Fair elections and voting are essential for maintaining credibility within your student group. Any registered student group at the University of Minnesota may utilize Student Activities to conduct their student group voting, such as officer elections, constitutional amendments, or other decision-making needs. The voting details and timeline are determined by your student group’s constitution. Once the details have been confirmed, Student Activities will conduct your student group voting independently — ensuring that your student group has a fair and neutral election. Once the voting is over, the results will be sent to your student group as determined ahead of time.
Student Group Voting Process¶
In order to effectively assist your student group with elections, Student Activities must receive the student group voting request form (available upon request) with a minimum five business day lead time to prepare the ballot:
Complete the election request form and have it signed by a minimum of five current officers of your student group. The information you will need to complete the election request form includes:
- A list of open positions and the details related to each position (description of the position, # of candidates that may be selected, standard vs. instant run-off voting)
- A list of candidates and candidate descriptions/statements for each position.
- The dates and specific times that your student group would like the election to be open.
Schedule and attend a meeting with a Student Activities advisor by emailing sao@umn.edu.
- This meeting is intended to clarify your election details and ensure that the specifics of the election are set up correctly according to the election guidelines and protocol outlined in your student group’s constitution.
- Bring completed request form to your meeting with an advisor.
Email follow up documents to the advisor you met with within 2 days of meeting. Failure to do so may delay the timing of your election.
- An excel spreadsheet of the Internet ID information of eligible voters for your organization.
- A word document of all candidate statements and candidate pictures, if applicable.
Hold your election. Student Activities will email a link to the voting site to the officers. Officers are responsible for communicating the election link to entire voting membership. Voting outside the specified time period is not possible.
Election results emailed to officers specified on the Voting Request Form.
For further information, please contact Student Activities at sao@umn.edu or 612-626-6919.