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RUNNING FOR CSES
Our Winter General Elections (which take place in the middle of the winter term) serve as our biggest election period, where we attempt to fill all Executive and Program Councillor seats for the upcoming societal year (May-April). Running involves two stages: Nomination and Campaigning. A step-by-step guide for each is outlined below.
1.
Be Informed
The Writ of Elections contains all the important dates and deadlines for the election and some other useful details. The Electoral Guidelines outline a few rules around nominations, campaigning, etc. All important information to know before getting started! These documents are revised for each election and posted a few weeks in advance of the nomination period opening (sometime in late January/early February).
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If you're not clear on what's under the purview of each position, check out this page for a quick outline and blurbs from the current executives. Feel free to reach out to any executive or councillor directly with any questions, as well--they'll be happy to help you decide if the role is right for you!
2.
Collect Signatures
You'll need to collect the required number of signatures from your fellow members of C-Eng to show that your nomination has support from the community. This minimum threshold is
1% of the group you're representing (e.g., all of Carleton Engineering for executives, or your individual stream for councillors). The exact numbers are shown in the document below. Signatures can be collected by making a copy of the nomination form template, also linked below, adding your information at the top, then sending it to people to be filled out.
3.
Submit Your Nomination
Fill out your nomination form by the deadline, complete with the signatures you've collected (you can export the responses from your form to an Excel spreadsheet). You can also add a photo of yourself, some background about you, and/or details about your platform. If everything checks out with the Chief Electoral Officer, you'll attend the All-Candidates Meeting with them and the other candidates, typically scheduled for just after the nomination period closes.
2.
Campaign! Campaign! Campaign!
Now comes the fun part! Make social media posts. Go and talk to people about your platform. Put up some swanky posters. Make sure as many people as possible know who you are and why you're running. You've only got a week, so get after it!
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There will also be a Town Hall during the campaign period, during which you'll have many eyes and ears trained on you. You'll get a chance to speak freely about yourself and your platform, and answer questions from the audience.
3.
Vote
Voting typically happens during the week following the campaign period. All ballots are cast electronically via students' Cmail accounts. Make sure you submit your own, too! Unofficial results will be announced sometime after voting closes, followed by the certified results.
If you have any questions, concerns, or general comments about any part of the election process, feel free to reach out to our Chief Electoral Officer at ceo@cses.carleton.ca.