Wednesday 24-02-2021 - 15:30

It’s election season once again at The Union, and this year will be slightly different due to all campaigning taking place online. Nevertheless, there are plenty of ways for candidates to get votes and publicise their campaigns. Manifestos go live on Monday 8 March and election candidates will start their race for Student Officer positions. We chatted to your current President, Evelyn, to get their tips on how they would have approached this year’s election. Here’s what they had to say:

 

Are slates still going to be important in an online election? How could they work online?

“I think slates are important every election, online or in person. It's really nice to be able to be in a team and support each other, and know that you share similar goals and ideas for how you think The Union should work for the next year. Be sure to come along to the events The Union is hosting, including the boot camps and training sessions, they're a great way to meet other candidates and can provide a great opportunity to talk to each other about potentially forming a slate. Even if it's just one other person who you can see yourself working with, don't be afraid to reach out to them! Don’t worry if you don't want to form a slate, work on creating a campaigning team of your friends and people who believe in what you want to change — the extra support is 100% worth it.”

 

What would you have done to get votes if you ran this time around?

“If I was running in an election this year I'd talk to my tutors and ask if I could speak at the start or at the end of a lecture for a couple of minutes to talk about the elections and my campaign. I'd also be looking into endorsements from different sports and societies and if you're in a society or sports club — take the opportunity at online socials to chat to them about your campaign. You can also chat to your friends, and their friends, try and get the word out as far as you can about why you're the best person for the role.”

 

How to look after yourself when running in the election? E.g breaks, scheduled times campaigning and chilling, organising meetings with your team/friends

“Try and keep a good sleep schedule and make sure you have breakfast every day. If you feel the need to take a break for your own wellbeing, do! Rely on people in your campaigning team and be honest with them if you need to focus on your mental health. Campaigning can be hard but you'll get more votes when you're not burnt out.”

 

The key dates for Elections 2021:

• Nominations close: Sun 28 Feb
• Manifesto deadline: Fri 5 March
• Campaigning is allowed to start: Mon 8 March
• Voting: Fri 12 – Thurs 18 March
• Results Night: Thurs 18 March