On Campus

11th March 2020

WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE

Voting week is in full swing for the Student Officer Elections. Some of you may have already voted for your first choice candidates. Some of you, however, may not have – whether you’re not sure how to, or why you should. If you need any further encouragement, guidance or reason to vote for one of the 15 candidates, this article will answer some of your questions.

WHO CAN VOTE?

Eligible students are known as ‘full members’ of the University. This means that they are students who have full access to all of the University’s services. These includes:

  • Liverpool based Undergraduate Students.
  • Liverpool based Postgraduate Students (both taught and research).
  • Intercalating Medical students (including those studying at a different institution).

HOW DO I VOTE?

If you are not sure how to vote, do not be discouraged, as voting for your Student Officers couldn’t be easier. All you need is either (a) to be on the Liverpool campus or (b) an electronic device.

Image Credit: Hannah Percival. Harold Cohen Library.

The UoL has many polling stations around campus, clearly signed with guild staff on standby, including at the Guild, both the Harold Cohen and Sydney Jones libraries and many more. All that you need to do is to rank as many candidates as you’d like from your favourite (1) to least favourite on the polling card, but note, you don’t actually have to vote for them all if you choose not to.

Make a quick stop on your lunch break, in between your classes or even on your way home to vote.

If you are not on campus, on the go or even stuck at home, you can vote online. To vote, go to the Guild homepage here and click on the purple VOTE NOW icon which will take you to the Elections page.

Image Credit: Liverpool Guild

Again, rank your candidates in order of preference, with (1) being your favourite. You can rank as many, or few, candidates as you’d like. You can also see the Guild’s guide to voting here

WHY SHOULD I VOTE?

To be heard…

As a university student, it is easy to feel drowned in such a huge institution – on how it is run, how it brings about change, how to effect change or how to get your voice heard. This is why we have our Student Officers. They are there to be a bridge between students and the University. Your officers exist for you to have your say and to be heard. Without the role of Student Officers, having what you think and say being heard is difficult, with no direct and organised route. Having a student board system allows your feelings, needs and concerns to be pursued and for the University to be accountable for them. This is necessary for changes to be evoked within the University and university life on a larger scale. For your chance to bring effect to your university experience, vote for your Student Officers!

…and well represented…

Whilst the system of having Student Officers is important in itself, it is also important to be represented by someone who is the best fit for you. You may think it doesn’t matter who is a student officer. But, without having the right officers for you, you may not feel represented at all. By not only electing officers, but voting for the officers of your choice, you are ensuring the chance for you to be represented in the way you want to be represented! This is further ensured by the Single Transferable Voting system the student elections has. The system allows for the candidates with an overall majority of preference of everyone who has voted rather than just more votes than the next candidate. If you want to know more on the voting system, see our article here.

…in order to better your university experience.

Having student officers, especially ones that can represent what you value, can make a significant difference in your university life. Your Student Officers have the role of being included in key policy, decision making, and accountability processes within the University. This role makes their job imperative to how students are able to have a say in the running of the University, and what directly effects them. Ultimately, this is a valuable tool we students have in order to ensure our University experience is the best it can be.

TURNOUT

This year, our turnout is breaking records with 3982 votes cast so far! That’s 1665 more votes than 2019’s final total. But, with two more days to go, make sure to follow suit of your fellow students and vote to continue this record and have your say. You can keep track of the votes cast and turnout on the Guild’s homepage.

Image Credit: Liverpool Guild

Need more encouragement?

This year has an incentive should you need anything else to sway your decision to vote. Find out what you can win:

Image Credit: Liverpool Guild

Remember the vote closes this Friday, 13th March. Casting your vote is quick and easy, so why not choose your Student Officers?

Feature Image Credit: Hannah Percival