In Term 2, we will be holding our main round of the Student Leadership Elections. This encompasses all 2026/27 DSU student leadership roles, both voluntary and paid. This includes (but is not limited to); Society and Sport Committee Members, Faculty Lead Reps, and Student Voice Leaders. All election dates can be found in this article.

Important: All times are UK time. Mark these dates in your calendar!

Two key people are responsible for making sure our elections are fair and follow the rules. This year, the Deputy Returning Officer is being additionally supported by a Co-Deputy Returning Officer.

Deputy Returning Officer: Amy Horner, Co-Deputy Returning Officer: Hussain Mahetar

• Handles the day-to-day running of elections
• Your go-to people for rule clarifications
• Investigates complaints or rule-breaking, and decides on appropriate action

Returning Officer: Peter Robertson

• An independent person from NUS who can check elections decisions made by DSU staff
• Makes sure elections follow all the official rules
• Has the final say on any major decisions if escalated to him

The Deputy Returning Officer or Returning Officer may update the rules during the election period if necessary, so candidates must check their emails regularly for important updates.

The rules on this page should be read alongside DSU's Bye-Laws, Code of Conduct and Articles of Association.

Follow these basic principles and you'll be on the right track:

Respect Students

• Don't pressure anyone to vote for a particular candidate
• Let people make their own choices
• Be honest about what you or your preferred candidate can achieve

Respect Other Candidates

• Treat your competition fairly and kindly
• Don't interfere with their campaigns
• Focus on your own positive message

Respect the Campus

• Don't damage any buildings or property
• NO campaigning in libraries, study areas, or restricted access areas - students need quiet spaces to work

Respect Staff

• Be polite and professional to all DSU and DMU staff - they're here to help, not to be hassled

Respect Democracy

• Keep your campaign honest and transparent
• Your manifesto and campaign must be authentically you (see Campaign Rules for AI usage)
• Don't do anything that makes the election unfair

This only applies to current Student Voice Leader and Liberation positions. Once nominations close, there's a "quiet period" where:

• You can't make announcements about your campaign
• You can't promote yourself at open student events, such as Varsity matches or Student Council
• You can still attend open student events (just don't campaign there)

If you are a current Student Voice Leader in 2026, you have received information to trial flexible working over the campaign period, before voting opens. Clear guidance has been set to create boundaries between working and campaigning, this includes;

• You may not make any announcements in work (online or in-person) that could influence the election in any way
• Work communication to students must be shared neutrally from "DSU" as an organisation rather than from you personally
• You cannot respond to student emails to your work inbox, but you may forward these to operational DSU teams who will respond on your behalf
• You may not attend purposefully student-facing events during work hours in the campaign period
• You may continue attending DMU meetings and panels, but you must not discuss your candidacy in these spaces (this applies to both in-person and online events, and whether a staff or student enquires)
• There must be a clear distinction between when you're working and when you're not
• Any election-related activities cannot count towards working hours

When in doubt, ask the Voice Team!

When can I start campaigning?

• You can't start campaigning until your candidacy has been approved (see the important dates section)
• Never put up posters or share materials before you're allowed to!

What can't I do?

• Slander other candidates, staff, or students
• Put stickers on buildings
• Put up posters anywhere except DSU-approved boards
• Damage or remove other people's campaign materials
• Use shared computers/devices for voting - instead, signpost students to their nearerst polling booth or their own personal device
• Handle other students' phones/laptops to vote for them - to avoid any accusations, do not touch other students' personal devices at all

Campaign Teams

• Campaign teams are permitted but can only campaign together in groups no bigger than two (this includes the candidate)
• Campaign team members are required to attend briefings regarding campaign regulations
• Campaign team members should wear identifiable items indicating their association as a campaign team member, these will be explained at the briefing mentioned above
• Candidates are responsible for the behaviour of their campaign team
• Sanctions can be applied to a candidate for the actions of their campaign team

Campaign Materials

• Get approval from the Voice Team before putting up posters
• Don't say nasty things about people or organisations
• Your manifesto will appear on the DSU website in a standardised format

Authenticity and AI Use

• Your content should be authentically yours - manifestos, speeches, and campaign materials should reflect your genuine voice and ideas
• While AI tools can help with editing or proofreading, fully AI-generated content is not permitted
• Students want to hear YOUR thoughts and plans, not what a computer thinks you should say

Social Media and Communications

• Don't use DSU, DMU, or other official mailing lists
• Don't use closed student group spaces for campaigning
• Personal social media accounts can be used for campaigning
• Student groups can endorse a candidate (but they must be fair to all candidates)

Rules for Current DSU Officers, DSU Staff, and DMU Staff

• Current Student Voice Leaders, Liberation Officers and Faculty Lead Reps cannot use their position to endorse any candidates
• DSU or DMU staff members cannot endorse any candidate at any time
• Instead, you can encourage students to read the manifestos of all candidates, and vote based on the student's own preferences.

The Deputy Returning Officer might:

• Give you a warning (verbal or written, informal or formal)
• Fine your campaign budget if applicable
• Limit publicity of a candidate
• Disqualify a candidate from the election
• Take any other appropriate action

Remember: It's always better to ask first than to be sorry later!

Making a Complaint:

• Must be submitted through the Elections Complaints form, (which can be found here)
• Evidence should be provided with your complaint, where possible
• Verbal complaints will not be accepted
• Must be specific to the current election, (broader DMU student concerns and discipline are handled separately)
• Must be submitted before the complaints deadline (see important dates section)
• Make sure to submit any issues as and when they occur!
• Candidates or campaign team members who have intentionally fabricated complaints will face sanctions

Appealing a Decision

• An email must be sent to the Deputy Returning Officer stating your wish to appeal their decision
• Your reason for appealing the decision should be clearly stated
• Appeals will only be accepted within 24 hours of the decision being sent to you
• Appeals will be handled by the Returning Officer, and their decision is final

Contact Information

All elections queries should be directed to the Voice Team: voice@dmu.ac.uk.

The Voice Team will direct queries to the appropriate staff members to handle. We aim to respond to all elections queries within 24 hours during the election period.