1. Student Officer Elections

2. We’ll be covering… The roles Key dates The elections process
Code of conduct
Elections tips
Candidate promotion
Support for candidates

3. The roles

4. The roles
As a Student Officer, you’ll lead KCLSU - a democratic charity that represents over 27,000 students and employs over 150 members of staff. The Student Officer roles are full-time, paid positions; if you are not currently in your final year, you will take a sabbatical year from your studies.
There are six Student Officer positions
President 
Vice President Activities & Development 
Vice President Education (Arts & Sciences) Only students from the faculties of Arts & Humanities, Law, NMS or SSPP can stand for this role. 
Vice President Education (Health) Only students from the faculties of Dentistry, Life Sciences & Medicine, IoPPN or Nursing & Midwifery can stand for this role. 
Vice President Welfare & Community
Vice President Postgraduate

5. The roles All Student Officer positions involve:
Engaging with students
Building student communities
Amplifying student voices
Empowering student-led campaigning
Developing a student-led Union
Being a Trustee of KCLSU

6. Key dates
Writing your manifesto, campaigning and social media training workshop
Monday 20 February 2-3pm
Activity room 2, West Wing, Guys
Giving the best version of yourself: Campaigning confidently
Monday 20 February 3-4pm
Spotlight session on being a Trustee
Thursday 23 February 3-4pm, Skills room, Macadam Building, Strand campus
Deadline to upload your photo and slogan
Tuesday 21 February, noon
Candidates announced and campaigning begins
Monday 27 February, noon
Voting open
Monday 6 March, 10am
Deadline for handing in expenses
Wednesday 8 March, noon
Voting closed
Thursday 9 March, 5pm
Candidate dinner
Thursday 9 March, 6pm, The Shed
Results announced
Thursday 9 March, 8pm
The Shed, West Wing, Guys

7. The elections process

8. Uploading a manifesto Log in Scroll to ‘Review Nominations’
No deadline, but best to do it before candidates are announced (Monday 27 Feb, noon)

9. Uploading a manifesto
3. Scroll down to ‘Upload’ under ‘Manifesto’

10. Uploading a manifesto Upload a photo Add a slogan (max 8 words)
Do this before Tuesday 21st at noon – candidate booklet

11. Uploading a manifesto
You can write a manifesto directly into the textbox

12. Uploading a manifesto
You can embed a Youtube video

13. Uploading a manifesto
You can embed an image (needs to be JPEG and less than 1MB in size)
You can add hyperlinks to other websites

14. Campaigning
Once candidates are announced at noon on Monday 27 February, you can start campaigning!

15. Voting
Voting opens at 10am on Monday 6 March and closes at 5pm on Thursday 9 March. King’s students can vote by: 1. Logging in 2. Going to kclsu.org/elections 3. Clicking on ‘Vote now’ All King’s students are able to vote for all the Student Officer positions.

16. Voting
Uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV) formula, so second preferences matter!
Candidates are displayed randomly
For the duration a student is logged into the voting system, the device being used is deemed to be a voting station
Students may only vote for each position once and votes may not be changed after being submitted

17. By submitting your nomination, you give KCLSU permission to:
Include your name and publicity in any press releases for the KCLSU Elections
Display your manifesto in publicity for the KCLSU Elections
Display your name on the KCLSU website
Forward your information onto the College for the purpose of verification
Place on the KCLSU website a brief outline of the Elections Disciplinary Panel’s findings, if found in breach of any of the disciplinary grounds. This information can include your name, disciplinary sanction imposed and the reason for any sanction.

18. Code of conduct & expenses

19. Code of conduct
Taking part in a KCLSU election means following a code of conduct (agreeing to rules about behaviours and actions during the elections process). By nominating yourself, you’ll have agreed to this code of conduct.

20. Code of conduct Prohibited promotion of candidacy or campaign
Campaign activity by candidate or campaign team before campaign period has begun
Campaign publicity that is displayed in undesignated KCLSU and KCL Spaces or without permission. A list of designated areas is available at kclsu.org/elections/posters
Campaign publicity that causes damage to KCLSU or KCL property
Campaign spend exceeding the campaign spending limit.
Defamation of another candidate or campaign
Tampering with another’s campaign material
Negative campaign activity in regards to another candidate or their campaign
What do you think constitutes negative campaigning?
‘I disagree with this candidate’s position on XXXX because…’
‘I think that this candidate’s position on XXXX is silly and wrong’
Has to be specific – no assumed truths. Advice is still to focus on your own campaign.

21. Code of conduct
Anti-social and intimidating behaviour, or any violation of KCLSU Safe Space Policy
Attempts by candidate or campaign team to influence or interfere whilst a student is casting their vote
Campaigning activity that is disruptive to others
Campaigning activity that uses disorderly, threatening, harassing or offensive behaviour or language; in person, in writing (including electronically) or orally
Campaigning activity that uses intimidating or discriminatory behaviour or language; in person, in writing (including electronically) or orally
Campaign activity that may have criminal and/or legal implications.

22. Code of conduct Prohibited endorsement
Unauthorised use of KCLSU branding
Permitting an employee of King’s College London or KCLSU, to endorse a candidate or campaign through their position or by using privileges/access given to them as a member of staff
Inviting a person who is not a member of KCLSU to campaign on KCL or KCLSU premises
Accepting sponsorship or donations either monetary or gifts in kind.
Any service or product that a candidate does not pay for, that cannot be accessed by all candidates, is counted as sponsorship. Candidates may use free services or products that are available to everyone, e.g. old cardboard, KCLSU free printing machines, etc.’
Free printing is fine, any other printing needs to show receipts

23. Expenses
If you choose to spend money on your campaign, the rules and processes for expenses are:
You can spend no more than £100 on campaign materials, with no more than £75 of this being spent on paper based materials.
In your candidate guide there is a ‘Candidate Expenses’ form which you should keep updated at all times. The Returning Officer (an external adjudicator who oversees the elections) can request expenses at any time for any position, but will be proactive in requesting expenses for Student Officer positions.
You can add to this Candidate Expenses form until the cap has been reached.
Please note that you will need to provide receipts for everything that you use – so you can’t use things that you already own like old t shirts. Don’t print at home – use the free printing machines or print within the University so you have record of it.

24. Expenses continued
You and your campaign team are not allowed to accept sponsorship or donations.
The deadline to hand in your expenses is noon on Wednesday 8 March. Candidates who do not hand in their expenses cannot get elected.
To hand in your expenses, scan your receipts and send a copy of your Candidate Expenses form to
KCLSU will allow each candidate to claim back £10 in election expenses. This will be reimbursed following the end of the elections.

25. Free stuff Make use of what is available for free – such as:
The free printing in the Macadam Lobby, Strand and the reception of the West Wing, Guys
Badge and banner making materials
Each candidate will be provided with a banner, 20 badges and use of our badge-maker, paints and paintbrushes. You’ll be able to book these materials out by ing Let me know what you’d like to use, and what time and date you’d like to use them (the badge-maker, paints and paintbrushes must be returned by 6pm the same day). I’ll you back to confirm, and then you can go and pick them up from that Student Centre at the date/time you specified.

26. Enquiries Contact elections@kclsu.org for:
Questions about the elections process
Help and guidance
Contact for:
Actions (conduct) of a candidate or their campaign team
The administration of the elections
For this, provide as much evidence and detail as possible.
Complaints about a candidate/campaign team have to be submitted no later than 1 hour after close of voting.
Complaints about administration of the elections (the count) have to be made no later than 24 after the close of the election count.

27. Elections tips

28. Writing your manifesto
Think about what you will do if you are elected – what are the issues that you care about?
Know your audience – look at King’s Profile:
Be concise – stick to 3-5 key points and make sure these stand out

29. When do people vote?

30. Campaigning
The most important thing is to campaign in the way that suits you – but here are a few ideas:
Get your friends involved
Face to face conversations
Lecture shout outs
Attend events (kclsu.org/events/)
Create stuff – you’ll all get a banner, 20 badges and use of our paints and paintbrushes each
Make a video – here’s one Nadine made (a KCLSU President)

31. Social media Facebook Twitter Be creative with
Create an organisation group – for your campaign team
Create a voters group – encourage people to join an open group if they’re thinking about voting for you
Make voting an event – this will remind people to vote for you
Twitter
Use the hashtag #springelections
More public platform than Facebook – reaches people outside your friendship circle
Be creative with
Instagram
Snapchat – we will hopefully have a voting Geofilter
Youtube
Most people are online between 9 – 10pm, so concentrate your social media activity around then.

32. Candidate promotion
Candidate booklet We’ll be distributing printed booklets across all the campuses, with all the candidates’ names, photos and slogans in it. You’ll need to upload your photo and slogan by noon on Tuesday 21 February. Digital Q&As We’re asking students to send us the questions they’d like to ask the candidates: kclsu.org/questioncandidate. The questions will then be sent to you on Monday 20 February, with the formats they’d like you to answer in (e.g. meme, tweet, 250 words). You’ll send your answers back to us and they will be published on our website when candidates are announced on Monday 27 February.

33. Support for candidates
We are here to support you throughout the elections! I’m here to chat to you about any questions. We’ve also got:
Buddy phone
You’ll receive texts to check how things are going, and you can use this number to get in contact with us
Candidate breakfast tokens
You’ll receive tokens for a free breakfast (hot drink, pastry and piece of fruit) each day of voting week
Candidate dinner on results night
Once voting is over on Thursday 9th, you’re invited to dinner at the Shed (on us).

34. Support for candidates continued
One-to-one support
Adina Bernstein is your Welfare Contact. Get in touch if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to have a chat.
‘Stay Well While Campaigning’ tips
It’s really important to stay well and get support if you need it. There are loads of tips for keeping well while campaigning in your candidate booklets.
Post-results support
Standing in an election is a massive achievement! If you’d like to talk after the results come through, get in touch.

35. First things first…
Running in an election should be a positive experience.

36. One-to-One Support Adina Bernstein is your Elections Welfare Contact.
Adina can:
Provide confidential support if you are feeling worried, overwhelmed, or just want to talk
Give you practical advice if you are concerned about the impact of campaigning on your studies
Refer you to other support services that you may find useful
You can arrange a meeting or call with Adina
by ing

37. Stay Well While Campaigning
Get support
Get a strategy
Take your time
Healthy body, healthy mind
Focus on you

38. Post Results Support
Whatever the result, it’s a massive achievement to stand in the elections and get involved in creating change for students. If you’d like to talk after the results come in, get in touch to speak in confidence.

39. We also affiliate to
We are trying to ‘normalise’ Nightline at King’s as a resource any student can go to.
Nightline offer confidential listening & information for students by students.
Phone:
Skype Phone: londonnightline
Skype Chat: nightline.chat
Text:
6pm-8am

40. Any questions?