This article will cover the steps to set up an election on UnionCloud, including:
- Categories
- Positions
- Election
- List election set up
- Check nominations

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Elections may occur at any time during the year, whether someone leaves a committee or perhaps a committee position is introduced – but who gets the position?


UnionCloud has a section (Democracy) to help decide this.


 

EXAMPLE:

So you have to re-open nominations for Pole Fitness. The positions are as follows:

Chair

Vice Chair

Secretary

Treasurer

H+S

Each one of these positions needs a new candidate.

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Step 1 – Category

  • Go to the dashboard of Union Cloud.
  • On the left hand side of the page is a ‘Democracy’
  • Click on this tab, then on ‘evoting’, then ‘categories’.
  • This allows you to create a new category, i.e. Pole Fitness Committee Election.
  • You can add a description too, i.e. ‘Committee elections for 2018/19.’
  • You can then save the changes.

 

Step 2 – Positions

  • Return to the left hand side of the dashboard, this time click on Positions (underneath categories).
  • You can now add each position, i.e. Chair, into the title box.
  • The next dropdown is the ‘evoting category’ – you should select ‘Pole Fitness Committee         Election’, as this will sign-post each position with that election.
  • You can then add a description of the role (see examples below).
  • Repeat these steps for each position!

 

Step 3 – Election

  • Return to the left hand side of the dashboard, this time click on Elections (underneath Positions) then List Elections.
  • You can set up a name for the election (Pole Fitness Committee Election).
  • You can then choose the running time for the election (Note: This is the voting period, make sure    you allocate some nomination dates before this period otherwise Union Cloud will not understand).
  • e.g. running from 16/04/2018 10:00AM to 20/04/2018 17:00PM (make note of this somewhere – it helps).
  • You can add a description too, i.e. ‘Committee elections for 2018/19.’

 

Step 3 – Election cont.

  • Underneath the description box are some boxes;
  • Add RON (Reopen Nominations) – Check this to automatically create RON as a candidate in the elections. (RON is used as an option for voters when they don’t want to vote for any other candidates).
  • Eligible Elections: This will tailor elections to users who are eligible to stand/vote in any election. This will hide the election for those who aren’t eligible to take part.
  • Spoil ballot:
  • Modify Ballot: This allows the voter to change their vote once they have cast their initial vote
  • Make Candidate Images mandatory: If the election is self-nominated, candidate cannot continue with nomination if they don’t upload a photo!

 

 

Step 4 – List Election Set Up

  • You should move to the ‘add categories’ tab.
  • Check the Pole Fitness Committee Election category, save and continue.
  • On the ‘add positions’ tab, check all of the positions you have created.

 

Step 6

  • On the ‘add standings’ tab, click the cog next to each position, then edit.
  • Input the below information:
  • Seats = 1
  • User groups = type in ‘Pole Fitness’ then select ‘current members’.
  • Check ‘allow self-nomination for this standing’ (if you want users to be able to nominate themselves), you can now add the nomination start/end times.
  • g. running from 09/04/2018 10:00AM to 13/04/2018 17:00PM.
  • User groups = same as above.

 

Step 4 – Check Nominations 

  • Note: You will have to approve/reject the nominations from students, making sure their manifesto’s do not contain sensitive information (preferably no swearing – edit accordingly).
  • Go to the ‘Nominations’ tab to approve/reject nominations.
  • Note: The election will not go ahead if nobody stands for the position. If there is 1 seat and no candidates then there are more seats than candidates – it will not work. Either prolong the nominations process or uncheck the positions which do not get any interest and run a by-election later on.

 

Step 4 – Check Nominations 

  • Once the election is finished, you can check the results.
  • Go to ‘List elections’ and click ‘Past’ at the top of the page.
  • Right-click on the cog of the Pole Fitness Committee Election and click ‘show election’.
  • You then click on view results and you can download the winners on PDF or on Excel.