How do JCR elections work?
Nominations
Nominations for President and Vice-President open at 12pm on Sunday of 3rd Week and close at 12pm Sunday of 4th Week. Nominations for all other positions open at 12pm Sunday 6th Week and close at 12pm Sunday 7th Week. All candidates must be proposed and seconded by two other members of the JCR.
Only female members of the JCR may be nominated for the position of Female Welfare Officer and Women’s Officer. Only male members of the JCR may be nominated for the position of Male Welfare Officer.
Once nominations are closed all manifestos are circulated via the JCR mailing list and affixed to a central notice board by the returning officer.
Hustings
Hustings are normally held 3 days before polling opens. The constitution stipulates that hustings must be held at least 24 hours, and not more than four days before polling. More often than not hustings take place on a Friday night.
The hustings usually follow a special hustings dinner in hall. During the hustings the JCR provide snacks and wine. This is the perfect chance for candidates to be grilled by their common room and really show what they’re made of.
Each candidate should make a short speech, subject to a time limit to be determined in advance by the Returning Officer. Questions then follow this speech and are offered to each candidate in turn.
The Entz Reps are on hand to sell tickets for a club entry later in the evening.
Polling
Polling must take place for at least 10 hours. Usually polls will open on the Monday after Hustings and will remain open from 8am to 10pm.
If you are unable to be in College on polling day then you may vote by proxy, making a request to the Returning Officer at least four days before polls are due to open.
Re-Open Nominations (RON) will be a candidate in all elections.
Votes will be cast using the Alternative Vote system when there are three candidates or more. When there are only two candidates a plurality system (first-past-the-post) is used. For the purposes of this section, re-open nominations shall not count as a candidate.
Results
Results are counted by the Returning Officer, the JCR President and one scrutiniser. They are announced no later than 24 hours after the close of poll. Usually the Returning Officer will ask for them to be circulated on the JCR mailing list.
By-Elections
If there has been a victory for RON or there were no candidates for a particular position in Michaelmas, then a by-election must be held between Wednesday 1st week and the first Ordinary General Meeting. If an Officer resigns or receives a vote of no confidence, then a by-election must be held at least 3 full weeks of term after the original by-election, and not more than 7 full weeks of term after the original by-election.
By-elections are held as Emergency General Meetings which must be called by the President. Hustings and polling both must take place during this meeting.
Electoral Malpractice
The following shall be electoral malpractice:
- Intimidation or bribery of voters to secure or to hinder the election of any candidate.
- Actual or attempted interference with the ballot box.
- Contraventions of the electoral provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders.
- Frivolous or malicious allegations of electoral malpractice.
- The publication of unsubstantiated stat ements regarding the integrity or candidature of any candidate.
- Failure to report electoral malpractice.
- Canvassing, advertising or advising voters in the same room as the ballot is taken place.
In the event of any allegation of electoral malpractice:
The allegation shall be made in writing to the Returning Officer as soon as possible and within 48 hours of the results. If the Returning Officer is him/herself implicated, it shall be sent to any member of the General Committee.