Each year, students at UCL vote to elect the leaders of clubs, societies and the Students’ Union. Thousands put themselves forward in the Leadership Race. And each year you come out in your thousands to vote.
The students you elect start work in the summer and spend the next academic year making more happen at UCL.
During the Leadership Race you can vote for:
- The six full-time Sabbatical Officers who lead the Students’ Union.
- The 15 Student Officers, including roles like the POC Students’ Officer and Women’s Officer.
- The president or treasurer of your sports club and society.
- Sports Reps
- Other committee positions for your club or society.
- Networks for our student groups
The Leadership Race is your chance to choose who leads your club, society, and Students’ Union
Sabbatical and Student Officer Candidates
Browse through profiles, watch their videos, read about their plans and learn everything you need to know to make an informed vote during Vote Week.
The candidates are hoping to get the chance to make life at UCL better for you, but they need your votes. See who they are, and what they plan to do for you through the digital candidates fair.
Club and Society Committee Candidates
1,000's of students have put themselves forward to lead clubs and societies - find out who they are, and what they plan to do for your club or society.
What do the people you elect actually do? Have a look through the role descriptions below:
- Sabbatical Officers
As a Sabbatical Officer, your role is to improve life at UCL for all students. You'll sit on important meetings, represent students and make sure your voice is heard at the highest university level. You'll have the opportunity to drive big changes at UCL with the support of the Union sitting behind you. This is a full time and paid role which you can do at the end of your studies, or take a year out during them.
There are six Sabbatical Officer role positions:
- Student Officers
Accommodation & Housing Officer
International Students' Officer
Mature, Part-Time & Carers Students' Officer
Social Class & Mobility Officer
- Student Trustees
As a charity Trustee, you will be a member of the Trustee Board that ensures Students Union UCL has the necessary financial and structural stability to carry out its aims effectively. On a practical level, this means you need to be able to make major decisions on legal and financial issues and ensure that Students Union UCL is delivering on the political policy set by the elected representatives of Students Union UCL.
- Network Representatives
You can be part of seven Students' Union affiliated Networks that lead to create spaces of community! But they can't do it alone! So they have the following representatives on the committee to help them out.
Network Secretary
Network Social Secretary
Network Campaigns Representative
Network Welfare Officer
Network Treasurer
- President of your club or society
Presidents and treasurers jointly lead all of our clubs and societies! You’ll be elected by your fellow club or society members, and be responsible for deciding your programme of activities and events for the next academic year. It’s an incredibly rewarding opportunity to develop your skills, build your student community and make unforgettable experiences. Don’t miss the chance to get involved in running your student group…
- Treasurer of your club or society
Presidents and treasurers jointly lead all of our clubs and societies! You’ll be elected by your fellow club or society members, and be responsible for deciding your programme of activities and events for the next academic year. It’s an incredibly rewarding opportunity to develop your skills, build your student community and make unforgettable experiences. Don’t miss the chance to get involved in running your student group…
1.
A new team of student leaders will be elected. If you vote, you'll have a say in who they are. Sabbatical Officers work for you, representing you to UCL. It makes sense you help select them.
4.
Have you ever voted? Perhaps you haven’t had the chance to vote before - you’re in for a treat. Make this your first time, you’ll never forget it.
2.
Who is elected is 100% chosen by you. Voting gives you the choice to pick who aligns most with your views and the changes you want to see during your time at UCL.
5.
Think about your experience this year...what went well, and what could be better? Now, imagine the changes you want to see next year. The students you elect will be paid to make that vision a reality. This is your chance to shape the future...so, what do you want next year to look like? Voting is the way to make it happen.
3.
The more students who vote, the more powerful student voices become. Elected students need your backing to make big changes. Get behind student power, just by voting.
6.
Leaving UCL this year? Leave your mark and make an impact on the way students experience UCL. Your vote shapes the future, so make it count.
| milestone | date (2025) | time |
|---|---|---|
| Nominations Open | 3 February | 09:00 |
| Nominations Deadline (including Manifestos) | 10 March | 12:00 |
| Candidates’ Briefing | 11 March | 17:30 |
| Candidate's Campaigning Training | 12 March | 14:00 |
| Media Day for Sabbatical Officer candidates | 12 March | 15:30 |
| Candidates Announced | 12 March | 17:00 |
| Campaigning Starts | 13 March | 08:30 |
| Voting Opens | 17 March | 09:00 |
| Deadline for candidates to submit budgets | 21 March | 10:00 |
| Voting Closes | 21 March | 12:00 |
| Deadline to submit complaints | 21 March | 13:00 |
| Results Party | 21 March | 18:15 onwards |
Can't find an answer below? Our Elections team is here to help, you can reach them on su.elections@ucl.ac.uk
- How do elections take place?
Elections take place online with voting opening on Monday 17 March. All UCL students will vote via a secure part of our website.
- Who can vote?
Everyone who is eligible to nominate for a position is able to vote for that position. Some positions, like Education Officer, are open to all students and therefore all students will be able to vote. On the other hand, only those who self-define as a woman, can nominate themselves for the role of Women’s Officer, therefore only those who self-define as a woman can vote for the position. Eligibility criteria is listed on the role descriptions.
- How does voting work?
We use a system of voting called STV, which stands for Single Transferable Vote. This means you order candidates by preference, from the one you'd most like to win to the one you'd least like, and if your preferred candidate gets knocked out (by having the least overall votes), we'll transfer your vote to your next preference. No member shall have more than one vote per position.
- What are the rules?
In order for our elections to be fair, transparent and legally compliant, there are a number of rules and regulations that must be followed. We have condensed them to be as clear and easy to understand as possible. The election rules can be found here.
- Can I submit a complaint?
You can submit a complaint about a candidate if you believe they have broken one of the election rules. The complaints form can be found here.
- Will I get support during the election?
Yes. We have a team of staff ready to help you. They can talk to you about the different roles, help you reach potential voters, and just be there when you need someone.
- What happens if I win?
You’ll find out in March, and you’ll start your new role in July. We’ll give you lots of training and support and help you with any paperwork you might have to do, like applying to interrupt your studies.
- Will there be training and opportunities for development?
Yes, plenty. As all of our officers receive training which will cover a number of areas and skills including assertiveness, public speaking, working in a team and more. You will gain more experience just from being in the role. There will also be the opportunity to go to events and conferences relevant to your officer role as well as opportunities to work on projects that you are passionate about.
- What happens if there are technical issues during Vote Week?
In the unfortunate event that technical issues occur during Vote Week which interrupt the elections, the following actions will be taken:
- If voting is disrupted between voting opening on Monday 17 March and Friday 21 March a 12:00 for less than 24 hours the elections will continue as usual.
- If voting is disrupted in the last 24 hours of voting being open, voting will remain open until Monday 24 March at 12:00.
- If voting is disrupted for more than 24 hours during Vote Week, a new elections schedule will be published.