Election 2021

View the election results in full here →

The newly elected team will commence in their positions from the 1st of August.

All the candidate manifestoes can viewed here →

Watch the Hustings Event on YouTube

More Information On Campaigning

Due to COVID 19, campaigning this year will be online only.

As well as writing a manifesto, you’ll also need to run a campaign – in other words, interact with voters and convince them to vote for you.

Everyone has a different way of running an election campaign – some people run it by themselves, and some people run it together with their friends in a “campaign team”. However, please not you must adhere to COVID-19 safety measures.

Here are some things that you could do as part of a campaign

• Create a brand and campaign design. Free resources such as CANVA are great for this!
• Designing online leaflets/posters to share out to students. This is free and can be done online through social media.
• Doing quick announcements during your lecture just before lectures start (be sure to ask the lecturers’ permission beforehand).
• TikTok is growing in popularity, why not make a video to share?
• Making a campaign video and sharing it on social media like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
• Setting up a Facebook event/Facebook page to share on social media.

Remember, the more innovative and unique you are, the better. If you have a creative idea that’s not listed here, do use it – as long as you stick to the election rules!

Designing a poster

• Make it eye catching, stand out, and include your manifesto and picture of yourself.
• Create branding, including logo, signature colours and design. Keep it consistent throughout all your content.
• Include a campaign slogan and info on where to vote.
• Find previous examples of posters/manifestos on the internet.
• Use free poster making software: Canva, PosterMyWall, Adobe Spark, Visme, Stencil, Crello, DesignCap, MyCreativeShop, Piktochart, Microsoft Office. Be aware free software might include a watermark
• Couple examples of poster tutorials:
• YouTube: How To Design A Quality Poster | Poster Designing Tips https://youtu.be/ldBUUKRQR9M
• YouTube: Canva Poster Tutorial https://youtu.be/dCv1oMXk-XM 

Making a video

• Use free video editing software like: Lightworks, VideoPad, HitFilm Express, DaVinci Resolve, VSDC Free Video Editor, OpenShot, Shotcut, Blender, Movie Maker 10, iMovie, Magisto, WeVideo
• Other free video editing apps: Magisto, Hyperlapse, Wondershare FilmoraGo, InShot, WeVideo, Splice, Adobe Premiere Clip, PicPlayPost
• Make use of YouTube tutorials, there’s everything from basic editing to special effects, for example:
• YouTube: Video Editing for Beginners (using Windows) https://youtu.be/-wpFSpNbDW0
• YouTube: Total beginner’s guide to video editing https://youtu.be/oC3gXr1s_aU

Social media

• You don’t need to use all social media platforms, but it helps to reach as many people as possible. The main one to use should probably be Facebook.
• Make use of social media scheduling tools to plan out posts ahead of time.
• Free social media scheduling tools include: Buffer, Hootsuite, TweetDeck, SocialOomph, Friends+Me, Followerwonk, Zoho Social
• Facebook – Create a page, share in major open groups (check guidelines of each group), share on personal profile.
• Insta – Create a profile, utilise stories as well as feed, interact with other accounts to increase visibility.
• Twitter – Create a profile, create a hashtag for your campaign which should match your campaign slogan, interact with other accounts.
• TikTok – Easy to go viral, hop on a trend but make it relevant to your campaign. Quick and easy to make your own videos.

Looking after yourself

• Don’t be put off if a student is uninterested, the majority will be interested.
• Take some time out and grab a drink or some food to re-focus
• Schedule bulk posts in advance so you can take days off.
• Don’t overwork yourself or your team
• Try and take care of as much life admin before voting opens e.g. cook yourself some meals in advance or ask a friend to help you with some specific tasks.
• It might also be worth planning your work, studies and commitments around the voting week so you have a lot of free time to chat to students.
• Ask your friends and course mates for help and advice – it can be fun and exciting to help someone else with their campaign, so don’t be afraid to ask!
• Plan something nice to do at the end of the voting period. Even if you’re not elected, you have achieved a lot.