How to run Online Elections, Hustings and Committee Meetings

Promoting elections to your members

You must download your membership list from the Union website. Simply log in to the website using your UCL login, go to your directory page, click on the ‘Members’ tab and then click on ‘Export in Excel’.

You can the cut and paste your members email addresses into an email. Remember to ‘bcc.’ all email addresses so you adhere to GDPR and do not share members details with others, without their permission.

The email should be sent from your official club/society UCL email address (which you should have linked to your UCL email account). Don’t forget to remind all visiting and associate members, they cannot nominate themselves or vote. (The far right hand column on your membership list on the website shows you who is an associate/visiting member.)

You should promote your elections/opening of nominations on any social media platform you have e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. and on your club/society website, if you have one. However, do remember this is not a substitute for the all member email, only a supplement. An official all member email is the only way to guarantee all members have been contacted.

Don’t forget to give everyone regular reminders of when nominations and voting open and close, as each of the dates listed above approach.

Running Hustings

We encourage you all to run hustings for the Leadership Race. 

You could do this in-person, virtually or hybrid but remember you’ll need to put some ground rules down, and agree a format in advance so people don’t just talk over each other.

Remember to just make sure you give all candidates a fair chance to answer – it’s useful to have a format where they get 2 minutes to answer each question.

Try and find a time that works for as many of your members as possible. We recommend organising your hustings during voting so that your members can vote for their favourite candidate in real time on their phone or laptop!

Due to the size of many clubs and societies, in terms of membership numbers, in-person or live  We recommend that once nominations open you invite members to submit questions for all candidates standing for each position.

Once nominations close, you compile the questions, removing any inappropriate ones, and send them to each candidate, with a deadline to submit answers prior to voting opening.

Each answer should be restricted to the same time limit e.g. 2 minute video per question.

If any candidate using any inappropriate language etc. You should inform them that their answer will not be posted due to this, and give them a short opportunity to record a new answer prior to voting opening.

You should then post all answers by candidates online prior to voting opening on an appropriate forum e.g. your club/society website, Instagram account etc. You should then, as before, send an email to all members with the link, via your official club/society UCL email account.

Running Committee Meetings and Handover

Throughout the year, you should hold regular committee meetings to discuss your plans for the academic year. We’d recommend scheduling them every couple of weeks, but really they should be as regular as your committee feels is appropriate.

When scheduling meetings be aware if some of your committee members commitments, and if they are in different time zones, so they are at time suitable to all.

Use an appropriate forum for meetings. Remember you have access to Microsoft Teams via your UCL account, which is a great format for small meetings. You could also use Zoom for larger meetings, or Skype if your committee is only 4 or less.

Whichever format you use, try agreeing a set of rules on how the forum is used. e.g. appropriate language, no talking over each other, muting microphones while others speak etc.

Perhaps have a rotating chair. Instead of the President being responsible for organising each meeting, arrange for each committee member to take it in turns. It keeps everyone involved. Set out a list of meeting dates and chairs well in advance so everyone has plenty of time to prepare.

The chair should be responsible for:

• Asking for agenda items several days in advance of meeting
• Publishing agenda prior to meeting
• Compiling and sending minutes/action points from meeting

You can use the following templates for producing both agendas and minutes:

Agenda template

Minutes template

Handover

Once you election results have been announced it would be a good idea for the current committee to schedule a series of handover meetings between the incumbent members and the committee elect.

This could be discussed and a schedule agreed within a committee meeting.

Each committee member could be tasked to produce a handover document for their successor. They should then be tasked to arrange at least one meeting with their successor prior to the last committee meeting.

Tips for handover document and discussion

• If you created one, include any development plan you submitted/discussed with the Union.
• Outline what your aims were for the year, which aims you achieved, which you didn’t and why. 
• Discuss what you learnt in your role, particularly anything unexpected.
• Discuss the main challenges of your role.
• Discuss your successor’s aims and aspirations for the role. 
• Most importantly try to give them the benefit of your experience over your time in the role.