This page contains information you will find useful as a candidate in the Summer Elections 2024. It is a useful resource before, during and after the elections and you're strongly encouraged to read the information on this page before running. Everyone standing for a position will be required to indicate that they have read the rules of the election before being allowed to participate. If you have any questions, please contact the Elections Team.
On this page
- Election Information & Rules - outlines the rules, campaigning tips and other key information
- Eligibility and Nominations
- DRO Reports - for all the latest rulings from the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO)
- Training and Support for Candidates - for nominations, campaigning and induction into your new roles
- Elections Team - understand who is running your Summer Elections and who to contact
- Declaring your Campaign Spending - how to declare your election spending after campaigning
- Publicity Banners - the material which can be included on your publicity material
- Complaints Form - if you would like to raise a concern about the conduct of a candidate in this election
- Stand for a role - I just want to nominate myself for a role
Election Information & Rules
Summer Election 2024 Timetable
- Nominations open: 12:00, Wednesday 29 May
- Nominations close: 14:00, Friday 7 June
- Candidate manifesto deadline: 13:40, Monday 10 June
- Candidate briefing: 12:00, Monday 10 June
- Candidates revealed and campaigning begins: 14:00, Monday 10 June
- Voting opens: 14:00, Monday 10 June
- Voting closes: 14:00, Thursday 13 June
- Results released: 17:00, Friday 14 June
Positions Available
The Summer Elections aim to fill the positions which were not filled in our Leadership Elections. Click here to see a list of the positions available in the Summer Elections 2024.
Campaigning
Campaigning is only allowed during the campaigning period which begins at 14:00 on 10 June.
Of course, you are free to tell your friends you are running before then, but you are not allowed to launch any campaign content until the campaign period starts. For more information, please see 'Campaigning Support'.
Campaign Budgets
Candidates for all positions may spend up to £25 on their campaigns, but as all roles in this election are part-time roles, candidates will not be reimbursed. This covers anything that can be construed as campaigning.
It is a requirement that you declare your spending using this form by 17:00 on 13 June 2024 to elections@imperial.ac.uk. Candidates will need to include any printing costs in their campaign budget. Printing costs will follow the standard College prices. You can find further information regarding submitting your spend declaration below.
Election Rules
Imperial College Union's elections are governed by the Union's byelaws, and rules set by the Returning Officer, which ensure fairness and accessibility while rewarding energy and enthusiasm. By nominating yourself for a role, you agree that you have read and understood all of the relevant rules and policies.
- All candidates (except CSP candidates) must attend a Candidates Briefing which will take place at 12:00 on Monday 10 June.
- The Returning Officer for the summer elections is the Director of Membership Services, Cat Turhan.
- The Deputy Returning Officers for the summer elections are Helena Schofield (leadership roles) and Robert Fenner (CSP roles).
SE24 Rules
1. Any activity or publicity that is illegal, breaches College rules, policies and codes or Union bye-laws, regulations, policies or constitution or GDPR is deemed to be in breach of the election rules.
2. The College is still a place of work for students and staff alike during the election period. Candidates must not do anything to disrupt the normal operations of College or the Union during campaigning.
3. The RO/DRO reserve the right to suspend the elections in the event of a circumstance beyond the Union’s control. This may include but not limited to: acts of God, war, strikes or labour disputes, embargoes, acts of competent government or regulatory authorities, pandemic, quarantine or widespread illness, illness of members of staff, actual, suspected or threatened act of terrorism, riot, civil disorder, or any other ‘force majeure’ event.
4. Lecture shout outs are prohibited unless permission is provided by the lecturer.
5. Lecture chat functions must not be used for campaigning without permission of the lecturer or organiser.
6. Any expenditure must be on activity or items that all candidates could reasonably have had the opportunity to buy or carry out.
7. All campaign material, including any paid for social media advertising, must be accounted for and spend declared, with a suitable receipt.
8. No candidates’ publicity may appear before the beginning of campaigning as stated in the Elections timeline.
9. Use of the Union or College logo on campaign material is prohibited apart from the publicity banners provided [see below on this webpage].
10. Permission must be sought when posters are placed on non-designated poster boards in departments and halls of residences. Designated poster boards are:
a. On Union Building poster boards with the exception of the bar areas and the Union Dining Hall and those covered in glass.
b. Stairway noticeboards at St. Mary’s, on each floor.
c. Glass notice boards at SAF and in UMO student post room.
d. Reynolds First floor walls and basement walls
e. Sherfield walkway
11. All publicity must be in English only or have an English translation of anything said in a foreign language, the translation being equal or greater in prominence.
12. Publicity stunts may not occur on the Queen’s Lawn, Queen’s Lawn Terrace, Prince’s Gardens, or Dalby Court without the consent of the College Secretary. They should never be offensive or dangerous – including contravening Health & Safety considerations. A risk assessment must have been submitted and approved, and appropriate permissions must be sought.
13. Candidates and their campaign team may not harass, coerce, bribe or use intimidation to persuade someone to vote or whom to vote for.
14. Candidates and their campaign team must not obscure, tamper with or remove the publicity of any other candidates nor any publicity for non-election related issues or events.
15. Campaign material and activities must not cause damage to College or Union property.
16. Candidates are allowed to use social media or digital communication chat functions, mailing lists, and other forms of group communication only if they have collected consent to be contacted from those individuals during the campaign period and the group was formed for the sole purpose of campaigning in this election.
Eligibility and nominations
- You must be a current student enrolled on a programme at Imperial College for the full academic year.
- You must meet the eligibility of specific roles, for example, you can only be a Department Rep for the Department you study in.
- The Union will check that candidates are eligible to run with the College prior to the start of campaigning.
- If you fail to meet the above requirements you shall be withdrawn from the election.
Putting yourself forward for nomination
To enter the election process, you first need to put yourself up for nomination. This is a simple online procedure that involves you logging into the Elections voting website using your College login, and then choosing which position you would like to stand for.
Once you have put yourself forward as a candidate, you will be asked for the username of a fellow student to 'second' or support your nomination.
Your 'seconder' will receive an email notification and won't need to take any further action if they're happy to support your nomination.
Candidate Briefing
All candidates, excluding CSP candidates, will need to attend a compulsory candidate briefing session before they can begin campaigning. This will take place at 12:00 on Monday 10 June via Teams. Candidates will be sent an email with the Teams link after submitting their nomination, and prior to the session.
CSP voting eligibility requirements
If you purchase membership in a CSP after nominations close, you will not be eligible to vote in the current election.
DRO Reports
The rules of the elections will be interpreted and enforced by a Deputy Returning Officer (DRO). The DRO will handle complaints and issue rulings on breaches and other matters according to the rules.
Training & Support for candidates
Imperial College Union offers comprehensive training for elected representatives with tailored programmes for different positions. Constituent Union leaders will benefit from a Union induction programme as well as support from their predecessors.
Academic & Wellbeing Representatives, Liberation & Community Officers, and Postgraduate Representatives, and CSP leaders will also be required to attend training, with the initial sessions usually being delivered between August and September. They should also receive handovers from their predecessors.
We will contact successful candidates with details of induction and or training sessions. We ask that all elected representatives attend training in order to understand Imperial College Union, meet fellow leaders, and learn how to be successful in their role.
As well as role-specific training, Imperial College Union also offers skills-based training throughout the academic year, supporting our volunteers to develop skills such as public speaking, volunteer leadership, and time management.
Nominations support
The following training support will be available during the Nominations period to help you with your candidacy.
Online Hub:
The Union's Training Hub provides an opportunity for you to learn at your own convenience. There will be material available on the Hub during the elections which are specifically designed to help you with your candidacy.
Writing Successful Manifestos
This will help you prepare your manifesto with information on how to craft your platform, as well as tips on language and persuasion.
View this on the Training Hub
Inclusive Campaigning:
This course will equip you with the tools to craft a campaign that reaches as many of your peers as possible with tips to help you connect with the whole Imperial community.
View this on the Training Hub
Campaigning support
All candidates are required to read the rules of the elections before standing for a position. A Candidates' Brief will also be held just before the start of campaigning and all candidates for major positions must attend. There are very strict sanctions for breaching the election rules, many of which may not be obvious to candidates. Attending a session gives you the opportunity to ask questions, clarify rules and get useful information about the elections. Remember, ignorance of the rules is not a defence against breaches and sanctions will be applied to anyone who breaks them. The aim is to run a free and fair election that is as stress free as possible to all involved. If you are running for a role that is not a CSP Committee position and you are not able to attend the briefing, please let the Deputy Returning Officers know at elections@imperial.ac.uk.
Wellbeing Support
Elections is a stressful time and you will invest a lot of time and emotion into your campaigns, but the most important thing is to look after yourself! Remember to take time out, eat, sleep and be kind to yourself!
If you ever feel overwhelmed by the Elections, make sure you talk to someone! If your concern is related to your campaign, someone else's campaign, or the campaigning process, please contact the Elections Team. The Union Advice Centre can also help to signpost you to the most appropriate service if you are unsure. You can contact them by emailing advice@imperial.ac.uk
Elections Team
The Summer Elections 2024 are managed by a Working Group of Imperial College Union involving a cross-section of teams. The rules are governed by a Returning Officer, who is responsible for ensuring the elections are fair. The Returning Officer will make the final and binding decision on any rule breaches or complex queries raised by candidates and members.
The Returning and Deputy Returning Officers can be contacted on elections@imperial.ac.uk.
Declaring your Campaign Spending
All candidates must submit their spend declaration to elections@imperial.ac.uk by 17:00 on 13th June 2024. Here's a step-by-step guide to submitting it:
- Download the Spend Declaration Template
- Review the Spend Declaration Sample to see a completed version
- Complete the Spend Declaration with your name, username, position, and expenditures
- Gather all of your paper receipts and take photos
- Gather screenshots or attachable files of all electronic receipts
- Ensure all receipt files have your name and the item type included in the file name - for example 'John Doe - Badges.jpg'
- Send one email to elections@imperial.ac.uk with the subject line '<Your Name> <Your Role> - Spend Declaration' - for example 'John Doe - CGCU President - Spend Declaration'
- If you are running for more than one position, please complete one declaration template for each position
- If you have spent no money on your campaign, please simply send an email telling us your expenditure was zero.
- Please predict spending that will take place on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, or can't be billed until afterwards
- If receipts are not available, other evidence of cost will suffice
- If you have any questions, please contact the Elections Team on elections@imperial.ac.uk
Publicity Banners
All promotional material created by candidates - such as posters or websites - may include the publicity banner which saves you the task of adding basic information such as the voting period and website.
Posters (click for example)
Full Colour
Monochrome (black on white)
Monochrome (white on black)
Complaints Information
1. Breaches of the campaign rules are taken seriously to ensure the elections are fair. If you would like to make a complaint about the conduct of anyone involved in the Summer Elections 2024, you will need to put these in writing using our complaints form.
2. Complaints should be submitted within 24 hours of the incident in question or at the earliest possible moment.
4. Complaints cannot be anonymous, and the ruling by the RO or DROs regarding any complaint may be communicated to all candidates within the election
5. The RO or DROs may make a ruling including, but not limited to, the following sanctions. Depending on the severity of the breach, any or all of these steps may be by-passed when making a ruling.
I. Warning
II. Suspension of campaigning
III. Indefinite suspension of campaign pending disqualification
IV. Having taken the advice of the DRO, the RO may decide to disqualify a candidate, order a re-run, set aside ballot papers, or uphold a recommendation to require payment of a fine where candidate action has caused physical damage to property as required.
6. All complaints must be received by the complaints deadline stated in the Elections timeline.
7. The RO’s decision on all complaints is final.