Running

Voting for the SU Elections takes place online and at voting stations at the main campus over a period of three days. General Election voting days are in early March and voting for the By-Election (if required) takes place in early October. Any active member (U of C Undergraduate Student) in good standing with the Students’ Union can run and vote in the Elections.

Near the end of January, a “Notice of Nomination” signed by the CRO goes up online and at the SU office to announce the available positions for the General Election. If required, a Notice of Nomination for the By-Election is posted in early September. A full list of SU Elected Official positions is located on the position description page.

Once the Notice is up, the Nomination package is available. This package has all the information and forms you need as a candidate. It can be downloaded from the SU website during the Nomination Period.

The best way to learn more about a position is to talk to someone currently in the role. You may want to set up a meeting or ask if you can “job shadow” for a few hours. You can contact any of our Elected Officials by email on the SLC page.

You can also attend SLC as a gallery member any Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. to see how the council works as a team to make decisions. Currently, SLC meetings are held over Zoom video-conferencing. To get the link for the meeting, please contact reception@su.ucalgary.ca.

The time from when the Notice of Nomination is put up to the last Nomination Day is known as the Nomination Period. This is the time potential candidates use to learn about available positions, fill out the Nomination packages, establish their platform and ask for student support.

Nomination Days refers to the last three days of the Nomination Period, usually in early February. By-Election Nomination Days are in late September and General Election Nomination Days are in February before Reading Break. The exact days and times will be posted on the Notice of Nomination. 

To register as a candidate you must meet with the Election staff on one of the three posted dates to deliver your Nomination Package. Pay close attention to all the requirements – the CRO will only register you if all of the forms are filled out correctly and you have brought all your supporting materials. Currently, Nomination Days are occurring over Zoom video-conferencing and the link is posted on SU social media and our website closer to the dates. 

These three days are a busy time and there is often a line. Make sure you come early and set aside enough time! The CRO will go through all your forms with you and may have questions. Anyone who has not submitted their package by the deadline on the last day is not considered an official candidate and is not permitted to campaign.

You must complete the forms in the Nomination Package and fulfill other requirements, such as submission of a photo, collecting a certain number of student signatures and writing a brief description of your platform. Requirements can slightly vary from year to year, so be sure to read the Nomination Package carefully.

After the final Nomination Day you will receive an email confirming that you are officially a candidate for the SU Election. The CRO will give you information on next steps such as attending the All Candidates Meeting.

You can verbally tell other students you have the intent to run as early as you wish. However, students are not permitted to campaign until the Campaign Period officially begins. Pre-campaigning is against Election Policy and includes posting of materials, asking for votes or sharing information about your campaign platform. Check the Nomination Package for more information on pre-campaigning and declaring your intent to run.

To keep elections fair and ensure all candidates are on a level playing field, there are limits on how much you can spend. These limits are outlined in the Nomination Package and depend on what position you are running for. Candidates who exceed the maximum amount for the position they are running for are automatically disqualified.

The SU pays for all candidate expenses. Candidates are expected to either apply for an Election Grant to receive the funds ahead of the Campaign Period, or are reimbursed once the Election is over. All expenses must be receipted.

Yes! Many students ask friends to support them by “volunteering” on their campaign. These volunteers can help you promote your platform online on social media or talk to other students during the Campaign Period. You may also wish to have a Campaign Manager to represent you.

The unofficial results of the SU General Election are announced around 5:30 p.m. on the last day of voting, generally a Thursday. Unofficial By-Election results are announced by the CRO around 5:00pm on the last day of voting, generally a Friday. If you win the position you campaigned for, the SU will contact you once the official results are posted (normally within a week) to tell you the next steps. This includes an invitation to Colour Night where the new Elected Officials take their oath and all the information you require to transition with your predecessor.

Plebiscites and referenda are questions asked during an SU election to allow students to provide feedback directly on a certain topic. Plebiscites and referenda questions appear on the same ballot used to vote for student candidates – if you go to cast your vote in the election, you will also be able to answer a plebiscite or referendum (if one is being asked during that election). The key difference between a plebiscite and a referendum is that a plebiscite is non-binding, while a referendum is binding. In other words, a plebiscite is used to gauge public opinion about an issue, while a referendum is used to make a formal decision for the SU.