How to vote

To vote, visit RUSU.co.uk/elections.

  1. Click “Vote Now” to begin voting.
  2. You will then see a list of the positions that you are and are not able to vote for. To vote for certain roles in this election you may need to self-define. You can do this by clicking on the link to your elections profile.
  3. Click “Start Voting” to see the first ballot paper. The position you are voting for will be displayed at the top, e.g. Welfare Officer. If a candidate has uploaded a manifesto you will be able to view this by clicking “Read Manifesto” next to their name.
  4. Number each candidate in order of preference (1 being your first preference).
  5. Click vote and you will be able to review the order of preferences that you have selected. If you are happy with your selections click the “Cast Vote” button.
  6. Keep voting - You will see the ballot papers for each role.

About the voting system

At RUSU we operate a single transferable vote (STV) system of voting. Under STV candidates don't need a majority of votes to be elected, just a known 'quota', or share of the votes, determined by the number of people who cast a vote and the number of positions to be filled.

Voters rank the candidates in order of preference. If no single candidate reaches quota after the first preference votes are counted, the least popular candidate is eliminated and their votes are transferred proportionally to the candidates, according to your specified preferences. This is repeated until one candidate exceeds quota.

Learn more

The NUS has created a useful video to explain the alternate transferable voting system.