Undeb Bangr NUS Affiliatin Referendum Campaign Team Brief and Rules This referendum is n Undeb Bangr s future membership f NUS. Fr abslute clarity, in rder fr the Unin t leave membership f NUS the N campaign need t achieve 50% plus ne f the ttal number f vtes cast. The Referendum Questin Shuld Undeb Bangr (Bangr University Students Unin), be affiliated t the Natinal Unin f Students? Students will be able t vte: Yes, N r Abstain Referendum Brief and Rules The fllwing applies t the Yes and N campaign Teams; Campaign Team Yu are required t elect a campaign team lead. This must be a full member f Undeb Bangr in accrdance t ur cnstitutin. This will be dne at the NUS Affiliatin Referendum campaign team evening n Mnday 24 th April (18:00 in the Students' Unin, Pnti) Undeb Bangr require yu t prvide a list f names and university emails f fficial campaign team members. This must be kept up t date with Undeb Bangr and nt dne retrspectively. Sabbatical Officers may be invlved as they wish. Campaign teams may include thse external t Bangr University but must have cmplied with Undeb Bangr s External Speakers plicy and their details must be registered with Undeb Bangr prir t any campaign activity. Campaign Statement Yu are required t prduce a campaign statement f n mre than 350 wrds. Please check yur facts. Statements must be submitted t the Student Vice Team t studentvice@undebbangr.cm fr translatin by Bangr University s translatin service and Undeb Bangr will then publish them nline at www.undebbangr.cm/nusreferendum Statements will nt be put nline until they have been translated. It is yur respnsibility t submit the statement in gd time t ensure quick turnarund f translatin. Statements will be displayed n www.undebbangr.cm/nusreferednum If yu wuld like t prvide a designed versin f yur statement, we are able t publish this. Hwever, the English and Welsh versins must be separate, s they can be published n their respective language pages. Official Questin and Answer Sessin Where and When? Takes place n Wednesday 3 rd May at 13:30 in Pnti, PL2. Speeches The campaign lead and/r their delegated campaign team members (up t a maximum f 5 peple in ttal), will have a maximum f tw minutes t speak. The Campaign Lead must have prvided details f any campaign members taking part in the Official Questin and Answer Sessin. This must be submitted t 1
studentvice@undebbangr.cm by 5pm n Tuesday 2 nd May fr apprval by the Returning Officer. Only ne member f each Campaign Team speakers may be smebdy wh is nt a member f Undeb Bangr. Questin frm the flr Campaign teams may have up t a maximum f 5 peple t take questins frm the flr. Any registered Bangr student may ask questins frm the flr. These will be submitted t the Electins cmmittee t be passed t the chair wh will ask the questin. Questins may be submitted t individual campaign teams r t bth. Campaign teams will be allwed ne cunter pint per questin. Printed Material All printed material must be bilingual. (This includes, psters, flyers, t-shirts, banners etc) Campaign Teams are respnsible fr the translatin f their printed material. Bangr University and Gwynedd is a first language welsh speaker area. Please give a thught t quality. Any material that is nt bilingual will be remved. Undeb Bangr has a strng sustainability plicy and we limit the number f demcracy printing we allw ur candidates t d. Each Campaign Team will have 100 sheets f A3 t use hw yu wish All printed psters and leaflets must cme ut f the allcatin f 100 sheets. All publicity must be printed by Undeb Bangr staff. Campaign Teams must submit designs t studentvice@undebbangr.cm Campaign Teams are respnsible fr prducing their wn designs. Campaign Teams are nt permitted t print their wn material r use printed materials that may already be in existence. Budget Yu have a 25 budget t spend which will be reimbursed after the referendum. This des nt include printing. The cst f printing will be cvered by Undeb Bangr. Everything used in the Referendum is given a cash value by the Returning Officer, r their nminated Deputy (excluding items listed belw). Fr clarity, this rule applies t campaign gifts which may have cst yu nthing but hld a real wrld cash value. The fllwing items fr example are readily available and s their fair use des nt carry a cash value: Old T-shirts; Paint; Old bedsheets; Marker Pens; Blu-tack; Pre-used cardbard; Old wd; Pencils; String; Sticky tape; Pins, Pre-wned Fancy Dress items. This list is nt exhaustive and any questins shuld be directed t the Deputy Returning Officer. NOTE: This rule has been included t assist in making Referendum time exciting, vibrant and high prfile. The Returning Officer and their deputy are aware that this rule may be pen t abuse and will be clsely mnitring campaign resurces as a result. Please remember that they are the peple wh determine fair use All resurces and methds that yu use in yur campaign that culd be given a mnetary value shuld be available t all f the ther candidates. It is the respnsibility f the campaign team leader t check this befre using them with the Deputy Returning Officer. All receipts must be submitted t the Student Vice Team by Midday n the final day f vting (Friday 5 th May) 2
Scial Media Permanent text n any Campaign scial media pages, such as yur page name, intrductin, manifest etc must be displayed bilingually. Status updates, ntes, wall psts and discussin tpics may be displayed in the language f yur chice. Vides Vides can be prduced in the language f yur chice Undeb Bangr will display and prmte ne vide f n lnger than 2 minutes t their YuTube Channel, Scial Media and Website. External Speakers Any nn-bangr students n campus must be invited and must submit their details in line with the Undeb Bangr External speaker s plicy. Please email studentvice@undebbangr.cm. Fr the purpses f this prcess, the Deputy Returning Officer will cnsider any external speaker requests. Vting and Results Vting will be nline at www.undebbangr.cm/nusreferendum frm 16:00 n Wednesday 3d May until midday n Friday 5 th May Students will be able t vte: Yes, N r Abstain t the questin Shuld Undeb Bangr (Bangr University Students Unin), be affiliated t the Natinal Unin f Students? Vtes t abstain will be cunted twards the ttal number f vtes cast in the referendum, in line with Undeb Bangr s cnstitutin. In rder fr the Unin t leave membership f NUS the N campaign need t achieve 50% plus ne f the ttal number f vtes cast. In line with By Law 3 Referenda f the Undeb Bangr Cnstitutin a qurum f 300 members is required t validate the referendum. Results will be annunced in the Rm f Requirement in the Students Unin at apprximately 16:00 n Friday 5 th May. Campaign Rules and Cnduct Campaign Leads are respnsible fr all activity carried ut in their Campaigns name; this includes the actins f third parties n their behalf. Campaigners may nt: i. Frce, cerce r in any way intimidate students, particularly when they are near r in the act f vting. ii. Vte n behalf f anther student iii. Intimidate any participant in the Referendum iv. Deliberately sabtage any campaign ther than their wn v. Deface anther campaigns materials, publicity, nline media, scial netwrking site etc vi. Make an attempt t defraud the Referendum vii. Make any attempt t influence the impartiality f the Returning Officer, Deputy Returning Officer, Electins Cmmittee r Undeb Bangr staff viii. Discuss the persnal traits f anther campaigner ix. Misrepresent anther campaigners views r make claims that are untrue x. Set up their wn 'vting statin', hand vters an electrnic device fr the purpse f vting, supervise r watch a vter in the act f vting, r demand that vters take ut their wn electrnic device in rder t vte immediately 3
xi. Bring the Referendum prcess int disrepute Campaigners must: i. Uphld the letter and spirit f the Referendum rules and the Undeb Bangr Equal Opprtunities, Zer Tlerance t Harassment and Bilingual plicies at all times ii. Fllw the laws and regulatins f bth the land and the University at all times Cmplaints All cmplaints made abut campaigners, Referendum fficials r the vting prcess shuld be submitted in writing, by e-mail, t the Deputy Returning Officer. Only cmplaints submitted in writing will be cnsidered. The cmplaint must highlight the Referendum rule that has been brken, prvide evidence f the breech. All cmplaints must be submitted befre 1pm n Friday 5 th May. This is ne hur after the clse f the referendum vte. All cmplaints will be reslved prir t the cunt. In the first instance the Deputy Returning Officer will cnsider a cmplaint and make a ruling within 24 hurs. If it is a deemed t be a serius matter the Deputy Returning Officer may refer it immediately t the Returning Officer fr cnsideratin. Cmplaints regarding the cnduct f the Deputy Returning Officer shuld be made in writing directly t the Returning Officer. Cmplaints have t be submitted befre the Referendum cunt has taken place. Only cmplaints abut the prcess f the cunt itself will be cnsidered nce the cunt has started, and these must be submitted within 24 hurs f the results being declared. The sanctins available t the Deputy Returning Officer are: i. Warning a campaign team f their future cnduct. ii. Taking steps t level the playing field t right a Referendum regulatin breech. iii. Fining a campaign team thrugh either reducing the amunt f mney they may spend, r by cnfiscating printed publicity material. iv. Prhibiting a campaign team and their campaigners frm campaigning fr a perid f time (up t 24 hurs). v. Banning a campaigner frm the rest f the campaign In additin t all f the abve sanctins, the fllwing are available t the Returning Officer: i. Suspending the Referendum prcess pending an investigatin ii. Recmmending t the electins cmmittee, and t the Trustee Bard, that the Referendum be re-run r a vte annulled. iii. Disqualify a campaign team. iv. In extreme circumstances, the Returning Officer can vid sme r all vtes cast fr a campaign. Campaigners may appeal against decisins made by the Returning Officer and their Deputy by submitting their appeal in writing, by e-mail, within 24 hurs f the decisin being made, fllwing the appeal prcedure detailed belw: i. First stage appeal is heard by the Returning Officer; if the campaigner remains dissatisfied then, ii. Secnd stage appeal is t the Electins Cmmittee wh will hear the case put frward by the campaigner and the case put frward fr impsing sanctins by the Returning Officer, r their nminated Deputy. iii. Final stage appeal is t the Trustee Bard. Any e-mail cmmunicatin t the Returning r Deputy Returning Officer will be acknwledged via e-mail return within 24 hurs, if this is nt received please d nt assume that we have received it - cntact 01248 388000 t check. 4
Returning Officer Rhys Dart wh has previusly wrked fr bth Undeb Bangr and NUS and is independent f bth rganisatins. Rhys has a wealth f experience f returning electins and supprting demcratic prcesses and is currently the nminated Returning Officer fr Cardiff University Students Unin. Rhys wrks as the Chief Executive f Trinity Saint David Students Unin. 5