Being an elected officer in a students' union is an amazing experience that will allow you to take part in a variety of exciting and important changes for students. You will be encouraging student group activity on campus, representing students to the University, ensuring students get everything they need to be successful at Manchester Met. No two days are the same for an officer, and you never get bored.
My role is to ensure the elections are fair and that students can make an informed decision when selecting their next student leaders. I wish you all the best in running a successful election campaign. Good luck.
Peter Robertson
NUS Charity Director
The Union, MMU Returning Officer 2024
International Student rules
International students are encouraged to stand for election as a Sabbatical Officer and students with a Student Visa are permitted to take a position as a Sabbatical Officer with Manchester Metropolitan Students’ Union. You should however check with the international office / The Union to be sure.
Manchester Metropolitan University can sponsor you under Student Visa during your year working as a Sabbatical Officer. If you are re-elected to the post for second year, we can continue our sponsorship following this.
If you are elected as a Sabbatical Officer, you can then request a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) to enable you to make your Student Visa application to cover the period you will be working in the role. If you are re-elected to the role for a second year, you should then request a further CAS in line with the above procedures.
You can work full time as a Sabbatical Officer with a Student Visa and you can also undertake additional work on a part-time basis up to a maximum of 20 hours per week.
You can work as a Sabbatical Officer before you have completed your course of study, however this does need to be agreed by your academic school in advance and we advise you to speak to your personal tutor about this in the first instance.
More information about being a Sabbatical Officer and Student Visas can be found at the UKCISA website.
The International Operations Team is available through the Student Hub or email.
Candidates should read this in conjunction with byelaw 3 of the constitution. Candidates should also refer to The Union's Code of Conduct.
Elections are an opportunity to show the student population at Manchester Met why you are the best person to represent them and lead The Union. We want these rules to guide a free, fair and fun process.
Our general philosophy is that we expect candidates to conduct themselves in a way that is fair and reasonable. Engaging in an equal and positive campaign that helps students gain an understanding of how different candidates intend to improve future student experience. The guiding principle of these rules is that you should not attempt to gain or act on an unfair advantage. If you think you are breaking ours or other rules and laws, then you probably are. We urge you to consult with The Union before putting in place any action that you think possibly contradicts any rules, as afterwards may be too late.
We expect candidates to ensure that they, and their campaign teams, support this and ask all candidates to sign a Campaigns Pledge (still to be made) before campaigning starts to show you are aware that you will be held liable for your own actions or anyone acting on your behalf or in your interest. The Union will put in place compulsory campaigns meetings where we will confirm the understanding of the rules.
Please note
No campaigning, including announcing your candidacy or influencing voters can take place until the final candidate list has been announced, which should be on XX February.
The Deputy Returning Officer for 2024, originally Eleanor Ibi, is now Paul Norman. Paul should be contacted for any complaints, procedure queries and can be contacted at the original Returning Officer email address.
Only full members of The Union may stand in The Union elections. This means you must be registered on a course at Manchester Met University and not have opted out of Union membership. For the Officer Elections you must also be able to fulfil the role of trustee under the Charities Commissions eligibility rules. In summary you:
Must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
Must not previously been removed from trusteeship of a charity by a Court or the Charity Commission.
Must not be under a disqualification order under the Company Directors’ Disqualification Act 1986.
Must not have been convicted of an offence involving deception or dishonesty (unless the conviction is spent). In some cases even spent convictions may disqualify you from office.
We do not want access to finance to be a deciding factor in standing for election. To ensure spending is fair and equitable candidates may not spend more than the allocated amount for Student Officer Elections.
The cap on spending for the Student Officer Elections is £50
For those running in a Candidate Team of multiple candidates you cannot share the expense, but each candidate remains responsible for not exceeding the caps on spending and we will only reimburse individual candidates.
The Union will reimburse an element of the spend after the results are announced and all receipts have been submitted. All receipts or acceptable proof of spend must be kept and submitted to the Deputy Returning Officer by the close of voting at XX:XX on X February. We will be unable to reimburse any candidates who do not supply us with receipts before this deadline.
Candidates are responsible for ensuring that they have permission to post publicity or to canvass in specified areas. Any publicity that is deemed to break The Union’s equal opportunities policy will be treated very seriously. Candidates should also be aware that they are responsible for any activities carried out by their supporters and the publicity that they distribute on your behalf.
Whilst publicity does not need to be approved by The Union, if you are unsure in any way about the content then we strongly advise you check with us before going to print or distribution. To do this you should contact s.u.elections@mmu.ac.uk. You can print out as many posters and flyers as you wish but The Union does advise against using this type of publicity, any expenditure must be accounted and recorded for (receipts) and cannot go over your budget of £50.
You must not interfere with other candidate's or anyone else's poster in any way, such as moving or covering them up.
We would advise that you speak to members of University and Union staff in the reception areas before posting anything in their respective buildings. It is important to seek their advice about where is best to put your promotional materials, this should help avoid them being removed.
Where possible, we ask for you to use Blu Tac and not Sellotape to put up posters. You can also produce your own election videos and upload them on to your own website, but please keep in mind any costs (for example paying for a domain name etc.) will need to be accounted for, recorded and receipted and cannot go over your budget of £50. You can also upload a video to YouTube and add it to the website where your manifesto is, this will need to be done by the manifesto deadline on XX February 2025.
We will be letting the staff in charge of facilities (Residential services and Estates Operations) at the University know when campaigning for elections should take place and when they might expect candidates to come along. It is down to you to organise this with the following people:
All Saints Student Living (Cambridge and Cavendish): studentliving@mmu.ac.uk / 0161 247 1324
Birley Student Living (Archway, Vine,Dunham, warde, Naylor and Dale): studentliving@mmu.ac.uk / 0161 247 2777
Unite Students (Rosamund House, New Medlock, Parkway Gaste, Artisan heights and Mill Point): 0300 303 8642
We remind you that you’re responsible for your actions and the actions of your campaign team whilst carrying this out.
We will take all complaints we receive from students and from the University very seriously and these will be investigated. We also specify that whilst you can take flyers around with you to give to people when you speak to them, you should not just post flyers under doors as this causes unnecessary litter.
Any current student can endorse and be a supporter of your election campaign as an individual. The exception to this is if that student holds a democratic post within The Union such as club or society committee member, Course Rep, council member or elected Student Officer. In which case they should make sure their support is approved through our democratic processes.
If any of The Union’s clubs, societies or other groups wish to endorse a candidate or a group of candidates then they must ensure that this is done via a democratic decision of the committee. Guidelines have been created for clubs and societies, including a form to complete declaring their support of a particular candidate. Failure to follow these rules is likely to be seen as gaining an unfair advantage and severely damage your campaign.
If the club, society or other group then decides to send out a message via email or Facebook on your behalf they must include a link to the website where all other candidates’ manifestos can be read.
Please do not use your own access to databases and contact information that you have as a committee member of a club or society, Course Rep or any other Union group. This is likely to be seen as gaining an unfair advantage. Please send your request to the committee to distribute to their members. If you are a committee member, we strongly recommend that you do not form part of this activity and offer your apologies for any committee meetings discussing the elections.
The Union cannot be seen to be indebted to an external organisation. Therefore, we do not allow endorsement by any external charity or private company. For example, a local business would not be able to appear on your promotional material nor can they openly support a single candidate or Candidate Team. We recommend caution if accepting any financial support or influence on the student community from external organisations and strongly recommend that you check with us beforehand.
When campaigning you should not appear to be connected to any charity or organisation, wearing Union, University or external organisation staff clothing, which could suggest support from that organisation. You cannot receive payment for campaigning, so do not do it during any rota’d hours. Always ask us for guidance if you plan to campaign in branded clothing from a relevant organization.
The best way to attract votes is to show yourself in a positive light. What you want to achieve if elected, what drives you to want to make a difference. Detracting from others, or negative campaigning, is often counterproductive and talking about others takes away the opportunity to talk about yourself.
Interaction with other candidates not supporting you should be done with respect and courtesy. Focus on making your own campaign as engaging as it can be and avoid negative arguments, especially personal comments that turn voters away and are likely to break the rules.
All content must be consistent with The Union’s policies including The Union’s equal opportunities policy and membership code. Potential breaches will be treated very seriously by The Union. Candidates should also be aware that they are responsible for any activities carried out by their supporters and the content that they distribute on your behalf or in your interest.
As well as physical banners, props and posters, you can also produce your own election videos and upload them on to your own website and share on social media, but please keep in mind any costs (for example paying for a domain name) will need to be accounted for, recorded and receipted and cannot go over your budget of £50. If you decide to create a campaign video and upload it to YouTube then you can submit the link alongside your plain text manifesto by XX February 2025, 23:59.
Candidate Team
The Union understands that students may wish to run together and this is allowed. When you form a Candidate Team, you should be aware that you become jointly responsible for the activities carried out by the team benefitting the candidate. Individual candidates, those not in a Candidate Team, are also likely to be held accountable for the actions of their supporters so please make sure they understand the rules. The fact that you were not aware of your team members actions does not automatically mean you will not be sanctioned if your team has been deemed to have gained an unfair advantage.
There must be no ‘negative campaigning’; such as candidates or supporters making unsupported attacks on other candidate’s manifestos or personal nature. Any challenge which is deemed to be personal is not allowed. Each individual candidate will be accountable, and will only be reimbursed, for their own budget allocation.
Conduct
Candidates are ambassadors for Manchester Met students and The Union expects everyone to conduct themselves civilly and honestly. Any conduct or publicity deemed to break The Union’s policies, University’s student policies or the law will be treated very seriously. Candidates should also be aware that they are responsible for any activities carried out by their campaign team. If you are unsure about any activity that you intend to carry out during the elections period then The Union strongly advises you check before doing so.
Never assist a student to vote – This is against the regulations
Never be present when students are voting. Every electronic device is a ballot box of sorts and students must be allowed to vote in private without feeling . Treat it like putting a pin number into an ATM machine, back away and allow students to vote in secret. Even if the student asks you to help you should explain that you cannot and direct them to a Union staff member. Persuade students to vote for you but never try to ensure that they do. Never give your own devices to students so they can vote using them.
IT Suite Campaigning – This is against the regulations
It is against the rules to campaign in IT Suites on the University campus. Feedback from students is that they find this intrusive and poorly timed. Students don’t seem to appreciate having their work interrupted and so it is unlikely to persuade them to vote for you. The University have also asked us not to allow it. Play it safe, there are 37,000 students so you can find them in lots of other places.
Interrupting other candidates as they make their pitch to students
Elections can be tough, and running against other active candidates can spur you on to succeed. Always conduct your campaign fairly and with respect, students will see it and respond. Campaigning fair is important and so is having respect for the candidates you may be running against.
To stay within the rules:
Do not gain an unfair advantage, what you do should be accessible to all candidates so utilising privileged positions or personal connections is likely to be against the rules
Make sure your campaign team and supporters stay within the rules or check first before carrying out any actions
Do not spend over £50. Please keep receipts or proof of purchase, be able to prove spend when asked to do so
Never walk voters through the process of voting for you and treat the voting process like using an ATM
Do not wear staff clothing or branded items from The Union, University or external organisations without checking with us first
If in a Candidate Team be careful not to do anything that can harm your team
Make sure any endorsements from Union clubs and societies are done correctly
If you have any concerns, even minor ones, about any aspect of the rules or your plans check with us before you do it at s.u.elections@mmu.ac.uk.
Complaints
The Election rules are governed by the Returning Officer, who will be a member of NUS staff. The Deputy Returning Officer is a member of Union staff, Paul Norman.
Any complaints about candidate and campaigner conduct must be submitted within 24 hours of the alleged incident, via The Union’s online complaints form, and will include the following information:
Name and contact details of person making complaint (anonymous complaints will not be considered, and cannot be evidenced by a third party)
Name of candidate being complained about
Details of incident (including time and date)
Details of any witnesses
Details of which rules have been broken
Supporting evidence, unsupported complaints are unlikely to be successful
All complaints will be investigated by the Deputy Returning Officer in the first instance, who will consider the evidence and refer to the returning officer for decision. This ruling will be communicated to all parties involved and included in the annual Deputy Returning Officer’s Elections Report. Any decisions made by the Returning Officer are final.
All complaints pertaining the conduct of candidates in the election must be received by the Deputy Returning Officer by the close of elections. Any complaints received after this time can only relate to the conduct of the count. Any complaints received after this time will not be investigated as part of the elections process (although they may be considered under the provision of Byelaw 3 of the Students’ Union Constitution). Sanctions available to the Returning Officer include, but are not limited to, bans from campaigning for an allocated period, public statements of sanction by Students’ Union via website and social media, and disqualification of a candidate from the election.
Any questions, challenges and complaints about these rules or the conduct of the elections must be made in writing to the Deputy Returning Officer as soon as possible. The Deputy Returning Officer is Paul Norman who can be can be contacted at s.u.elections@mmu.ac.uk.
Incumbent Officer and student staff rules and regulations
Along with the general election rules, our student staff and current Student Officers have rules to follow during elections. These must be adhered to whether they are standing for election or not.
Student Officers who are re-running
Officers may re-run or choose to campaign for another candidate, however there are several rules in place that they must follow.
These rules are designed to protect the officers and support fairness during election.
These rules are not an exhaustive list and if you have any doubt or questions please do not hesitate to contact The Deputy Returning Officer, Paul Norman
We will be carrying out promotional work to encourage students to run. We may ask current officers to get involved with this, but they must remember the aim is to get as many candidates as possible to run. This includes promoting candidates standing in elections through all means they have available.
The rules are as follows:
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers Standing for re-election
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers must take leave from 24 February, when voting opens. Officers may continue to work up until that point if they wish as long as they are not using their position, time in work or union resources to campaign or publicize their candidacy. Once the candidates are announced, incumbent officers may campaign outside of office hours and without using Union resources or access to candidates that they have by virtue of their office. The Union may, in cases of necessity or emergency, require officers to work at specific times during the election period, however these will be kept at a minimum.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to stand for re-election must not actively campaign during their core working hours (10:00-16:00), or when clocked in as working, when leave or time off in lieu has not been taken.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to attend elections sessions as prospective candidates must take this time as a break or as time off in lieu. For clarification, attending an elections session is not defined as active campaigning. Officers should attend these sessions as potential candidates and not as Officers, as such, where possible, Officers are asked not to wear name badges, Union branded clothing etc. that they would wear as part of their role.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers supporting and/or campaigning for a candidate
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to show support for a candidate in the elections must declare this by completing a declaration form, stating reasons for their support. This must be completed after the publication of nominations and manifestos and must be given to the Deputy Returning Officer before the start of the voting period. Only after the Deputy Returning Officer receives a declaration of support can an Officer use their position to support said candidate in the elections. In the interest of fairness and transparency, Officers should be open about their support and reasons for support of a candidate in the elections. Officers should have the interests of the membership in mind when declaring support for a candidate.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to support and actively campaign for another candidate must declare this. All campaigning activity must take place outside of core working hours (10:00-16:00 including any breaks taken and not when clocked in as working) and using only personal social media accounts. Officers may apply to take leave for campaigning purposes but this must be booked in advance following standard leave procedures and declared to the Deputy Returning Officer.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to declare support for a candidate but who do not wish to actively campaign for that candidate do not have to take leave.
Publication of election dates
Dates for the nominations, voting period the publication of nominations and manifestos will be widely publicised before the nominations period. These dates may change each year. The Deputy Returning Officer will publicise these dates and rules for Officers before the nominations period.
Access to Union Resources
Where leave or time off in lieu to campaign are approved, Officers are confirming that they will not be working so they should not answer emails, blog or tweet from Union accounts. We will deal with cases of emergency and/or exceptional circumstances where Officers need to work during this period on an issue-by-issue basis in consultation with relevant staff, Officers and the Returning Officer.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to stand for re-election or campaign for another candidate must not use Union resources, except those freely available to them as full members of The Union, to help them campaign; this includes, but is not limited to, their office space, officer computers, iPads and phones. If any of these resources need to be used for work related reasons during the campaign period or during time off, Officers must ensure that they have sought permission from the Deputy Returning Officer, who will liaise with relevant staff where necessary.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers wishing to stand for re-election or campaigning for another candidate must not use resources that are only available to them because of their position in any way to advantage their re-election or the election of a candidate they are supporting; this includes the use of Officer and Union Social Media accounts. Whilst Officers may talk about the fact they are currently in post and the experience they have gained from that, they may not use meetings that they attend to promote themselves whilst working, for example, course rep meetings or sports and society meetings. Officers must not use contacts only available to them because of their role to advantage their re-election, as such, Officers must not direct students to follow them etc. from a Union social media account to a personal social media account.
The Union Staff Policies
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers are entered into a contract of employment with The Union and as such should adhere to all Union policies during the elections process and throughout their employment at The Union. All Union staff policies can be accessed via the Head of People.
Election Rules & Regulations
To access staff in relation to the elections, Officers must do as set out by the rules and regulations and in the way that all other candidates do so.
Incumbent Sabbatical Officers standing for re-election are subject to all other election rules and regulations unless otherwise stated in these rules for Officers.
To nominate yourself for election and to vote you must use your student officer log in to access the website. Any problems with logging in should come via the Deputy Returning Officer who will liaise with Marketing.
Paul Norman is the Deputy Returning Officer for these elections therefore if you have any other questions in relation to elections or are unsure of anything that you want to use and/or do contact the Deputy Returning Officer for clarification, who will liaise with the Returning Officer where necessary.
What about student staff?
The rules are as follows:
As with incumbent Sabbatical Officers the same rules and regulations apply (as above) on the use of Union resources. Part time student staff are permitted to work during campaigning and voting times as The Union does not wish to put any financial strain on students who choose to be involved in our democratic processes.
Every member of staff working for The Union must remain neutral, and appear neutral, in terms of election candidates, promoting democracy rather than individuals’ candidacy, which also applies to student staff. If student staff are either standing for election or are actively campaigning for candidates, they must only do so outside of working hours.
Candidates are responsible for the actions of their campaign teams therefore if any student staff breaks these rules and regulations, regardless as to whether they are a candidate themselves, the breach will be taken seriously by the Deputy Returning Officer and could result in disqualification of a candidate.
As with incumbent Sabbatical Officers the same rules and regulations apply (as above) on the access to staff.
Student staff cannot wear their Union uniform at any time whilst campaigning or helping others as The Union as an organisation must remain neutral at all times.
