SU elections happen three times a year: the Autumn Term, the Spring Term & Summer Term.
During Spring Officer Elections, 7 Full time Officers are elected;
- President
- Vice President for Education
- Vice President for Postgraduate Students
- Vice President for Democracy & Development
- Vice President for Welfare & Campaigns
- Vice President for Sports
- Vice President for Societies
Plus 7 Part-Time Officers (PTO's);
- Trans Students' Officer
- LGBTQUA+ Officer
- Women's Officer
- Ethnic Minorities Officer
- Disabled Students' Officer
- Environment and Ethics Officer
- Widening Participation Officer
During Autumn Elections, 3 Part-Time Officers are elected (International Students' Officers x2, Part-Time & Mature Students' Officer &, along with Faculty Reps and Course Reps, plus 7 SU Committees to oversee SU services and hold Officers to account.
- Democracy Committee
- Development Committee
- Postgraduate Committee
- Sports Committee
- Societies Committee
- Welfare Committee
- Environmental Committee
- Education Committee
You can find out what each of them do via www.warwicksu.com/elections/available-roles
You can also see below some useful links and documents about the Spring, Summer and Autumn Elections below.
Do use the accessible social media guide and manifesto document to gain a better understanding of running a more inclusive campaign!
Rules
Rules and Guidelines for SU Spring Officer Election Candidates
For all rules and regulations on SU Spring Officer Elections, see the Candidate Guide here
All SU recognised Sports Clubs and Societies are ran democratically, therefore Exec committee members are elected by the membership of that club / society. The information below details the rules and guidance for running an SU club or Society election
Rules and Guidance
Rules and Guidance for Student Group Elections & Student Trustee Elections
Academic Experience is what unites all students at Warwick and nationally. Your Academic interests are represented by the Full-Time Officers, and also Faculty and Course representatives. All of these representatives are elected by you.
Rules and Guidance
Rules and Guidance for SU Academic Rep Elections
Got questions? Hopefully a few of them are answered below, but please contact us if you have more!
What are these Elections for?
The multitude of elections held at the SU is to ensure the SU is led by YOU, whether that be through voting in a sports club election for your Captain, or nominating yourself for the SU President role.
Autumn Elections --> 3 Part-Time Officers, remaining committee positions, NUS Conference Delegates and all Course, Department and Faculty Representatives
Spring Elections --> 7 Full-Time Officers & 7 Part-Time Officers
Summer Elections --> Committee members and Faculty Representatives
What is a Student Officer, and am I eligible?
A Student Officer is a one year, full-time, paid position. This means you would need to defer your studies for a year while in post or wait until your third year to nominate yourself. Anyone who is a student at Warwick University can nominate themselves for any of the Student Officer positions, regardless of year of study or what campus you are based on. A Student Officer is a full Trustee of the Students’ Union and you can find more specific descriptions of the roles at www.warwicksu.com/elections/available-roles
Can I run to be a Student Officer if I am an International Student?
Yes! The SU can help sponsor your VISA if elected and you can speak to the SU Democracy Team about any further queries you have.
What is a Part-Time Officer?
A Part-Time Officer is a one year unpaid position, undertaken alongside studying. The roles often involve campaigning and raising awareness of Liberation and Diversity issues and Environment issues. You can find more specific descriptions of the roles at www.warwicksu.com/elections/available-roles
Why should I consider nominating myself for a position?
Even if you do not succeed in your candidacy, campaigning and meeting new students is a fantastic experience that will equip you with new outlooks and new skills. Campaigning should be a fun experience where you meet new people and gain confidence, as well as speak up for what you believe and show how you can Make your Mark on the lives of 24,000+ students at Warwick.
Does my vote count and make a difference?
Absolutely it does! In a recent election, a candidate won by only 30 out of several thousand votes to become your current Student Officer. Most Student Officer elections are decided by less than 200 votes. Quite simply, your vote and the vote of just everyone in your lecture could change the entire result. So don’t let the decisions be made on your behalf - vote!
Voting is all online at https://www.warwicksu.com/elections
Where can I find out about the candidates and what they stand for?
You can find the full candidate list at www.warwicksu.com/elections. All the candidates will upload manifestos here so have a browse and see who you’d like to cast your vote for.
STV, or Single Transferable Vote, is a system of preferential voting designed to minimise 'wasted' votes and provide proportional representation.
RON isn't actually a candidate – it stands for Re-Open Nominations. You can put RON as a preference if you feel that the remaining candidates are not suitable for the position. Voting RON is an active vote against the other candidates – it's not an expression of indifference. If Re-Open Nominations is elected to a position then nominations for that post are re-opened at a later date.
Quorum is the minimum number of votes that have to be cast in order for the election to be valid. We don't think it's particularly democratic if a handful of people decide who your lead representatives are so quorum figures are outlined in the governing documents.
Running a Successful Election Campaign
You can click on the drop-downs below to view our how-to guides for nominating yourself for a role, recommending a friend and uploading a manifesto.
How to... nominate for a role?
How to... upload a manifesto?