HUU Referendum Rules & Regulations Section 1. Guiding Principles. The rules and regulations for the HUU referendum are designed as guidance on how to get involved. We have developed these rules with the ambitions that: • Participating in the referendum should be open to all students on an equal basis; • Information for voters should be full, transparent, and accurate; and • Campaigning should not cause nuisance to voters or to members of the University or local community.
Section 2. General Information. 2.1 Question. The question for the referendum shall be as follows: Which one of the following full-time Officer Teams would you prefer to represent you?
Union Affairs Officer; Faculty Officer Arts, Cultures & Education; Faculty Officer Science & Engineering; Faculty Officer Health Sciences; Faculty Officer Business, Law and Politics (proposed new structure)
President, Vice-President Education, Vice-President Welfare & Community, VicePresident Activities, Vice-President Sport (current structure)
Spoilt Ballot
2.2 Election of campaign spokespeople. A spokesperson for each campaign team will be elected at the AGM on Tuesday, 15 November, 6pm in Meeting Room 1, University House. Proxynominations are allowed and must be submitted to the Returning Officer Team by Tuesday, 15 November, 3pm by emailing
[email protected]. The length of nomination speeches should not exceed two minutes.
Section 3. Voting. 3.1. Voting method. Voting shall be conducted online. Each student shall have one vote. The vote shall be calculated by a simple majority vote of all voting members. 3.2 Quorum. In line with HUU’s Memorandum & Articles of the Association this referendum must reach a quoracy level of 5% of FTE members, therefore the quoracy level in this referendum shall be 776 votes. 3.2 Timing. Voting opens at 09:00 on Monday, 5 December 2016. Voting closes at 17:00, Wednesday, 7 December 2016. 3.3 Process. No one may interfere in any way with the voting process of another student. 1|HUU Referendum Rules
3.4 Results. Results will published on the HUU website.
Section 4. Campaigning. 4.1 Definition. Any student may campaign as long as they are a registered student at the University of Hull and a full member of Hull University Union. Campaigning is understood as any activity or action that is used to promote either side of the referendum. 4.2 Positive Campaigning. Campaigning is limited to positive use only. Campaign team members may question and criticise the other side’s policies but must not refer to individuals running the campaign. Campaigning must be undertaken in a responsible and respectful manner. 4.3 Timing. Campaign teams are only allowed to campaign from Monday, 28 November 2016, 09:00 until the close of voting. 4.4 Liability. Campaign spokespeople are liable for their campaign and publicity. Campaign teams must not bring Hull University Union or the University of Hull into disrepute. 4.5 HUU premises. No HUU staff offices may be used for the storage, assembly or display of publicity material. 4.7 Campaign Teams:
Anyone distributing publicity or campaign material, or actively encouraging other students to vote in a specific way, will be classed as a campaign team member. The campaign spokesperson is responsible for the conduct of their campaign team. The campaign spokesperson is responsible for briefing their campaign team on the rules. Campaign team members must be full members of HUU.
4.8 Campaigning Online:
Campaigning online is subject to the same rules as any other campaigning activity. No campaign team may use any society, departmental, or any other mailing list to harvest email addresses, phone numbers, or any other data for campaign purposes. If something unacceptable is posted online by a campaign team member or anyone associated with the campaign it must be removed within 1 hour.
4.11 Location. Campaigning is permitted across campus, but is not allowed in any designated study areas. Campaign teams must seek permission from the relevant authority to put up campaign material in advance. 4.12 Neutrality. All HUU employees (excluding Student Officers) must remain neutral throughout the elections period whilst performing their duties.
Section 5. Publicity. 5.1 Definition. Any material that is used to promote either campaign is understood as publicity. 5.2 Display. Campaign publicity can be displayed on any public noticeboard across campus. No student is to interfere with any campaign publicity without the campaign team’s approval. 5.3 Removal of publicity. All publicity must be taken down by Wednesday, 7 December 2016, 7pm. Campaign teams will be charged for any costs incurred. 2|HUU Referendum Rules
5.4 Budget. All purchases related to publicity material need to be recorded and counted towards each campaign team’s budget. Each campaign team may spend up to £200. 5.5 Reimbursement. Campaign teams will be reimbursed their full budget of £200. A claim form with all accompanying receipts must be submitted to the Returning Officer team before 12:00, noon on Wednesday, 7 December 2016. 5.6 Content. No publicity shall contain any reference to an individual. No publicity shall contain any offensive or threatening language or content. The Returning Officer team reserves the right to remove any offensive publicity. Each printed poster and flyer must contain the date of the voting period (5-7 December 2016). 5.7 Unfair advantage prohibited. Any campaign material provided to campaign teams by third parties must be accounted for in the budget. Material provided for free will be budgeted for at a standard rate at the discretion of the Returning Officer Team but not reimbursed. 5.8 Illegal activity. Campaign teams must, under no circumstances, illegally ‘fly-poster’. Hull University Union accepts no responsibility for the distribution of publicity. 5.9 Edible Goods. All costs of production and/or purchase of any edible goods (e.g., cakes or sweets) must be deducted from the campaign team’s budget. No campaign team is permitted to give out free or discounted alcohol as a way of promoting their campaign.
Section 6. Welfare. 6.1 Zero tolerance policy. HUU has a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying, harassment or threatening behaviour. 6.2 Disciplinary action. If anyone is found to be bullying, harassing or threatening another student, they may be referred to the Union for further disciplinary action.
Section 7. Complaints and Appeals. 7.1 Rule compliance. By participating in campaign activity, campaign team members agree to comply with the Elections Rules. 7.2 Submission. Complaints must be submitted in written form to the Returning Officer team by emailing
[email protected]. 7.3 Timing. Complaints ought to be made within 24 hours of the incident and supported by evidence. All complaints must be submitted by the close of voting. 7.4 Discretion. The Returning Officer team has complete discretion over any actions they wish to take. 7.5 Appeal. The decisions of the Assistant Returning Officer can be appealed to the Returning Officer in writing. The decision of the Returning Officer is final.
Returning Officer Team 4 November 2016
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