Conduct and Complaints

Conduct

• Candidates and supporters should not undertake campaigns activity which others could not also reasonably do.
• Candidates must take reasonable steps to ensure that their supporter’s actions comply with elections, Union and University rules at all times and must be able to demonstrate this in the event of a complaint against them.
• Candidates and supporters may only use lists and groups where lawful to do so. In most cases this will require the informed consent of the members on the list to use their details, including email and phone number for this purpose. The University’s Global Address Book must not be used to create mailing lists.
• Voters must be able to cast their ballot freely. Candidates and supporters must not communicate, assist, or supervise voters in any way once they have started to vote.
• Campaigning is prohibited in any areas defined by the Deputy Returning Officer. This will include the area around the polling stations, University libraries, and University faith spaces.
• Candidates must consider their health and safety and the health and safety of others when conducting any campaigning activity.
• Candidates must not provide devices of any kind to enable members to vote.
• Students working for the Union, University, or subcontractor must not engage in any campaigning activity during their working hours.

 

Complaints

Any student can submit a complaint about a candidate, their supporter, or about the election process until one hour after the close of voting. These complaints may be on any of the following grounds:

(a) Failure in good conduct of the election.

(b) Behaviour and activities of candidates or their supporters.

(c) The administration of the election.

(d) Breaches of the election rules.

Complaints should normally be supported by evidence.

 

Complaints can be submitted through the complaints form.  Complaints will normally be heard within two working days.

 

In responding to a complaint, the Returning Officer or Deputy Returning Officer, after hearing all the appropriate evidence, may decide to apply any of the following:

(a) Take no action by not upholding the complaint.

(b) Suspend elections for a specified period pending an investigation.

(c) Apply sanctions to specified candidates (see sanctions below).

(d) Hold the election count and decide whether the basis of the complaint has any impact on the outcome of the vote.

(e) Re-run the election