 20 of funding from HISA and spend up to 10 of their own money. ( 30 in total)

Election Expenses Travel Expenses Candidates for the following roles can claim and spend an additional 50 of funding from HISA on pre-authorised travel costs to campaign: Students Association President Vice President Education Argyll Depute President North, West & Hebrides Depute President (Islands) North, West & Hebrides Depute President (North) North, West & Hebrides Depute President (West)

Election Expenses All candidates must submit an Elections Expenses Form regardless of whether they have spent anything for their campaign Everything you use for your campaign must be recorded on your Election Expenses Form. Candidates must contact the Deputy Return Officer to request a cost be assigned for items, materials and service where a receipt or proof of purchase cannot be produced.

Election Expenses Election Expense Forms, along with relevant receipts, must be submitted to the Deputy Returning Officer before the close of voting at 4pm, Thursday 13th March 2025. The Election Expenses Form can be found on the Candidates Resources page on the HISA website.

Written Warnings Any candidates who are found to be in breach of the Election Rules will; In the first instance, be issued with a written warning from either the Returning Officer or the Deputy Returning Officers. In the instance of continual breaches, be issued a second and final written warning from either the Returning Officer or the Deputy Returning Officers. In the instance of continual breaches after a second and final written warning will be disqualified from the election.

Voting Process & Voting System

Voting Process Voting Opens: Monday 10th March @ 10am Voting Closes: Thursday 13th March @ 4pm Voting in HISA s elections is done online, which means voting is accessible from any computer or smart device with an internet browser, at any point during the voting period. Students can vote @ https://hisa.uhi.ac.uk/vote by signing in with their UHI log on details.

Voting System HISA uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV) proportionalvoting system for its Student Elections. The Single Transferable Vote (STV) voting system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference instead of limiting voters to selecting a single candidate. Voters can select No Further Preferences (NFP) or Re-Open Nominations (RON) once they have ranked as many or as few candidates as they want.

Voting System Under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system a candidate needs to reach a set amount of votes, known as the quota, to get elected. The quota formular is ( )+ 1 = + 1 Number of Votes Number of vote needed to be elected Number Places

Voting System INSERT VIDEO HERE

Polling Stations HISA will be operating on campus Polling Stations at the following locations during the voting period: Inverness Moray Perth

Voting Problems Student(s) encountering issues or problems voting online need to email elections.hisa@uhi.ac.uk as soon as possible (ASAP) with the following details so the HISA Elections Team can investigate: Full Name UHI email address Student Number Details of the issue(s) that they are encountering.

Dates & Deadlines

Candidate Workshops We will be running threeoptional workshops to help candidates get started on writing their manifesto and planning their campaign: An Introduction to Manifesto Writing Friday 21st February, 12pm to 1pm & Monday 24th February, 5pm to 6pm An Introduction to In-Person Campaigning Friday 21st February, 2pm to 3pm & Monday 24th February, 6pm to 7pm An Introduction to Online Campaigning Friday 21st February, 4pm to 5pm & Monday 24th February, 7pm to 8pm

HISA Staff Speed Meet We will be running two Speed Meet sessions on Tuesday 25th February to give candidates an opportunity to meet with key HISA Staff members that are relevant to the role that they are running for. Afternoon Session: 12pm to 1.30pm Evening Session: 5pm to 6.30pm A list HISA staff members available to Speed Meet with can be found in the HISA Who s Who on the Candidates Resources page.

Manifesto Deadline All candidates are required to upload a photo to their nomination on the HISA website by noon (12:00), Thursday 27th February 2025. Candidates for Cross-Campus Officer rolesare also required to add a manifesto to their nomination on the HISA website by noon (12:00), Thursday 27th February. Candidatesfor Local Officer roles can add a manifesto to their nomination on the HISA website up until noon (12:00), Thursday 27th February.

Manifesto Deadline There are no minimum or maximum word counts for manifestos on the HISA website. Manifestos on the HISA website can include images, graphics, tables, text, and videos. Manifestos on the HISA website can contain both attachments and hyperlinks.

Manifesto Launch HISA will officially announce the list of candidates for the 2025 Student Elections on its website and social media channels on Monday 3rd March at noon (12:00). Candidate photos and manifestos added to the HISA website will become visible for students (and staff members) to view via https://hisa.uhi.ac.uk/studentvoice/elections. All UHI students will receive an electronic copy of the Candidates Guide via email.

Candidates Catch-Ups On each day of voting Deputy Returning Officer will be holding Candidates Catch-Ups between 9.15am and 9.45am. Candidates Catch-Ups will include Updates on the voting stats Updates on any election rulings & clarifications Campaigning Tips

Election Timeline Candidate Workshops: Friday 21st February 2025 Monday 24th February 2025 HISA Speed Date: Tuesday 25th February 2025 Manifesto Deadline: Noon (12:00) Thursday 27th February 2025 Online Campaigning Starts: Monday10am 3rd March 2025 Manifestos Launch: Noon (12:00) Monday 3rd March

Election Timeline In-Person Campaigning Starts: 10am, Monday 10th March 2025 Voting Opens: 10am, Monday 10th March 2025 Voting Closes: 4pm, Thursday 13th March 2025 Election Expenses Deadline: 4pm, Thursday 13th March 2025 Election Results Announcement: 5pm, Friday 14th March 2025

More Information Candidate Resources The Candidate Resources page contains a copy of the 2025 Student Elections Candidate Pack, the Campaigns Catalogue, Election Expenses From, and manifesto writing resources. https://hisa.uhi.ac.uk/candidateresources Election Rules The Election Rules page contains a copy of the election rules And rulings, as well as information about the Returning Officers and election complaints. https://hisa.uhi.ac.uk/electionrules

Any Questions?