Here is a list of frequently asked questions regarding our main election taking place in February. Please read this list before contacting us at surreydecides@surrey.ac.uk with your question, as you may find the answer below. Check out our video below about a candidate’s journey through the election!

Information for Prospective Candidates

What roles are available? 

Find out about all our available roles here, and find out about your current officers and their typical activities here.

Am I eligible to run in Surrey Decides?  

Eligible: If you are currently a registered student studying for a University of Surrey award, including international students and students on University of Surrey Foundation Year courses, you can run for election. There are some restrictions, however, about who can run for our full-time and our part-time roles. Full-time roles cannot be done alongside study or research, and part-time roles must be done whilst still a University of Surrey student. This means that:

  • If you are in your final year of study at Surrey and are not progressing into further study at Surrey next year, you can run for a full time paid (sabbatical) position only, and you will start this role in the summer after you graduate.
  • If you are not in your final year, you can still run for a full time (sabbatical) officer position but must take a year out from your studies to fulfil the role.  A full time sabbatical officer role cannot be used as a placement year. 
  • Any continuing student (still studying next year or going onto placement) can run for a part-time voluntary role which will be done alongside their studies or work next year. 

Not eligible: If you are a student on an international foundation course or a pre-sessional language course registered with the Surrey International Study Centre, then you are unfortunately not eligible to run in the election.  If you are a Surrey Online Learning student, a student on incoming study exchange who is registered with another academic institution, or a student studying at the University’s DUFE campus, you are unfortunately not eligible to run in the election.

If you are unsure if you are eligible to run in the election, please contact surreydecides@surrey.ac.uk as soon as possible!

I want to run for a full-time role but I might need support in work

If you are eligible to run for a full-time position, and you run in the election and are successful, you would be supported in work by the Union’s HR and staff processes, including support with additional requirements if you have a disability, as you would be a full-time member of staff in the Union. Additionally, as elected Sabbatical Officers, the Union would offer support with paying for an Extended Study Visa if you are currently an international student to enable you to undertake the role if elected. If you are have any questions about working for the Union, please contact surreydecides@surrey.ac.uk as soon as possible.

How do I nominate myself for Surrey Decides? 

Nominations for the election will open on Monday 3 February 2025 at 10:00, and close on Wednesday 12 February at 17:00.  You will need to agree to the election rules which you can read here.

Information for Current Candidates

What is required to be a valid candidate?

  • All candidates must submit a valid nomination form.
  • All candidates must attend the rules briefing or watch the recording. 
  • All candidates must submit a budget declaration, even if no money was spent.
  • Remove all campaign materials from the campus before the election count can take place. 
  • All candidates must abide by the rules of the election. 

How do I improve my chances of being elected?

We highly recommend that you: 

  • Contact the existing officers currently doing the role you are running for, as this will help you understand more about what is involved 
  • Submit a manifesto, ballot photo and ballot name to help voters know who you are
  • Campaign for votes within the rules around campaigning
  • Attend informal candidate training
  • Read information about the election that we will send to you via email
  • Attend Question Time to tell everyone why they should vote for you 
  • Regularly check student email and Microsoft Teams for Surrey Decides information 

What training is available to candidates? 

  • There is a compulsory briefing which takes place on Thursday 13 February at 18:00 online on Microsoft Teams and will also be viewable as a recording after the briefing. 
  • There is an informal training on Saturday 15 February in the Duke of Kent building where you will be able to network with other candidates, discuss your ideas and be supported in preparing for Question Time. 

What support is available?

  • You can contact us at surreydecides@surrey.ac.uk with your questions and we will respond as soon as we can. 
  • Union officers and staff are available to meet with you to discuss your ideas and to share information with you about what it’s like to be an officer in the Union. 
  • We will provide a candidate briefing (compulsory) and training (optional) 
  • You will have access to training materials and templates for your manifesto  
  • We will be in regular contact over the election period with anything you need to know 

What is campaigning and when can it start? 

  • Campaigning is allowed from 12:00 (midday) on Monday 17 February 
  • Campaigning means actively advertising your candidacy in the election or asking people to vote for you in the election, either online or in-person 
  • You can campaign using a range of methods and materials – please check the election rules for more information on what is allowed and what is banned

What kind of campaigning is encouraged?

Allowed campaigning methods:

  • Printing and distributing campaign materials (eg. posters, flyers) across the University campus. You must ensure you do not place campaign materials in any not allowed locations.
  • Speaking to students in-person about voting for you.
  • Posting about yourself and your campaign on your personal social media.
  • Asking other students to promote your campaign.
  • Attending social events or Rubix nights to promote your campaign.
  • Attending Question Time held in Rubix in the Union building Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 February. (Attendance at Question Time is highly recommended but not compulsory. Candidates who cannot attend will be mentioned during the event.)
  • Creatively finding other ways to promote your campaign.

Nonallowed campaigning methods:

  • Campaigning and campaign materials (eg. posters, flyers) are not allowed in the entire Library building (including the ground floor area outside Co-Op ), all Hive spaces, the Dots, and the Nest. 
  • Unsolicited knocking (cold calling) on doors of residences (including any outer doors) is not allowed.
  • Obtaining votes from students in a manner which removes their free choice through behaviour which may be interpreted as intimidation or harassment is not allowed.
  • Obtaining votes from students in a manner which removes their free choice through financial bribery or by using their voting details is not allowed.
  • Campaigning candidates must not block access to University buildings, disrupt the academic activities of the University, or cause disturbance to others.
  • Campaign materials are not allowed to be placed in any dangerous/hard to reach areas.  
  • Campaign materials are not allowed to be placed in any location which obstructs the normal workings of the campus, covers any existing signage, causes danger to others, or damages/litters the University or Union property. Do not obstruct vision panels in doors or obscure a fire exit sign. Posters should only be placed on central poster boards, and are not allowed on painted walls or on trees. You should not use stickers.
  • Campaign material should never be placed in non-University owned locations, including public bus stops off-campus and at Hazel Farm.
  • Claiming false endorsements from clubs or societies.
  • Students in leadership positions (eg. Union Officers, Course Reps) must not campaign using resources/opportunities that are not available to other students but which are available to them directly as a result of being in a position of leadership. This includes using mailing lists.
  • Part-time and full-time employees of the Students’ Union must not campaign whilst undertaking work for the Union. Employees of the Union also must not campaign using resources/opportunities that are not available to other students but which are available to them directly as a result of being employees of the Union. This includes using mailing lists, social media accounts, or Union staff facilities. Full-time employees (Sabbatical Officers) should not undertake student-facing work during the campaigning period.

Where can I find the election rules? 

You can find the rules for the election here.

What is a manifesto? 

  • A manifesto is a document where you set out what you aim to achieve if students vote for you. 
  • You should think carefully about what to put in your manifesto because if you win the election you will be mandated to carry out these aims – it is advisable to speak to existing officers and staff in the Union about your manifesto as this can help you formulate and develop your plans. 
  • Your manifesto should be clearly laid out in portrait format, easy to read, and may contain a mixture of pictures and text. You will be asked to submit the text from your manifesto too as plaintext to help with accessibility and to go on the ballot.

How do I make my manifesto? 

  • We will provide you with a template to help you make your manifesto
  • You should consider researching the role you are running for and the relevant Zone’s current projects and activity
  • Include a small number of achievable, relevant manifesto goals
  • Existing officers and staff are available to answer any manifesto questions
  • Your manifesto should be eye catching, easy to read (don’t make your font too small) and should include a photo of you and some information on your prior relevant experience

Where do I submit my manifesto and candidate information? 

We have provided candidates with a form to submit their manifesto and candidate information. This includes a photo of you and your chosen ballot name which will appear on the voting website where students can vote for you. This is due by 12:00 (midday) Monday 17 February.  Late submissions are not accepted unless with agreement of the independent returning officer. 

What is a ballot name and where is it submitted? 

We have provided candidates with a form to submit their ballot name. This is the name that will appear on the voting page when students vote, and should tell students who you are. We suggest you use your preferred name, nickname, or your name as a short campaign slogan or hashtag.

When can I begin campaigning? 

Campaigning can begin at 12:00 (midday) on Monday 17 February and finishes at the close of voting at 19:00 Saturday 1 March.  All campaign materials must be removed from the campus as soon as possible after voting closes.

Am I allowed to tell friends I am running for election before campaigning starts? 

You are not allowed to actively campaign for votes before campaigning begins on 12:00 Monday 17 February. However, you can organise for your campaign e.g. get your campaign materials ready to put up, get friends involved to help you do this.  It’s key that you are not advertising your election campaign or your candidacy in the election either in-person or online before the campaigning period begins. Please refer to the election rules for more information and ask us at surreydecides@surrey.ac.uk if you have any concerns. 

Can I put posters or banners up on campus? 

You can, but you must refer to the election rules to ensure you do so appropriately.

Can I campaign in my lectures or tutorials? 

This is at the discretion of your course leaders/lecturers, and should only happen with their permission.  Your campaign should not interfere with the academic activities of the University. 

Can I contact clubs and societies about my campaign? 

It’s common campaign practice to get clubs and societies to support your campaign, as you can include this on your manifesto, posters and campaign information.  There is a form which clubs and societies can use to confirm their support of you, and we advise that they do this in order to make this support official.  However, we do not check whether or not a society or club is officially supporting you unless someone complains – this triggers an investigation and we will check the forms.  If all three signatories of the society/club have not completed the form, this could result in an election strike against you and you will be asked to edit your campaign materials.   

How much money can I spend on my campaign? 

Candidates’ campaign costs cannot exceed £70 for a full-time Officer, £45 for the role of Union Chair, and £35 for all other part-time Officer roles.  This limit includes any items or services you or anyone else pays for to support your campaign. This limit also includes the approximate value of any materials or services you may receive for free or already owned which you have used to support your campaign. For example, if someone gives you a pack of sweets to hand out to voters during your campaign, you should assign these a fair approximate value on your budget form.  To find an approximate value, you could check on online retailers to see roughly how much it might have cost you if you had bought those items yourself instead. The only exception is items given to you by the Students’ Union during candidate training which does not need to be included on your budget sheet at all, and recycled cardboard from purchases or deliveries which can be included on your budget sheet but costed at zero value.

How do I declare I’ve stayed within budget?

You should declare that you have stayed within budget by completing a budget sheet including your receipts which must be submitted via this form by 12:00 (midday) on Saturday 1 March.  Candidates who are late risk being removed from the election count.  Forms must be returned even if nothing was spent on the campaign.  Supplying fraudulent financial information is a serious offence that could result in your disqualification from the election. 

Can I claim back the money I spend on my campaign?

The full amount you have spent can be claimed back from the Students’ Union.  Candidates must supply receipts in order to prove their spending and claim campaign expenses.  Please ensure that you have scanned or photographed all your receipts for electronic submission, remember that if you cannot provide a receipt for something on your budget form that you have spent, you cannot be reimbursed for it, and it may lead to problems with your budget submission. 

When and where is Question Time taking place? 

Question Time takes place from 18:30 onwards on Monday 24 February and Tuesday 25 February.  Question Time will take place at Rubix in the Students’ Union building and will be livestreamed online at the Union website and on our YouTube channel.  We highly recommend all candidates to attend Question Time, and you can tell us whether you will attend and whether you have any access requirements when you provide your candidate information. Monday 24 February will include all Question Time debates for all part-time roles excluding Union Chair. Tuesday 25 February will include all Question Time debates for full-time roles, and also Union Chair.

What will I be asked at Question Time and how can I prepare for this? 

Question Time is not a compulsory event, but we highly recommend that you participate if you want to be elected.  It is your opportunity to tell the audience watching in person and online why they should vote for you.  You should prepare by making sure you know what it says on your manifesto and the manifesto/s of the people running against you.  You should think about why you want to win and what personal qualities you would bring to the role.  We advise you to attend our informal candidate training as this will include Question Time training. 

What happens if I break the election rules? 

We have an independent Returning Officer, who is a member of staff at another Students’ Union.  The Returning Officer is a volunteer who makes rulings on the election.  If there is an issue around a candidate allegedly breaking the rules, we contact the Returning Officer for their decision.   

If the Returning Officer finds that you have broken the election rules, the Returning Officer can give you a ‘strike’.  Students’ Union elections traditionally operates a ‘three strike’ approach, meaning that anyone receiving three strikes is removed from the election and can no longer be a candidate.  The Returning Officer can also remove someone from the election if their offence is particularly severe, regardless of how many strikes have been given.  Please note that this is rare and would only happen in extreme circumstances, candidates who make an effort to follow the election rules should not be affected.  There is an appeals process for anyone who is removed from the election – you can find out more by viewing part three of the ‘Byelaws’. 

If I win the election what happens next? 

If you are one of our winners, you will take on the role in July. You will be contacted after the election including details of when you will receive induction training.  Please look out for emails from the Union in your student email. 

Information for Voters

What do I do if I believe a candidate has broken the election rules? 

Any suspected rule break should be reported with as much detail and evidence as possible to support your complaint using our complaints form. Please do not contact existing officers or staff to report rule breaks, only use the official elections complaint form. If you have any issues accessing the form, please contact surreydecides@surrey.ac.uk. 

When and how can people vote in the election? 

Voting is online and will open after the final debate of Question Time on Tuesday 25 February (late in the evening) and remains open until 19:00 on Saturday 1 March.  Voting is done by ‘single transferable vote’ (STV).  This means that students rank their candidates in order of preference for each election, putting a 1 next to their first choice and a 2 next to their second choice etc.  For a video explaining the STV process click here Example STV election – YouTube 

When and where are the results of the election announced? 

Results are announced in-person and broadcast live from 20:00 on Saturday 1 March.