Students choose their top representatives and leaders each year in the Students’ Association Elections.
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What are the Students' Association Elections?
The Students’ Association Elections are our yearly election process where you vote in your Sabbatical Officers, Student Representative Council Officers, School Presidents, and Trustees.
The Students’ Association touches every part of your student experience, from events and activities, clubs and societies, diversity and inclusion, academic issues, housing, and so much more. Your elected officers run campaigns and represent you to the University and to other external groups, and many of them allocate the funding that support various elements of campus life.
The Elections are your chance to decide who speaks for you on huge topics like extensions for your coursework, new halls that the Uni is building, or how much support students get for mental health – just to name a few! Any student can vote and anyone in good standing can run for a position. Find out what’s available below!
What's happening when?
Soon
- Nudge Tool and Pledge to Vote forms open
11 March
- 9am: Nominations open
14 March
- 7pm: Elections Launch Party: RSVP required!
20 March
- 5pm: Nominations close
- 7pm: Mandatory meeting for candidates
26 March
- 6pm: Sabbatical debate (School 1, Sallies Quad or livestream on instagram via @standrewsunion)
27 March
- 00:01: Voting opens
28 March
- 6pm: Voting closes
- 8pm: Results announced
Common questions
Who can run for which positions?
Any student in good standing can run for most positions. You have to be an honours-level student (in the 2024-25 academic year) and enrolled in modules in the relevant school/faculty to be able to run for a School President or Faculty President role.How does the voting work?
The Students’ Association Elections are run using a ranked-choice voting system. For each position, you select candidates by ranking them in order of preference (one being the highest). Once you have finished ranking candidates, you can move on to the next position.Do I have to vote for every position?
Nope! You can vote for as many positions on the ballot as you like. That can be just for one friend running for one position, all of them, or any number in between!Who or what is RON?
RON stands for Re-Open Nominations; each position will include RON as an option. If you don’t support any of the candidates running in the election, you can rank RON above them. If RON wins an election, we will re-open the post for nominations.If I run and win, when does my role start?
All SRC Roles (excluding the Faculty Presidents) will handover and start before the end of term (specific dates to be announced). Sabbatical Officers, Student Trustees, School Presidents, Language Convenors, and the two Faculty Presidents all take office on 1 July each year (serving until 30 June the following year.)What positions are available?
There are around 60 elected positions within the Students' Association. These positions include the 6 full-time Sabbatical Officers, plus the members of the Student Representative Council (SRC), two Student Trustees, and all School Presidents and Language Convenors. Any matriculated student can stand for election and cast their vote when polls open.
Candidate support
The Elections Team wants to ensure that running as an Elected Officer is a fun, meaningful experience no matter the result. We’ve developed a few resources to help navigate the Election process.
If you’re considering running, but need more information or just want to talk to someone impartial, you can email us at [email protected] and we’ll help you out 1:1! Normally, we have the following office hours, but can meet outside these upon request.
- Mondays: 14:00-15:00, 16:00-17:00
- Tuesdays: 11:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00
- Wednesdays: 10:00-11:00, 14:00-15:00
- Thursdays: 11:00-13:00, 15:00-17:00
- Fridays: 11:00-13:00, 15:00-16:00
Please email us with a prefered date and time, and a brief description of your inquiry to set up a 1:1 appointment.
Rules and bylaws
All candidates and campaign teams are required to read and be familiar with the current Election Rules and Bylaws on this page. These were last updated on 1 March 2023.
The rules are interpreted and updated by the Deputy Returning Officers regularly during the elections period. Changes will be posted below for clarity, and all candidates will be informed of any new interpretations or changes as deemed relevant.
Candidates should check this page and their email addresses for changes.
The Elections are officially overseen by an external Returning Officer, as well as two Deputy Returning Officers (who are staff members at the Students’ Association).
Can I print posters or hand out physical materials?
Yes. Candidates are allowed to print and hand out materials; printed materials must be accounted for in the candidate budget.
Can I create my social media before campaigning begins?
If it can be kept private, yes. For example, unpublished Facebook pages and private YouTube videos are fine, since no one else can see them. Twitter and Instagram accounts cannot be made completely hidden, so we ask that candidates only create these pages once campaigning begins.
Can a candidate support another candidate?
Anyone can support any candidate from their personal accounts. However, a campaign page cannot support another candidate. Candidates may not campaign as a slate.
Who can be on my campaign team?
Only ordinary, life, and honorary members of the Students’ Association are allowed to campaign for any candidate. (All matriculated students are automatically ordinary members unless they have opted out.)
Staff at both the Union and the University of St Andrews are not allowed to campaign. Students who also work for the Union or University can campaign only when off duty.
No subcommittees or Societies of the Students’ Association may endorse any candidate using any official website, social media page, mailing list, or general meeting. Sports Clubs in the Athletic Union are also prohibited from making endorsements.
Statistics
Interested in turnout statistics and all the numbers from previous elections?
View statistics
Statement from Elections Team
Last night (Wednesday 27th March) at the sabbatical debate, a topic was raised by a candidate that we appreciate is both sensitive and deeply personal to many of our members. We understand that the way in which this was approached by the candidate, whatever the intent, had the effect of causing distress to some present, and potentially to those watching online.
The Elections Team have contacted the candidate to make sure they are well, and to advise that this approach has caused distress and should not be repeated. We have also taken the decision not to rebroadcast or further circulate the section of the candidate’s remarks in which the topic was raised.
If you attended the debate or were watching online and want to discuss your feelings about this subject, you can contact Student Services (01334 462020, [email protected]), Nightline (01334 462266, [email protected]), the Samaritans (08457 0909090) or Breathing Space (0800 838587).