Election Publicity Materials (Including Printed Materials)
- The use of all printed materials by candidates must be approved by the Students’ Union in advance of printing taking place for all elections.
- “Election material” is defined as being “any publicity documentation (or similar) carrying a candidate’s name (or candidates’ names) and / or encouraging people to vote in a particular way.”
- This could include non-printed materials such as sweets, banners, and other materials used to promote a campaign. This can also include equipment used to assist with promoting a campaign, or paid services – such as graphic design.
- In this set of elections, the Students' Union will not print, or provide, candidates with any printed materials.
- Candidates must contact the Returning Officer and get prior approval in advance of purchasing, producing, or distributing any physical publicity materials.
- Candidates may spend up to £60.00 in total on election publicity materials. This is not reimbursed the Students’ Union. (Note: Most candidates spend nothing at all during an election campaign.)
- Candidates must retain receipts in relation to all purchases – the Returning Officer may view these upon demand.
- All expenditure will be costed against a standard nominal value. This means that you cannot avail of discounts that are not available to other candidates, or you cannot get access to something of value for a greatly reduced rate. (e.g., If you own a television channel, you cannot run free adverts on your channel to promote your campaign.)
- Failure to comply with these rules is a serious breach of campaign rules.
- If you have any queries about proposed election spend, you can seek advice – in confidence – from the SU Voice team.
Purchasing of Online Advertising
- Candidates for in these elections may purchase online advertising to support their individual election campaigns. This spend is included when calculating the overall spend by a candidate. This spend will be not reimbursed by the Students’ Union.
- Advertising may be purchased from the following vendors: Google, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Twitter, and Tiktok.
- Other vendors may be used, provided that prior authorisation has been given by the Returning Officer.
- It should be noted that candidates are not required to spend any money on online advertising, and generally candidates in Students’ Union elections have minimal spend in this area.
- Candidates must retain receipts in relation to all purchases – the Returning Officer may view these upon demand.
- Any spend on online advertising contributes to the £60.00 total allowable spend per candidate on election publicity materials.
 
Participation by Clubs and Societies in Elections
Clubs and Societies may participate in the Students’ Union elections. Clubs and Societies who participate in the elections must comply with the Election Rules.
Clubs and Societies may endorse and support any number of candidates in the elections and they can communicate their endorsement to their members.
A decision by a Club or Society to endorse or support a candidate must be agreed by the Committee of the Club or Society. It must be formally recorded and minuted. The formal record and minute may be requested at any stage by the Returning Officer or may be requested as evidence in an Election Court.
If a Club or Society formally agrees to participate in the elections – including the endorsement of candidates - they may make relevant communications to their members to that effect. This includes the use of email and social media.
Clubs and Societies resources - financial or otherwise - may not be used to support candidates. This includes the production of printed or non-printed campaign materials.
Use of Students’ Union Online Spaces
This includes activity in Club and Society online forums / Facebook forums.
Candidates may post in Students’ Union online forums, with the permission of the administrators of those forums. (e.g., Club and Society Facebook Groups)
If a Students’ Union group (such as a Club or Society) allows a candidate for a particular position to post in a closed group, they must allow all candidates for that position to post equally into that group.
Clubs, Societies, and other official groups of the Students’ Union may endorse particular candidates and communicate that endorsement to their members, as per the Rules.
Candidates may not place election communications into the following Students’ Union Facebook groups:
- Queen's Students' Union Accommodation Forum
- Queen's Students' Union SU Enterprise Forum
Queen’s Accommodation Sites
Access to Queen’s Accommodation is at the discretion of the management of Queen's Accommodation. “Queen’s Accommodation” includes Elms BT1, Elms BT2, Elms BT9 and Queen’s Houses.
Endorsements by University Staff and Use of University Resources
University staff should remain impartial towards candidates throughout the election process.
This means that staff should not endorse candidates or encourage students to vote for particular candidates, or provide access to resources that they would not ordinarily make available to all candidates in an election.
Staff can promote voting in the elections. Supporting guidance and a toolkit will be available in advance of the voting period.
Staff can allow students to address students via physical or online lecture addresses.
Candidates may not request that University staff endorse them.
Any candidates, or their campaigners, who are employed as casual staff by the University, or who have some other form of contractual arrangement with the University – such as Teaching Assistant or Residential Assistant - may not use any benefits, or assess, related to their role to further a campaign.
All individuals participating in the elections should not undertake campaigning activity which others could not also reasonably do.
Participation by Union Office Holders in Elections
Full-Time and Part-Time Student Officers, Faculty Reps and School Reps - in common with all student members - are fully entitled to participate in Students’ Union elections. This includes participating as a candidate, a canvasser, and a supporter.
All members of the Executive Management Committee (full-time and part-time), Faculty Reps, School Reps, Association Chairpersons and other office holders in the Union may must not abuse their position in any way in the furtherance of an election campaign.
They may endorse candidates and encourage other students to vote for particular candidates:
- Any such endorsement or participation much be undertaken in such as way that is does not state or imply that the endorsement/support represents the views of Queen’s University Belfast, or Queen's University Belfast Students’ Union.
- In practical terms, it is best to avoid phrases such as “As Tiddlywinks Officer I endorse X for the post of Y”.
Students’ Union equipment or resources must not be used in any way in the furtherance of an Election campaign, unless those resources are made available by order of the Returning Officer. For example:
- Office holders may not use opportunities to campaign that are available to them arising from their elected position,which are not reasonably available to other candidates.
- Office holders members may not use Students’ Union resources such as their role email address or social media accounts, or email addresses and social media established for activities related to their roles, for the furtherance of an election campaign. Personal (i.e., non-Students’ Union) email accounts and personal social media accounts may be used.
- Office holders may not use opportunities such as ‘induction talks’ or presentations, or speaking opportunities connected to their role in the furtherance of an election campaign. They may make general class / lecture addresses as these are available to all students participating in the election. However, Office holders may not use their title or their role to secure access to classes / lectures.
- Office holders may not book rooms, tables, stalls - or other Union or University facilities or resources – which are not available to other candidates.
- Students’ Union stall(s) at Union / University events may not be used in the furtherance of election campaigns.
- The Student Officers office (and other spaces accessible to them within the Students’ Union) may not be used by candidates in the furtherance of an election campaign. Campaign discussions / meetings may not take place there. Campaign materials may not be stored or distributed from there.
- Office holders may not record, or be recorded, in campaign videos in spaces which are not reasonably available to other candidates.
- Office holders may not wear Union-branded clothing connected to a formal role when engaging in election campaigning activity. (e.g., Student Officer or Faculty Rep clothing)
The Constitution states:
"Sabbatical Officers are free to take part in an Election in the same manner as any other student. However, they must not abuse their position in any way in the furtherance of an Election campaign. In particular, they must not take part in any Election campaign during hours of work unless they have been granted annual leave."
Full-Time Student Officers may promote and encourage general student involvement in the elections. This is a core element of their roles. If a Full-Time Student Officer endorses any candidates in elections, they should seek guidance from the Returning Officer if they are engaging in general promotional activity in addition to their endorsement.
Any Full-Time Student Officer participating as a candidate, canvasser, or supporter of candidate, may not do so doing their hours of work:
- They must take time off work as part of their annual leave entitlement.
- Annual leave must be requested, in advance, in writing – i.e., by email – and evidence of approved leave submitted in advance to the Returning Officer.
- While on duty and getting paid, Student Officers may not canvass support on behalf of any candidate.
- Minor campaigning activity, such as posting on social media, must be undertaken during break periods agreed with their line manager (e.g., lunch periods)