Elections

Want to learn more about KSU elections?

Read our FAQ below!

  • Any King’s student (part-time or full-time)  is eligible to run for an Executive role, Member-At-Large, or Board of Governor’s (BOG) Rep. To run for Arts, Science, or Journalism Rep, you must be getting a degree in the respective department. To run for Residence Rep, you live in residence. While the First Year Rep is a role meant for a first year student, first years can run for just about any position. And you should!

  • To get on the election ballot, you have to fill out a nomination form. You can either pick up a paper form in or outside the KSU Office (in the Link), or email the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) for a nomination package. You must read the material, complete the form, and have at least 5 King’s students sign your form (even though there is space for more). When finished, send a digital copy or scan of the completed package back to the CRO. You can reach the CRO at cro@ksu.ca.

  • You can start thinking about campaigning! Post on social media, make posters, hold events, and anything else you can think of. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to new people! This is your opportunity to talk to people about what they want to see from their union or what they need to see on campus. Put yourself out there, let people get to know you and what you want to do in office. Be creative, but be wary. So long as your campaign stays within the range of what the KSU Elections Procedure and the Bylaws decree (below), it’s as good as gold. Also, up to 75 campaign posters can be photocopied in the office. Don’t forget that campaigning begins AFTER the mandatory candidates meeting! 

  • Quorum is the minimum amount of attendance required for decisions to be made. For example, our bylaws require at least 20% of King’s students (union members) to vote in each election. Quorum ensures that the election results are the result of the will of the student body, not just a few. If quorum is not reached by the election deadline set by the Chair, the election will be extended. This has become really frequent in recent years, but the best way to avoid an extension is getting your friends to vote and if you’re running – campaign!! Posters and social media posts get the word out about you and the election.

  • The number one most important thing is to never step outside of the strictly defined rules laid out by the KSU Bylaws and Elections Procedure. These documents are available on this website and have been transmitted many times over in many different ways, so there’s no excuse for any transgression. Our CRO will be on the lookout for anything that is deemed insulting, unnecessarily vitriolic, offensive, smearing, or otherwise preventative of another campaign’s ability to function. You should read the Bylaws to the best of your ability, but the CRO will go over the information during the candidate’s meeting. As long as you understand your responsibilities and remain kind, you should be fine!

    Also, be sure to know that you may only spend a maximum of $25 on your campaign (but printing out posters is free). When you are putting up your posters around campus, be sure to number them and write down each poster’s location, so you can take them down by midnight the day before the elections. Submit that list to the Chief Returning Officer so when they check for them the night before the elections, you’re not liable for posters that may have fallen off/thrown out, and so you know where they are yourself.

    Otherwise, be as creative as you can! A good poster in good places works wonders (the Wardroom, the Galley, inside and outside Prince Hall, bathrooms, and the A&A are great places) and a funny theme or campaign slogan is effective at tying in your name with something positive. But always try to do more.  Run an event that’s endorsed by you. Really get involved, because that shows you give half a damn, and that’s something people genuinely care about.

    Just don’t forget to end all campaigning by 11:59 pm the day before the elections, or all that effort might be for naught!

  • Crucial to any election campaign, a platform is important especially for a school that is rarely in the same place at the same time (with the occasional exception of Happy Hour in the Wardy). It helps if you come up with a list of what your policies and goals as you try to undertake your particular position. Then you can build your speech and 300-word statement. You have a five minute limit during candidate speeches, so you explain these in length. The statement is shorter and is available to voters at the election booth. Make it clear and concise but also charming and substantive. If people are going to be going to the ballots without really following the election at all, then those short sentences could make or break a vote in your favour. 

    These statements are due almost immediately after the speeches, but the earlier you make these available to the Chief Returning Officer, the sooner one can post them around the school. Not having one completed is a blow to a campaign, so don’t forget this crucial last step.

King’s Student Union Executive and Councillor Positions

Executive Positions

The Executive Committee members are responsible to support the entire student body, and they work to keep the union functioning on a day-to-day basis. They are expected to attend and report at bi-weekly  Council meetings. Executive members are paid and hold (min.) 5 office hours per week.

President

The President is responsible for overseeing the executive members, union-hired positions, and the daily operations of the Union. The President also represents students in meetings and communications with King’s, such as when sitting on the Wardy and Galley advisory boards, King’s committees, and the King’s Board of Governors (King’s highest decision-making body).

This role requires an understanding of the union structure and its bylaws, and is for anyone dedicated to ensuring the day-to-day functioning of the union, as well as serving as a direct liaison with King’s.

External Vice President

The External Vice President is the link between King’s students and external community organizations. The EVP works with groups like South House, NSPIRG, and Divest Dal to host events and campaigns on campus. They represent our Union on the Canadian Federation of Students NS (CFSNS) Executive, and sit on the King’s Investment Committee.

This role is for anyone passionate about community building, learning about King’s investments, and advocating for student needs on and off campus!

Financial Vice President

The Financial Vice President is reponsible for the finances of the Union, which isn’t as scary as it sounds! The FVP creates the Union budget, oversees the Galley and Wardy finances and sits on their advisory committees, and chairs the Finance Committee to approve society fundings requests.

You don’t need to study accounting to run;  this role is for anyone who is reliable, cares about our student businesses, can read a spreadsheet, and wants to learn! 

Communications Vice President

The Communications Vice President is in charge of communicating to general Union members about events, services, and Council decisions. They are responsible for making This Week at King’s (a weekly newsletter advertising societies and Union events), updating the KSU website and chalkboard, posting and responding to messages on social media, and chairing the Bylaw Review Committee. This role is for anyone who enjoys connecting with fellow students, knows or wants to learn about the KSU structure and update it to fit our needs, and wants to have fun making Canva graphics, posters, and posts!

Student Life Vice President

The Student Life Vice President focuses on campus student life, including societies, athletics, academics, and residence. The SLVP organizes training for societies looking to be ratified and represents students’ concerns as a member of King’s Academic and Residence Committees.

You don’t have to live on campus to be the SLVP; this role is for anyone who wants to advocate for students’ needs on campus, work with societies, and help make student life fun!

Council Positions

Council members are the governing body of the Union, voting on and directing Union decisions. Council members are not paid, attend Council every other week on Sundays at 10am, and hold 1 office hour per week. All Council members submit a report, no later than March 31, which records the activities and projects they worked on that academic year.

Academic Representative

The Academic Rep represents the interests and concerns of Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, Music, and Science, with a special effort to inform and involve these students in the King’s community. One way they do this is through chairing the KSU Academic Committee.

The Academic Rep also sits on any other external academic committees such as but not limited to:

  1. Dalhousie Arts and Social Sciences Society (DASSS)

  2. King’s Journalism Society (KJS)

  3. The Dalhousie Science Society (DSS)

  4. Society of Dalhousie Music Students (SDMS)

Requirement: must be a Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, Music or Science student!

Advocacy Representative

The Advocacy Rep represents the interests and concerns of all Union members, with specific efforts of actively advocating for students who are underrepresented in the King’s community, and engaging with students and student groups that serve particular student communities. The Advocacy Rep also provides recommendations to Council of reputable organizations that the Union may desire to donate to.

Residence Representative

The Residence Rep represents the interests of King’s students living on campus. They sit on University committees like the Standing Committee on Student Life and the Dining Services Advisory Committee. This role is great for those who live in residence and are passionate about making res life at King’s as safe, fun, and accessible as possible.

Requirement: must live on campus themself!

Athletics Representative

The role of the Athletics Rep is to facilitate communications between the King’s athletic department and the union, promote athletic events, attend athletic events, and more!

Board of Governor’s Representative (2)

The role of the Athletics Rep is to facilitate communications between the King’s athletic department and the union, promote athletic events, attend athletic events, and more!