Voting week officially begins at 10am on Monday 1 March. This is when voting opens and students can begin to cast their votes. Remember to cast your own votes (yes, you are allowed to vote for yourself!).
The voting period is your final chance to convince students to vote for you, so make sure to plan your campaign to reach as many students as possible during this time. For further information about campaigning, please see the campaigning page.
Elections drop-ins
To help you get ready for voting week, there will be an informal drop-in session with the Elections Team on Monday 1 March at 10-11am (on MS Teams). It’s a chance for you to ask last-minute questions, speak to a member of staff and set yourself up for the voting period.
We know all the campaigning can be exhausting, so we’ve also scheduled some informal drop-ins on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10am. The drop-ins are held on MS Teams, and you can pop in at any time between 10am and 11am. You can ask questions, have a chat with the staff team and relax with the other candidates before another day of campaigning begins.
Candidates’ debates
Around this time, we’ll also be hosting our candidates’ debates. Although voting doesn’t start until the first week of March, campaigning ramps up a bit earlier with the BLSA Debate on Thursday 25 February. The BLSA Debate is focused on BLSA positions and cross-campus positions. If your role is included in the BLSA Debate, you’ll receive an invitation with further instructions.
On 1 March, we also have the Executive Officer Debate. If your role is included in the Executive Officer Debate, you’ll receive an invitation with further instructions. Even if you aren’t invited to take part in the debate, we encourage you to attend, as it’s a good opportunity for you to ask questions and decide who you want to vote for.
End of voting and results
Thursday 4 March is the final day of voting, so there’s lots going on. Voting closes at 4pm. While the Deputy Returning Officer gets started on the vote count, all candidates are invited to an informal debrief at 4pm. The debrief is a space for you to relax and unwind after a busy week – and it helps you pass the time while we’re waiting for the results. It is only a couple of hours from the end of voting until the results are announced, but we know it can feel like a very long wait!
At 7.30pm, the results announcement starts. The exact format of the announcement will depend on the Covid-19 restrictions that are in place by then, but for now, we’re planning for this to be held as a fully online event. If this changes, we’ll contact you directly.
The results announcement marks the end of the voting week. Regardless of the result, we recommend that you plan some self-care time in the following days. You’ve worked hard, so take some time to relax and reflect on your experience. The staff team are always happy to schedule a call if you need a debrief – email us on su-elections@qmul.ac.uk to schedule a call.