Election 2018: How to Vote

Voting for this year’s Kent Union Election began on Monday. Here is InQuire’s guide to voting.

Why vote?

To make your voice heard in Kent Union’s biggest election of the year and help shape the work of the Union next year.

Voting gives you the power to create change; to decide how the Union is run. If you have a complaint about the way the Union is being run, voting is a simple way you can make a change. You can choose a candidate to suit to your views and they can represent your views on campus. It is not the only way to participate but it is the quickest and easiest.

Of course, if you do not feel aligned to any of the candidates, then there is Blank Voting. Staying at home just makes you another statistic, it is presumed you are just uninterested. But by actively going to the polling station and not selecting any candidate before submitting to the ballot box, you become a voice for the disengaged. Blank Votes and Spoiled Ballots are read out at the count, along with the results and are also included in subsequent reports. Your apathy towards the the Union will be heard, not just forgotten.

What are you voting for?

Every year, Kent Union members elect five students that they want to see leading Kent Union in the coming academic year; these Full-Time Officers work as a team to improve student’s time at the University of Kent.

You can read all of this year’s candidates manifestos at www.kentunion.co.uk/leadership-elections

Where do I vote?

Voting booths will be open from 10am-6pm at The Venue in Canterbury and The Hub at Medway. If you are voting this way, remember to bring your Student ID. You can vote at any time online at www.kentunion.co.uk/vote.

How do I vote?

1) Complete the self-definition form

2) Select the election you would like to vote for

3) Enter ‘1’ by your first preference, ‘2’ by your second preference and so on. You cannot put the same number by two candidates, but you can enter as many or as few preferences as you wish

4) Submit your votes

When do polls close?

Friday March 9 at 2am.

When will I find out who has won?

The results will be announced at The Venue on Friday March 9 from 6pm. You can also watch live coverage of the results on KTV. InQuire will be interviewing the committee winners next week.