So Elections are over. Thank god. Normally, the student population would breathe a sigh of relief as the tattered remains of campaign posters disintegrate in early Spring downpours, but, online, we are simply left with a vague anticlimax, watching unsuccessful candidates&#8217; Instagram pages being quietly deleted.



But what really happened? What did the results mean, and can next year&#8217;s candidates learn from the mistakes and victories of this campaign? Was it all, as The Lemon Press suggested, simply a simulation?



Marks Polakovs and Iwan Stone dig down into the dirty depths of YUSU Elections 2021.



<h2>Three Incumbents Enter The Battlefield, Only Two Leave Alive</h2>



The headline story is obviously the re-election of Patrick O’Donnell as YUSU President &#8211; with an impressive 38% lead over his closest competitor, James Harrison. No-one expected Patrick to storm through the threshold in such dramatic style &#8211; with Langwith’s 28% college turnout almost 10% higher than any other, you may have been forgiven to see <a href="https://elections.yorkvision.co.uk/articles/could-we-be-on-track-for-a-langwith-landslide">momentum swinging</a> towards the other two candidates, but it appears the action of the last year has instilled enough confidence in our incumbent to hold him high in student opinion.



Matt Johnstone also received a vote of confidence, securing 90% of the votes in his uncontested race for re-election as Academic Officer, although annoyingly for him, an unprecedented 211 students would seemingly rather have had a by-election &#8211; the highest this year, 36 above Rowan and Victoria’s 175. Nevertheless, securing almost double the threshold required to be elected with 2,108 votes, the engagement he managed to attain for an uncontested race should be seen as a success story.



No such luck for Carly Precious though, who got eliminated in the second round of a hotly contested Activities Officer race, with Sophie Kelly coming out on top after five rounds of eliminations. Carly ended up with 179 votes in the last round before they were eliminated, compared to their closest rival Hugh Campkin’s 242 and eventual winner Sophie Kelly’s 798 in the same round &#8211; the only two to be eliminated before them were RON and Alex Potts, with 42 and 112 votes respectively. Interestingly, after they were eliminated, 46 votes became “exhausted”, meaning Carly was the last (non-eliminated) candidate those voters ranked on their ballot.



Would Precious have done better had they stayed on as Community &amp; Wellbeing Officer? Not necessarily. The C&amp;W race was also tightly contested, with five candidates (plus RON) vying for the role, and Kelly Balmer eventually taking the post. Kelly started off with 769 first-choice votes, and ended up with a grand total of 1,072 after three rounds of eliminations, 431 above her closest rival “Your Babe Rokas” who started off with 488 in the first round.



Last but certainly not least, Maddi Cannell’s impressive two year run as Sport President will come to an end this year, and she will be replaced by Franki Riley for 2021/22. Many of the groups targeted in her campaign failed to reach a voter turnout of above 50% &#8211; Women’s Rugby Union (of which Riley was a member) and Jiu Jitsu being the only contact sports to make it into the top ten, despite a focus on increasing safety provisions. However, the vote was conclusive, with Riley receiving almost one thousand votes more than Nick Gardner in the first (and only) round, and the position receiving the third highest number of total votes of all the races this year.



<h2>Social Media Numbers, Compared</h2>



Since much of the campaigning was done over social media, it’s perhaps worth taking a look at the relative numbers. Sadly, quite a few of the campaign pages have been removed since results night, but the ones that were still up paint an interesting picture.



Kelly Balmer and “Your Babe Rokas” were the last two standing in the Community &amp; Wellbeing race, and both boasted similar figures &#8211; Kelly had 424 followers on her campaign Instagram page at the end of the cycle, while “Your Babe” had 454. The difference in follower count is within the margin of error, although interestingly the final voting figures weren’t &#8211; Kelly beat “Your Babe” by over 400 votes in the final round. One wonders if the choice of name had anything to do with it.



Turning to the Activities Officer race, Hugh Campkin had 331 followers, Alex Thompson had 250, and Dan Taylor had 186. Sophie Kelly topped them all, however, with 453. What almost certainly helped her reach this impressive total is that she in turn followed an outstanding 1,785 accounts &#8211; assuming they’re all students, that’s 9% of the entire student population at York. Sophie’s campaign Facebook page had 153 likes by the end, while those of Hugh and Dan had 124 and 113 respectively, with Alex Thompson falling slightly behind at 109. Meanwhile, Carly Precious’ campaign Instagram finished the race with two followers &#8211; so, had you predicted the results based solely off of social media numbers, you would have hit the jackpot in many cases.



<h2>An Online Election Can’t Match A Physical One</h2>



Let’s be honest, given the state of the UK in January there was absolutely zero chance that this election cycle would be anything but online. Enough people weren’t in York that doing anything in-person would be grossly unfair, not to mention the obvious risk of spreading infection. On that note, a word of commendation must be said not only to the media groups (especially URY and YSTV) who made an election work online, but also to the candidates who improvised, adapted, and overcame.



Unfortunately for YUSU though, Instagram pages and livestreamed Microsoft Teams calls simply don’t have the same energy as pieces of cardboard on campus and candidates invading lectures. This is clearly visible in the turnout figure &#8211; 3,523 voters or 15% of the student body, which is 7.7% lower than last year &#8211; an even more concerning statistic when you consider that those 7.7% represent nearly 1,500 fewer students voting. With each individual voter amounting to 75 pence donated to the RAG charities and Student Hardship Fund, they will be receiving a total of £1,029.75 less than last year &#8211; although, since YUSU couldn’t reduce the price of pints this year, this may have led to less of a reaction from the more short-term thinking, less empathetic of us.



<h2>Low Turnout Is Just A Symptom Of A Bigger Issue</h2>



The bigger problem for YUSU is not solely that turnout was this low (although, given <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-56379381">the scenes in Manchester recently</a>, that may well cause issues), but what it represents. York has 20,435 students, of which 14,560 are undergraduates &#8211; yet only 3,523 were engaged enough with their Union to vote in at least one race.



It’s worth noting that, even though York’s turnout was lower than previous years, it’s still among the highest in the sector. Manchester’s SU elections had a turnout of 13% and Durham had 14.6% of students vote. Bristol, however, managed a turnout of 23.5%.



Nevertheless though, there is a significant chunk of the student body that either doesn’t care or simply doesn’t know about YUSU &#8211; and, worryingly enough, the latter is more prevalent than you might think. I was speaking to some first year students last week, who had no idea who YUSU are or what they do other than “the people that send annoying emails every other day”. It’s worth noting that these are just the views of a relatively limited sample, but if even a small number of students perceive YUSU this way, the Union really needs to rethink its marketing and engagement strategy.



One final note from the resident statistics nerd: in every single race, the person who came out on top in the first round ended up winning &#8211; meaning that, even if the election had been run using a First Past The Post system, we’d have had the same results. That’s not to say that YUSU should switch away from STV &#8211; indeed, it’s the fairest system around &#8211; but it goes to show the strength of the campaigns and the unanimity of the voters (given that their second and third choices did not meaningfully sway the result in a single race).



<h2>But What Does This All Mean?</h2>



Numbers are all well and good, but what will the next year look like for students? It’s obviously difficult to make any kind of long-term statements in this day and age (look at how well that went this time last year), but there are a few things we can say for certain.



For one, YUSU with Patrick and Matt at the helm will certainly be a strong campaigner. Neither of them have been quiet this year, and, armed with a year’s experience, Heslington Hall can only see them as a force to be reckoned with. None of the incoming sabbs are inexperienced either &#8211; Sophie Kelly is the outgoing Accountability and Scrutiny Chair (a role that remains unfilled after this election), while Kelly Balmer used to be Policy Coordinator, and co-founded the Last Taboo &#8211; an organisation that has arguably been more proactive, and received more engagement or exposure than any equivalent YUSU body. Franki Riley is also likely to provide a stronger link with college sport, while continuing the strong relationship Maddi Cannell established with Uni sport committees. Everyone on the sabb team has considerable experience of how YUSU and the Uni work behind the scenes, and they should be able to put that to good use.



However, this election has highlighted that there are other formidable challenges to overcome. The student body grows less and less engaged with YUSU by the year, which two terms of Zoom uni certainly haven’t helped. The sabbs will need to work hard to rebuild that following, and that’s before you consider the issues brought by the pandemic. Sophie Kelly in particular will face major obstacles, not only with her plan to develop York’s nightlife, which a series of three lockdowns has been particularly harsh on, but also in solving the problems of York’s societies which have had severe membership drops, difficulties filling their committees, and in some cases a complete inability to run events.



At best, the coming year will bring the incredible difficulties of reigniting an empty campus, alongside an academic and activity community that is gasping for air. At worst, the new sabbs are facing down another year of lobbying, and desperately clawing for empathetic treatment of students. This is going to be a year where they are sorely needed, and we can only hope that they are up to the job.

YUSU Elections 2021: It’s Over, But What Does It All Mean?

Last year, I slightly unwisely decided to drink every sabb cocktail. The night is now only a blurry recollection, stored at the back of my mind like a film shot through a vaseline lens.



But now we have no RKC to aid us in our sorrows-drowning / career choices, YUSU has released to York Vision our incumbent sabbs&#8217; cocktails of choice. Here&#8217;s how you can make them at home.



The Patrick O’Donnell AKA The St.Patrick&nbsp;(same ingredients as a Japanese Slipper apparently!):



<ul><li>30 ml melon liqueur (Midori)</li><li>30 ml Orange liqueur (Cointreau)</li><li>30 ml lemon juice (fresh)</li><li>Garnish: honeydew melon slice</li></ul>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">This drink screams boujie. It&#8217;s the kind of cocktail a Newcastle hen-do would be sipping through a non-penis straw.</blockquote>



The Carly Precious &#8211; a Citrus Peach Cooler



<ul><li>The juice of one lemon</li><li>The juice of one lime</li><li>Peach nectar</li><li>Cloudy lemonade</li><li>with decoration of strawberry sliced and mint (only if feeling fancy) </li><li>&nbsp;to make it alcoholic add a shot of vodka or leave as is</li></ul>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Refreshing, calm, and with a bright outlook towards the summer, after weeks of election coverage this is a drink I will be adding to vodka, not the other way around, thank you YUSU.</blockquote>



The Maddi Cannell &#8211; a Sunrise



<ul><li>2 shots (or lids) of Amaretto</li><li>3 ounces of orange juice</li><li>Crushed ice</li><li>3 ounces club soda / diet lemonade&nbsp;</li><li>“Dash” of vodka&nbsp;</li><li>“Dash” of grenadine</li></ul>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Christ, for anyone who remembers the apocalyptic alcohol level of Maddi Cannell&#8217;s cocktail last year, we can only assume that &#8220;dash&#8221; is simply a sports pun. Beware of the drink &#8211; it sure as hell can bite.</blockquote>



The Matt Johnstone &#8211; a Mojito



<ul><li>2 shots of white rum</li><li>Juice of one lime</li><li>Small handful of mint leaves</li><li>1 tsp of granulated sugar</li><li>Soda Water</li></ul>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">You would have thought the russet beard would be a hint towards a winter warmer, or at least a flagon of mead &#8211; but no. I&#8217;ll be sipping this, dreaming of beach umbrellas and sun sparkled sea. Somewhere so bursting with radiance that even YUSU can&#8217;t break its spell.</blockquote>



The Vacant &#8211; make your own! &nbsp;We&#8217;ll be inviting students to submit photos of their own cocktails/mocktails. What would your perfect Student Activities Officer have as their ingredients?&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">Bonus points for a red and white striped drink. Equally an empty glass, or the broken glass shards of one you have just thrown against the wall in blind, addled rage.</blockquote>

What Should YOU be Drinking Tonight?

Tonight is election results night! So in York Vision’s role as the paper of scrutiny and fairness, our music editors have been unleashed on EVERY candidate’s answer to the question “what would be your campaign theme song?”. 



The song choices were anonymised to avoid bias &#8211; however we decided to add the names to make it more fun for our readers. Here’s what our editors had to say about each song:



We Are Family &#8211; Sister Sledge: (Requested by Patrick O&#8217;Donnell) Sister Sledge were definitely an underrated powerhouse in disco, we’re off to a strong start here!



Take A Chance on Me &#8211; ABBA: (Requested by Alessandra and Preet) A staple of house parties up and down the nation, you can’t go wrong with ABBA.



The Lord of The Rings (Rohan Suite) &#8211; Howard Shore: (Requested by Juné Tiamatakorn) Adventurous choice&#8230; it might be difficult to imagine someone walking on stage to it, but Shore’s composition is fantastic nonetheless.



Only The Young &#8211; Taylor Swift: (Requested by Rebecca Wilcockson) T-Swift’s most political song by far (although that doesn’t take much). I’m still waiting for the violent youth revolution this track promises.



Money, Money, Money &#8211; ABBA: (Requested by Kelly Balmer) Again, ABBA’s incredible variety means there’s a song for every occasion &#8211; this being the best description of working life since Das Kapital.



Don&#8217;t Stop Me Now &#8211; Queen (x3): (Requested by Elliott Bellamy, Matt and Dan, and Your Babe Rokas) If one candidate had chosen this, I’d be tempted to let them off &#8211; but the fact that three candidates went for a song that reminds me of Year 6 graduation might show a lack of creativity!



Things Can Only Get Better &#8211; D:Ream: (Requested by Nicholas Gardner) Tony Blair might have gotten to this one first, but it’s still an irreverent disco tune!



Respect &#8211; Aretha Franklin: (Requested by Rebecca and Imogen) I can’t bring myself to be mean about Aretha Franklin. Good song.



Rules &#8211; Doja Cat: (Requested by Daian Akand) The line “Bitch I’m fuckin reptilian” doesn’t do much to quell rumours that YUSU candidates are, in fact, lizards.&nbsp;



We&#8217;re All In This Together &#8211; HSM Cast: (Requested by Jasmine Moody) I’m too distracted by the fact that Corbin Bleu’s Wikipedia page is available in 217 languages to give this a proper review. Sure, why not?



My Number &#8211; Tegan &amp; Sara: (Requested by Alex Potts) Definitely more emotive than many of the others on this list, but I’m a fan of this one to be honest. I’m also interested to see how koalas figure in this person’s campaign.



We Built This City &#8211; Starship: (Requested by Kyle Siwek) Dad Rock doesn’t often get a shoutout at university, so kudos to this candidate for being brave enough to choose one of the cheesiest anthems of the last 50 years.



Funky Fanfare &#8211; Keith Mansfield: (Requested by Dan Taylor) Cut up by the late, great MF DOOM (and Danger Mouse), I can see it being in a Rocky-esque montage of candidates preparing for interview night and putting up soggy cardboard around campus. Good choice.



Take Care of You &#8211; Ella Henderson: (Requested by Franki Riley) I genuinely have nothing to say about this one, other than that I forgot what it sounded like immediately after I sat through it.



Feel It Still &#8211; Portugal. The Man: (Requested by Pierrick Roger) Did you listen to this on repeat for about two months when it first came out? I didn’t, because I have taste. But a guy I sat next to in sixth form did. The song now brings me back to trying to cry quietly over history notes.&nbsp;



Be Alright &#8211; Ariana Grande: (Requested by Abby Pullen) I had to scroll through a page of other songs with the same name to find this on Spotify. Quite the achievement for an artist with more than 21 billion streams… there’s a reason for it.



Houstonfornication &#8211; Travis Scott: (Requested by Jordan Thomas) Make the first part of this student focused and you’re going to be the first out.



I’ll Make a Man Out of You &#8211; Donny Osmond &amp; Mulan Cast: (Requested by Harleen Dhillon) I’m looking forward to the YUSU-mandated workouts to vanquish Lancaster at the next Roses.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Who Said &#8211; Hannah Montana: (Requested by James Harrison) Who said you can’t be superman? YUSU By-Laws &#8211; they will quell any hopes and dreams you have. Facts don’t care about your feelings.&nbsp;



The Business &#8211; Tiesto: (Requested by Carla Dixon) If we really want to get down to business here, you need to pick a better song. Maybe you’re just a candidate of few words, but this song (and perhaps your manifesto?) needs more.&nbsp;



Captain of Israel’s Host &#8211; Charles Wesley: This honestly might have been the last thing I expected out of a YUSU campaign. This candidate gains points for subverting expectations, but also loses some for not choosing one of the primary school classics like He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands. Fascinating and memorable choice by this candidate.



Rebel Rebel &#8211; David Bowie: (Requested by Charlotte Ingrey) Clearly someone was going to pick a Bowie track, but you could have been more of a rebel with your choice.&nbsp;



Wait A Minute &#8211; HUGE Campaign: (Requested by Hugh Campkin) Really messing up our plan of us judging these anonymous here, Hugh.



Get Up &#8211; T-Pain: (Requested by Aryan Shetty and Akshaaye Anand) This has more autotune than a Youtuber’s debut single. Get up, and get out.



I Won&#8217;t Back Down &#8211; Tom Petty: (Requested by Luke Luxson) It’s a classic but also a classic line until they inevitably back down. Let’s see what happens this time around.



More Than A Woman &#8211; Bee Gees: (Requested by Izzy Andrews) Everyone chooses the Bee Gees at some point to make their parents happy.



You&#8217;re The Best &#8211; Joe Esposito: (Requested by Matt Best) Wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off. The work of a YUSU Officer may seem monotonous, but it actually endows you with excellent knowledge of karate. Well, maybe not, but this song will make you feel like it does.



Freedom &#8211; Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar: (Requested by Ish Bajwala and Vani Mahajan) No one can argue with queen B and “a winner can’t quit on themselves” is definitely a mantra to live by… if you win that is.&nbsp;



Do Me A Favour &#8211; Arctic Monkeys: (Requested by Matt Johnstone) Perhaps &#8220;fuck off&#8221; might be too kind, it’s a bold breakup energy to take to YUSU.



Right Now &#8211; Confetti: (Requested by Catherine Brislane) This track would absolutely belong in the Camp Rock 3 movie we’ve all been waiting for. Love some “ooohhh”’s and acoustic guitar with my cheese.&nbsp;



&#8230;Baby One More Time &#8211; Britney Spears: #freebritney. But on another note, a bit too sexy don’t you think YUSU? Or maybe not enough.&nbsp;



Police Academy March (Theme from Police Academy) &#8211; Robert Folk: (Requested by Luke Mason) Oh dear, are you going to discipline me? #ACAB



Something To Believe In &#8211; Jane Holiday: (Requested by Eleanor Shaw) A bop or a flop? I’m definitely undecided and clearly need another candidate to believe in.



Bare Necessities &#8211; Phil Harris &amp; Bruce Reithermann: (Requested by Victoria and Rowan) Or, as YUSU calls it, a generous Grant.



I&#8217;ll Be There For You (Theme from FRIENDS) &#8211; The Rembrandts: (Requested by Carly Precious) This is setting unrealistic expectations for the Sabbs. No, you won’t be friends &#8211; you will not be popping into one another’s flat saying ‘How You Doin’?’. You will have a forced amicable relationship and you will be thankful you have that.&nbsp;



Let&#8217;s Push Things Forward &#8211; The Streets: (Requested by Alex Thompson) Twist it, bop it, push it. I’m going to be honest, I entered some kind of other realm listening to this and maybe that’s what this candidate will do.



The Future Is Female &#8211; Madame Gandhi: (Requested by Thea Leeming) It will be very awkward if all the Sabb positions are won by male candidates.&nbsp;

YUSU Candidates Face the Music

Student unions are made up sabbatical and part time officers. They are democratically elected by members of the student union (us students, for example). The elected officials are dedicated to providing their students a range of events, providing support and generally being representatives of their university.



The University of York’s student union (YUSU) was established in 1963, the same year York opened its doors to the university’s first batch of students. YUSU’s first president went by the nickname “Pip”, although formally known as Pradip Nayak. A few other notable presidents include Tom Scott (2008/09), aka “Mad Cap’n Tom Scott”. He has since had a successful YouTube career and is a known comedian and presenter. Another notable figure is Fleur Anderson. She held the position from 1993/94 and is now the Labour MP for Putney (my constituency!)



As well as presidents, other sabbatical officers include: Sport President, Community &amp; Wellbeing Officer, Academic Officer and Student Activities Officer. There’re also a few notable officers who stand out when looking back at YUSU’s history.



The 2007/08 Academic and Welfare Officer Grace Fletcher-Hackwood was forced to resign after launching a drunken punch onto another student.



In more recent history, we finally received our answer to “where’s Wally?”. The answer? “Wally’s disappeared!”. Jokes aside, the 2020/21 Activities Officer officially resigned from his role earlier this year due to being offered long term employment at an external company. This was the first Sabb resignation in YUSU’s recent years.



YUSU would not be YUSU without its part time officers. In summary, part time officers represent students on issues such as ethnicity, class, environment etc. Currently, students are running for the following part-time positions:



<ul><li>BAME Officer(s)</li><li>Disabled Officer(s)</li><li>International Officer(s)</li><li>LGBTQ Officers</li><li>Mature Students Officer(s)</li><li>RAG Officer(s)</li><li>Women and Non-Binary Students’ Officer(s)</li><li>Working Class &amp; Social Mobility Officer(s)</li></ul>



The Working Class and Social Mobility Officer role was added only very recently in 2017 after a referendum was held. It had (and is still considered by some) been viewed as a controversial role, triggering a referendum. From the 990 students who voted, 495 voted YES and now the rest is history. This now gives us a total of 8 positions and maybe possibly more in the future.&nbsp;



However, this event leads us to another resignation from one of 2017’s Women’s Officers (now Women and Non-Binary Students’ Officer). Michela Tharby resigned from her role, criticising YUSU for being “terrified to make any actual decisions” and for allowing the “NO” campaign to carry out.



Students aren’t afraid to criticise YUSU. However, our student union has accomplished some quite notable achievements. Major achievements include (but aren’t limited to):&nbsp;



<ul><li>Expanding library hours to 24 hours</li><li>Became on of the first SU’s to commit to reimbursing student accommodation in term 3 (2020), equivalent to £8.5 million</li><li>Rent reductions for 350 on campus rooms, all under £99</li><li>Introducing Activities Access Grants</li></ul>



The 2021 elections will be sure to add to YUSU’s interesting history. With COVID having disrupted the usual procedures taken place, 2021 should be an interesting year.&nbsp;

A Bitesized History of YUSU

The Election Debate Night saw Franki Riley, a candidate for York Sport President, accused YUSU of &#8220;not even meeting BUCS minimum standard on contact sports&#8221;.



However, Vision have found this to be untrue: according to Maddi Cannell, current Sport President, York Sport adhere to the requirement from both BUCS, and the Rugby Football Union that there must be one first aider per venue, and one per team, with the former being provided by staff at both the Sport Centre and Village.



Furthermore, in 2019/2020, 6 places were arranged for both the Men and Women’s Rugby Team to receive first aid training, which was not able to be completed due to COVID restrictions prohibiting full contact rugby thus far.



Riley also claimed that, &#8220;York sport staff are available, but trying to get ahold of them is often really really complicated, so I want to have a dedicated number so students can deal with this instance, but then have first aid back up as well&#8221;.&nbsp;



This is already in place, however, as all teams are required by Rugby Union regulation RUU 4.4 to carry a phone with them. They are directed to contact the BUCS number both after their fixture to submit their score before the deadline, and in case of emergencies.&nbsp;



Cannell told Vision: “YUSU ensures we always meet the standard of first aid required by BUCS for all sports alongside our venue providers, York Sport, be that venue and team first aiders or ambulance requirements. BUCS have both standard regulations for all sports, and sport specific standards”.&nbsp;



“On top of this, some National Governing Bodies also have additional requirements, which are often introduced over a phased time period, where these are mandatory they are met; we will continue to work alongside student groups to further embed knowledge of processes into training and offer more qualification opportunities where there is a need”.&nbsp;



“Student safety and wellbeing is and always will be a priority for YUSU. If any groups would like to discuss this further please contact <a href="mailto:m.cannell@yusu.org">m.cannell@yusu.org</a>”.



In a comment to Vision, Riley stated: &#8220;I have been made aware of some concerns raised about an unscripted comment I made during the election debate relating to university first aid provision not meeting BUCS minimum standards&#8230; In the debate I was not able to provide the full story or context surrounding this comment and would like to apologise for this and set the record straight”.



“During November 2019, I began seeking clarification on BUCS standards for first aid provision in Rugby after experiencing first-hand the lack of understanding and support players felt they had”.&nbsp;



“I met with various student rugby leaders, York Sport and YUSU staff to address first aid provision at the university; this meeting was very positive, but unfortunately there still remained considerable uncertainty over how to get in contact with a dedicated venue first aider and no designated phone number for first aid was made clear”.



“I never intended to provide any misinformation or cause any concern and have made a concerted effort at every stage of this election to ensure my campaign is truthful and reflective of students’ experiences”.



Georgia Briggs, President of Women’s Rugby at York, shares similar views: “We had to substitute a player from our own team out of the match to perform first aid for my broken nose. There was no other first aid trainer present, nor was the club or referee aware of any dedicated YUSU support line for first aid”.&nbsp;



“This was 2 years ago, however. I have witnessed enough injuries in training and matches since to be aware that there is no clear instruction on who to contact or what to do &#8211; other than to act personally &#8211; when there is an immediate injury to tend to.”

FACT CHECK: York Sport DO meet BUCS Minimum Safety Standards, Despite Claims Made by Candidate

What do you get when you cross promises that Sabbs can never deliver on, with a campus that’s never cared about YUSU? Well, you get what you fucking deserve, which luckily for you, isn’t a bullet to the brain.



Some candidates have gone absolutely mad with power this year, which is odd considering how little power they have. If you sit and read some of these manifestos you’d believe they were trying to replace Idi Amin, but instead of promising not to eat until his soldiers have, you’re all going to have a Sabb team who’ll be eating your catered dinners. Just look at the actual promises. One presidential candidate is promising to &#8220;ensure all students receive a reduction in their tuition fees&#8221;, but the YUSU president has as much power over that as Gavin Williamson has over his approval ratings.



This bonfire from hell really hits it’s &#8220;white hot&#8221; stage in the activities race though, a race where candidates piled in to fill the complete lack of leadership from the previous year. We’ve got a promise for platinum card refunds (tied in with a trip to Leeds? Can I visit the armouries?), someone wants to make LinkedIn but for York students only, so no actual employability benefits, and the cream of the crop, the promise to develop bars in the city.&nbsp;



I want to dwell on this last one a bit, because the enforced death of York’s nightlife is a very serious issue, and the unholy alliance between the York City Council and York Press commenters are doing a very good job so far at enforcing a social curfew in which no activities can happen past 9pm, but YUSU cannot go out and start buying and managing city venues. If you wanted to make a change, YUSU could lobby the council to alter its threshold of issuing new licences to venues, which any candidate who ever attended an Ollie Martin &#8220;save York’s nightlife meeting&#8221; would know.



To the bare minimum credit I could ever give Brian Terry, I did see him at one of these, and by chatting with the actual bar and club managers and owners, you can actually try and solve this problem.



But why does it matter? I mean, we get a lot of meaningless drivel every year. This is the first time in a while nobody is banging the drum for transparency, but we’ve got the meaningless &#8220;ensure changes are student led&#8221;, and one candidate at the debate quite literally refusing to say what their policy is. If you want the bog standard purposeness of a YUSU election, we’ve still got it, but it’s being rapidly outshone by just a complete lack of understanding of what YUSU can do. Well, is that really the problem?



Former YUSU President, and now actual contributor to society Tom Scott often says &#8220;don’t attribute malice where you can incompetence&#8221; which should apply here right? But, surely these intelligent people who can do research and find out the parameters of the job could know what they’re promising is impossible. Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s arrogance, or foolishness, or just plain not understanding, but the hard truth is, if it’s none of these, then you are being lied to directly in order to win a position of authority within a top University, and a relatively thin cheque for £20k of your hard earned government subsidy.



The solution here is allowing even greater access to student media, for them to criticise candidates and their policies. If someone is stood there offering vastly cheaper menu items, you deserve a more powerful campus media to turn around and say, taking money from a pension fund and subsidising chips is a fucking mental idea. 



YUSU needs to have some faith in its media that it’s not a big personal free for all, and full of people who want to do real critical analysis of people who will hold political and financial advantages. To that extent, please out more candidate information, and give it earlier so groups can better prepare.



All that glitters isn’t gold, and whatever it is, we’re currently being invited to buy a bridge made out of it. Please don’t buy that bridge. I’m about to depart this wretched world of YUSU elections, but please see it off with some decent people. Let’s be honest though, I’m being way too serious about this, I find the whole thing very funny, and I’m tired of pretending it’s not.

How about another joke, YUSU?

It’s that time of year again &#8212; YUSU elections, and as such, a busy and confusing time in the students’ calendar. 



Whether you’re part of a campaign team, running for a role, or… don’t really know what’s going on (honestly, same), you probably need a drink, boozy or otherwise. If this is you, but you’re not quite sure what it is you’re craving, then you’ve come to the right place. 



Here is a list of the five people running for the role of Community and Wellbeing Officer, and what drinks I think they are. Hopefully you’ll leave this knowing what you want to drink, or simply knowing a bit more about the candidates!



<figure class="wp-block-gallery alignleft columns-1 is-cropped"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="916" src="https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2-1024x916.jpg" alt="" data-id="447" data-full-url="https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2.jpg" data-link="https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/?attachment_id=447" class="wp-image-447" srcset="https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2-1024x916.jpg 1024w, https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2-300x268.jpg 300w, https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2-768x687.jpg 768w, https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2-1536x1374.jpg 1536w, https://elections-data.yorkvision.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/157919394_1333604540345538_5021338656243956289_n-2.jpg 2010w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></li></ul></figure>



Abby Pullen &#8211; Hot Chocolate



As Abby points out in their Vision candidates page: chocolate is excellent for self-care. They seem to be all about hearing student voices, and what better way to hear what your peers have to say than over a warming mug of cocoa? And if you’d like a “fresh perspective”, why not throw some <a href="https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/scene/food/baileys-hot-chocolate/06/12/2020">Baileys</a> in there, or even spice it up with a dash of chilli?&nbsp;



Charlotte Ingrey &#8211; Redbull



Charlotte seems to have a lot of plans for campaigning on behalf of students, if they get elected. They seem to be a lively and bubbly person, but even the most active of us get tired sometimes. That’s why I chose Redbull (or any other energy drink) to represent them &#8212; hopefully they’ll have time between campaigns to share one with Longboi&#8230;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/Red_Wine_Glass.jpg/128px-Red_Wine_Glass.jpg" alt=""/></figure></div>



Kelly Balmer &#8211; Glass of Red Wine



Red wine is an excellent classic, and Kelly seems to be a classic Sabb candidate: lots of good ideas, previous experience working with the Uni, and an emphasis on having conversations, be it &#8220;uncomfortable&#8221; ones with the Uni itself, or hearing what her peers have to say. If hot chocolate isn’t your thing for these types of conversations, red wine is a great alternative!



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Green_tea_-_Kabuto.jpg/256px-Green_tea_-_Kabuto.jpg" alt=""/></figure></div>



Rebecca Wilcockson &#8211; Green Tea



Rebecca justifiably puts a lot of emphasis on health in her Vision candidates page. Whilst it’s not as good as an effective Open Door service would be, taking time over a cup of green tea (or normal tea, if that’s more your cup of tea &#8211; sorry) can help calm you down in periods of stress.&nbsp;



Your Babe Rokas &#8211; Passionfruit Martini



Your Babe Rokas seems like he’d be a fun guy on a night out. Along with this, in his Vision candidates page, he claims to be &#8220;burning with a passion&#8221; to create change, which for some reason immediately made me think of passionfruit martinis (I think I just miss cocktail nights with the gals).&nbsp;



 As a quick disclaimer: these are all meant to be taken lightly, my suggestions are based on a mix of what they say on the YUSU Elections <a href="https://yusu.org/elections2021/candidates">candidate page</a> and their responses to York Vision’s own <a href="https://elections.yorkvision.co.uk/candidates/community-wellbeing-officer">questions</a> to them. I hope you enjoyed this list, and it gave you some inspiration for what to have on your next social Zoom call!

What Drink Would Each Community and Wellbeing Candidate Be?

The Sabbs currently rely on cluttered emails and grumpy Facebook posts to communicate with students, which is half-hearted to say the least.



If you ask any first year, and plenty of second and third years the names of their Sabbatical Officers, you will be met with someone trying to name them all like someone tries to name all 50 States.&nbsp;



The only reason I knew what Sabbs even were in first year was because of the awkward speeches they gave to all new undergrads in central hall. Naturally, this can’t be done for a while, but why haven’t they come up with new means of talking to students?&nbsp;&nbsp;



Yes, the Sabbs this last year have had a harder job due to these ‘unprecedented times’, but they cannot reasonably expect their emails to be heartily digested by the student population, especially as the emails themselves are not a quick read &#8211; there are so many words, yet so little information.&nbsp;



The Facebook posts are marginally better, as they can be done around one specific issue, but this is a dying platform. Interaction with these posts is minimal UNLESS it is about a hot-button topic (like the no-detriment policy, for example).



Communicating with anonymous pages is also a big no-no. YUSU President Patrick O’Donnell has recently been caught answering questions for these irrelevant account admins, which is clearly the wrong route to go down; interacting with pages that people are too scared to put their names to is no substitute for engaging with student life where he could at least find out the name of the person he’s talking to.&nbsp;



What these new means of communication will be however, is a riddle that still needs to be solved. Hopefully we can soon bring back forcing hungover freshers into a tightly packed hall to listen to something they already care so little for, but even then we need to evolve.&nbsp;



Maybe Sabbs need to be more present in events across the year, within societies, course meetings, and college gatherings, so in a sense, no one can escape their presence. Ultimately, it’s a small price to pay for knowing their names.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Please can the Next Sabbs not Rely on Facebook Posts

The nomination window has now closed in the 2021 YUSU elections, with campaigning scheduled to begin next week (2 March).&nbsp;&nbsp;



If you’ve kept up to date with&nbsp;York Vision’s&nbsp;coverage of the elections so far, you will likely be familiar with how things operate at York.



Student Union elections take place each year in spring term, with candidates running for a range of full and part time positions, as well as non-officer roles and faculty reps.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While the sight of cardboard posters plastered across campus, candidates interrupting lectures to pledge their promises, and social media becoming inundated with shameless self-promotion posts may be all too reminiscent of previous years, what you might not have considered is how things at York match up against Student Unions across the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Vision&nbsp;took a look at the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, and University College London to see how YUSU compares to Student Unions, Guilds, and Associations in the UK.



How Does Our Sabbatical Team Differ from Other Unis?&nbsp;



With voting due to commence on the 5 March, I’d be surprised if you weren’t already familiar with the five full time sabbatical officer positions elected each year at York:&nbsp;Union President,&nbsp;York Sport President,&nbsp;Academic Officer,&nbsp;Student Activities Officer,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Community and Wellbeing Officer.



However, what you might not know is that York’s full time officer team is smaller than our neighbouring Russell Group Universities: Leeds has seven, Newcastle six, and Manchester elects a team of eight.&nbsp;



York’s smaller sabbatical team certainly raises questions of representation, specifically where roles which warrant full time, paid positions at other unis are entrusted to a voluntary officer at York. For example, at the University of Manchester the titles of&nbsp;International Officer,&nbsp;Postgraduate Officer,&nbsp;Women’s Officer,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Liberation and Access Officer&nbsp;warrant full time positions rather than voluntary roles.&nbsp;



With an expected commitment time of around five hours per week for the Part Time Officer (PTO) roles at York, you might question whether the same attention is paid to issues of equality and liberation. That said, the student body at York is approximately half of that of Manchester, and a smaller committee not only saves cash but may increase the speed of decision making.



Interestingly, at the University of Lancaster (which employs six full time sabbs) students also vote to elect an&nbsp;Officer for Union Development, responsible for&nbsp;“maintaining governance and democratic proceedings, including elections, referendums, and meetings”.&nbsp;&nbsp;This position appears absent from the roll call at YUSU, and is perhaps something to consider in future years to improve the election process.&nbsp;



However, York trumps Lancaster in terms of PTO roles – offering greater representation to causes such as the Environment, Volunteering, RAG (Raising and Giving), and Working Class – which are not available at LUSU.



Over in Leeds, additions to the 2020 full time sabbatical team at LUU include an&nbsp;International Officer, a&nbsp;Union Affairs Officer, and an&nbsp;Equality and Diversity Officer, but lacks a full time representative for University Sport.&nbsp;



This seems to be a common theme &#8211; like York,&nbsp;Edinburgh Students&#8217; Association&nbsp;elects five Officers, however the areas of activities, community, and welfare warrant separate positions, and a&nbsp;Sport Officer&nbsp;is absent from proceedings. Durham similarly lacks a full time representative for University Sport, bringing York out on top in this area.



Distinctions are also apparent in terms of postgraduate representation where York seems to be lacking &#8211; with the Universities of Birmingham, Newcastle, and Durham among those electing a dedicated&nbsp;Postgraduate Academic Officer.



In addition to these roles, you might be surprised to hear that the University of Leeds also elects the editor of the student newspaper,&nbsp;The Gryphon, responsible for holding the Student Exec and Union to account. This system has also been adopted by Newcastle – which elects the&nbsp;Editor of the Courier&nbsp;as a full time paid position.



What About Their Salaries?



Student Union representatives might campaign upon these promises, but they’re not just responsible for social events, sports, and societies.&nbsp;



Our Student Unions reps serve as “trustees of the organisation” &#8211; the title of sabbatical officer is a full time job – with the five officer trustees at York taking home an annual wage of £19,578 according to YUSU. Based on a contracted 35 hours a week this works out at an hourly rate of £10.76 an hour – a mere £2 more than the national minimum wage.&nbsp;



This figure sits roughly in line with the national average, with Sabbatical Officers at Lancaster and Exeter receiving £19,612 and £19,500 respectively as of 2020.&nbsp;



Full Time Officers at Edinburgh come away marginally better, with their Student Association representatives earning £22,000 in exchange for their years’ service.&nbsp;



These figures pale in comparison to University College London however, which pays a yearly salary of approximately £25,000 on its seven sabbatical officers. Overall, UCL forks out an extra £77k a year on its team of full time officers, compared to York.&nbsp;



Is Our Turnout As Good As Other Unis?



If you didn’t already know, the Single Transferable Voting System (STV) is the system used to elect representatives at York and this is mirrored at nearly all Student Unions across the country.&nbsp;



STV allows voters to vote preferentially, ranking candidates in order of preference which produces fewer wasted votes. The candidate who receives the least votes is removed from the running and their votes reallocated among second and subsequent preferences, until we have a clear winner. This voting format – including the RON (Re-Open Nominations) feature is replicated in all of the Universities mentioned in this article.



Turnout in Student Union elections is historically low across the board, but differs significantly amongst our closest neighbours.&nbsp;



According to YUSU, engagement amongst students at York has been consistently high in comparison to other Student Unions.&nbsp;



In the 2020 Student Union elections at York, turnout stood at 23.8% of eligible voters, amounting to 4,896 unique voters casting a total of 40,569 votes.&nbsp;



Although this figure was down on the previous figure of 31% in 2019, it stands higher than turnout in Durham, Manchester, Leeds, and Lancaster last year.



In Durham, where the size of the student population is most comparable to York, the turnout figure according to student publication&nbsp;Palatinate&nbsp;in 2019 stood at 16.58%, or 3,101 of the 18,707 total eligible voters.



At Lancaster, the 2020 Student Union elections concluded with a turnout of 21%, with over 20,000 total votes cast by 3,270 individual voters, according to Lancaster University Students Union.



Similarly, turnout in the&nbsp;LeadLUU&nbsp;student exec elections at Leeds was 18.46%, down from 20.91% in 2019 according to student publication,&nbsp;The Gryphon.&nbsp;



None of these figures compare with the University of Manchester however, which saw one of the worst turnouts nationwide last year. A total of 30,161 votes were cast by 5,812 voters, but with a student population of over 40,000 at UoM, turnout stood at approximately 14.5%.



The greater turnout for YUSU may be due to successful initiatives to increase engagement with elections at York in recent years – such as reduced price pints in exchange for every 1,000 votes cast, or donation to charity.&nbsp;



York is relatively unique in that for every voter, the University donated 75p to charity in the 2020 elections, raising a total of £3,672 for YUSU RAG and the Equal Access Scholarship Fund.



Vision&nbsp;only found evidence of a similar scheme at the University of Newcastle, which donates 50p per voter to three charities.&nbsp;



Could the High Turnout at York be Related to Campaign Budget?



You could be forgiven for thinking that the comparably high turnout at York may be due to more expensive campaigns launched by candidates.&nbsp;



However, you might be surprised to learn that YUSU sets one of the lowest campaign budgets nationally for candidates running in student union elections.



According to YUSU, the maximum campaign budget for full time officer candidates is £20, and part time officers £10, which are both reimbursable by the University to ensure that candidates are not left at a financial disadvantage during their campaigns.&nbsp;



Lancaster offers a slightly higher campaign budget of £30 for full time officer candidates, as does Birmingham, reimbursed by the Student Union.



By comparison, the University of Edinburgh has a hefty campaign budget of £90 per sabbatical officer candidate, and £30 for voluntary roles. The figure for candidates running at Durham sits at £60.&nbsp;



Newcastle however operates differently – their campaign budget differs depending on whether there are other candidates in the running for the same position.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Candidates for full time roles running without opposition are only entitled to a budget of £25, whilst those who are opposed are granted a heftier budget of £100.&nbsp;



Likewise, opposed part time candidates are limited to a budget of £50 – still more than double the maximum budget granted by YUSU.&nbsp;



This suggests that the cost and size of the campaign doesn’t necessarily matter &#8211; candidates at York have had to work harder, think outside the box and get creative to reach students – perhaps responsible for the greater turnout witnessed in York compared to other Unis in recent years.



Let’s hope this trend continues. Voting commences on 5 March.&nbsp;

How Do YUSU Elections Compare to Other Universities?

There’s an imposter among us, who can spot the joke candidate? They’re typically wearing something garish, a Belisha beacon among a sea of pseudo-seriousness. A bet probably got them there, and you can bet you’ll have forgotten about them by the time results night comes around.&nbsp;



York has a fine line in joke candidates. They’ve won, they’ve lost, they’ve narrowly missed. Some have been consigned to the dustbin of history, and some are still suffocating in the trash. 



There’s the odd interplay between what a victory actually looks like for a joke candidate. Is it to win a big upset, or to narrowly miss while having fun along the way? Mad Cap n’ Tom swept to victory in 2008, promising cutlasses for all and swashbuckling lessons. After the shock victory, Tom rolled up his sleeves and took the job seriously.



On occasion the lines become blurred, and it’s unclear whether it’s meant to be a joke or if they&#8217;re having a bad dissertation week. If it’s not clear whether you’re a joke candidate, either I must commend you for your incredible performance and satirisation of this affliction, or you’re in need of a rethink.



When you think you’re voting for a joke candidate and it turns out they’re serious, it’s a kick in the teeth for any budding voter. It’s like ordering your first vegan sausage roll to find that in the second you looked away they’ve demolished the Greggs and replaced it with an abattoir. Not cool.



Joke candidates have their advantages. They can also bring new voters into the process and engage them on issues that affect students. I’m not sure the person who ran for President as Ron Weasley in 2015 widened the debate, but I’m sure that friendship group was more invested than they could have imagined just a few weeks before. A Longbottom ran for RAG officer the same year but that was just a coincidence. These types of candidates are a flash in the pan, they’re a surprise but don’t have much of a point.



Good-humoured shock and awe candidates have their place, but I crave the serious joke campaigns that commit to an angle and put in the effort to make it work. Take Chris Small, a satirical candidate who blended absurd ideas with enough truth to cut through. 



A referendum on referendums? Perhaps students want officers to make more decisions for them. Making V Bar V Bar again? Maybe Vanbrugh Arms needs a rethink. He came in second in 2019 while getting students engaged with good-humoured fun, and serious ideas. More of this please.&nbsp;



There’s more to joke candidates than just a character and a few jokes; they can serve a purpose. Joke candidates can reveal deficiencies in both the offices they run for, and the candidates they’re up against. Do they have a bizarre idea that seems implausible? It may be just as implausible as ideas floated by the “serious” candidates.&nbsp;



Joke candidates that do take the time to develop clear themes can cut through. If you must,&nbsp; keep the geese joke drudgery as an addendum to your campaign rather than the centrepiece. Move with the times and enjoy the campaign.



Push the boundaries of the entire elections process. I’ve drawn plenty (perhaps too much) of enjoyment out of the idea of running for all five sabb positions simultaneously, each with a brand new manifesto and the most minimal, ridiculous differences in appearance. Imagine the sheer absurdness of going all five rounds in the annual debate night bout. Sports President is up next? Thank God I packed my tracksuit bottoms.



You don’t have to take yourself seriously to be serious about something. Treat it as a serious campaign and it can be more rewarding for everyone involved. You never know, if it goes well you may even find yourself sweating at the prospect of actually winning.

Joke Candidates Should Take Jokes More Seriously

&nbsp;The issue of climate change and sustainability is greatly important in 2021 and through speaking to University of York societies linked to the environment, the desire for an environmentally centred manifesto from every YUSU candidate is evident.



The Environment and Ethics Officer position does hold a primary responsibility surrounding sustainability within campus, however, a common theme that emerged through speaking to climate orientated societies was the need for every YUSU candidate to involve these policies in their manifestos. The University of York Green Party reflected this, believing that “each officer should do all they can to be as sustainable as they can”.



The Environment and Ethics Officer holds a crucial role for ensuring campus is as sustainable as possible. York Students for Climate Change emphasise the importance of the role as “a voice for students, communicating the levels of anxiety many students have about the climate crisis”.&nbsp;



The key policies desired from the Environment and Ethics Officer by the societies I spoke to were:&nbsp;



<ul><li>The continuation of accessible and ethical food options on campus&nbsp;</li><li>Reducing the amount of single use plastic on campus by providing sustainable alternatives.</li><li>Increasing the energy efficiency of campus.</li><li>Reducing waste produced on campus.</li><li>Sustainable transport policy, such as the creation of cycle lanes in and around campus.</li><li>Striving for the University of York to achieve net zero carbon by 2030.</li></ul>



These policies need the support and assistance of all the YUSU officers and the University to be achieved. The overall consensus from the societies was that the Environment and Ethics Officer should not hold the single responsibility to implement environmental policies. There&#8217;s a demand for each officer to consider sustainability when making every decision.&nbsp;



With the emergence of a wide variety of climate centered societies and movements, such as York Students for Climate Change and People and Planet, it is evident that there&#8217;s a student demand for sustainability on campus. There&#8217;s also a real need for environmentally friendly practices to assist in weakening the effects of climate change. 



Therefore, there’s a shared belief that the new YUSU officers should consider the environment as a priority, and I think it is essential that they make it a key aspect of their role.&nbsp;

Should the Environment be a Priority for all YUSU Candidates?

This year’s election cycle began on Monday 8 February (Week 5), with the opening of nominations. Candidates who want to run for a position have to submit a photo and a manifesto to YUSU, as well as a short blurb talking about themselves and why they are running. 



This process lasts for just under two weeks, with nominations closing at midday on 19 February. During this time, candidates can chop and change their photos, blurbs, and manifestos as much as they want before the 19th, thanks to the ‘save’ feature on YUSU’s election page.



With nominations closing at the end of Week 6, the whole of Week 7 will be dedicated to what YUSU are calling “Development Week”. YUSU will be hosting a number of workshops for candidates, teaching them how to prepare for campaigns, as well as laying down ground rules for the election.



Punishments for breaking election rules can range from a ban on campaigning for a short amount of time, all the way to a forced withdrawal from the election. With a campaigning period of just ten days, every second counts, and violations of election rules can come back to haunt candidates. 



There aren’t any set rules for what happens with candidates who break the regulations; violations of the election campaign rules get dealt with by the Deputy Returning Officer.



Students running for a sabbatical position will have a maximum budget of £20, while those running for PTO positions will have a budget of just £10. This is to limit the amount of money that gets poured into the election, ensuring a level playing field for everyone running. 



Students are also required to run clean campaigns. That means no personal attacks on anyone else running. It doesn’t stop candidates from criticising policy that others put forward in their manifestos, though.



Friday 26 February, the end of Development Week, is the deadline for manifestos.



Candidates will have had a whole week to develop their manifestos and hone their campaign tactics, and from 2 March onwards, they’ll have to use these to win a position within YUSU.



The 2nd is a key date in the election. Candidates will be announced, and from midday campaigning will begin. URY will be hosting a Candidate Interview Night, where everyone running will be given a chance to broadcast themselves and their ideas across York’s student population. 



The URY Candidate Interview Night isn’t the only chance for everyone to get their names out there. YSTV will be hosting 60 second manifestos, where candidates will have to sum themselves and what they want to achieve in just one minute. And of course, York Vision will be the go to place for all news throughout the election. 



YUSU will also be holding a Debate Night on 5 March, which will be streamed on Facebook. This year will be different from every other year, as this time voting will open as soon as the Debate Night finishes, giving candidates one last chance to broadcast themselves to students at York.



Voting, as always, will be done under the Single Transferable Vote System. Students will have to rank the candidates for each position. Each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated from the running. Everyone who ranked them as their candidate will have their votes transferred to their second favourite candidate. This process continues until one candidate has reached the necessary number of votes needed in order to be declared the winner.



Students will be able to vote for one week, until midday on 12 March. The votes will be verified by the NUS, and the winners will be announced on Saturday 13 March at 7pm.



So what’s different about this year’s election? For one, the pandemic has forced elections online, which presents a significant number of challenges for candidates. They’ll have to be innovative and clever if they want to win the election.



Another major change is that student groups and college committees will be allowed to endorse candidates. This a significant departure from previous elections, as endorsements from groups weren’t allowed before this year. YUSU told Vision that this is being done to increase election engagement. 



With more than 200 official groups, and nine different college committees, expect to see significant changes to how students interact with elections from now on.

YUSU Elections for Dummies

Brian Terry’s resignation is the first to happen in recent memory. As now-former activities officer, Terry has left the Students’ Union scrambling to fill his responsibilities, and societies without their representative, sending a clear message to all candidates &#8211; this is a commitment, not a hobby.



To put it simply, Terry abandoned students. In campaigning for and receiving the winning amount of votes, he made the promise to represent student societies throughout his year long position. Despite saying repeatedly that students were at the heart of what he did, he left leaders and members of societies in the lurch &#8211; and its still not entirely clear why. The job he so dutifully worked and campaigned for in a Where’s Wally outfit, was dropped for a mysterious job offer he has refused to disclose, which as he explained himself was because he is &#8220;conscious of the incredibly tough job market&#8221;.&nbsp;



Due to his oh-so serious concern about his future, the running of societies has since been thrown into disarray, with no clear point of contact to be had, and no one to hold to account &#8211; it would hardly be fair to criticise Maddi, the Sports President, in her chairing of Societies Committee, when it is a responsibility that she never expected to have to undertake.&nbsp;



No matter what the future holds, no sabb should drop their duties, especially with a resignation period of three days. Terry’s sudden departure is a clear demonstration to not minimise the weight the role carries. In campaigning for the votes of students, and then receiving those votes, you have made the promise of representing their voices within YUSU. Now, from the time of Terry’s resignation until the new activities officer starts in the next academic year, there is no elected activities officer.&nbsp;



If you are considering running for a sabbatical position in YUSU, be prepared for challenges, and be prepared to stick it out. As a representative within a union, you have to work alongside others, but like all elected officials, there is the expectation you serve your people to the end of your term. Hopefully Terry’s resignation does not show potential candidates they can resign if things get tough.

Don’t Be a Wally: This is a Job Not a Hobby

The stereotype for YUSU sabbs is that you run if you are blessed with one of the following two attributes: blind ambition, or plain narcissism.&nbsp;



For a cushy few months, in which you are paid to live an extra year with your mates, followed by a nice note on your CV that you “spoke up for students”, there’s a lot to love. The Russell Group Sabbatical Officers read like a list of public school Head Boys and Girls, eager to regain a shred of power over their peers; their face once again a iconographic visage on their institution’s website.



They have visions of students chanting their name after a couple of hours raving at the VC, telling him what’s what in a blue-eyed, American high school rom-com-climax-style explosion of validation and hope.&nbsp;



This, however, is highly unlikely to be your experience as a sabb. You’re not going to be leading your students to freedom, but working hard to battle your way through the cross-stitch of YUSU red tape inherent in every menial endeavour. In reality, you’ll be spending hours trying to make sense of the hashed nonsense of student media, as I bug you for comments on each University right, or wrong step.



But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if you are vaguely adept, and hungry enough to get stuff done, there is no better time than now to be a sabb. Far from being stuck in an office, withering away into submission, over this pandemic students have really needed someone to speak up for them: a figurehead putting their anxieties into words against a government who have made it plain they have more important age groups, and classes, to worry about.



There has been a real, recognised need for a student voice; chatting with YUSU has not merely been a box to be ticked for the University, but something that is genuinely valuable, with very real actions built from their advice and campaigns. They have even joined forces, standing united against landlords where before it was simply Steph Hayle, alone, attempting to forge a path through the BBC.



The power of YUSU is no longer something to be idly swept up by a self-important toff, but has genuine backing. They have pressured the Uni into a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/the-university-of-yorks-new-safety-net-for-spring-term/07/01/2021">no detriment policy</a>&nbsp;(say what you like, but it was a damn good policy compared to the crap&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/to-the-russell-group/21/01/2021">other unis</a>&nbsp;had to go through at the time), fighting for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/climate/yusu-and-environmental-initiatives-have-they-held-up-their-promises/21/12/2020">climate action</a>, and creating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/yusu-introduces-new-outdoor-areas-for-students/04/11/2020">spaces</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/the-forest-yusus-new-venue-announced/14/08/2020">venues</a>&nbsp;for students to have a habitable year despite “unprecedented circumstances”.



This is not to say that YUSU have done brilliantly – no one could deny there have been appalling cockups. There is a lot to improve for someone willing to take on the job, but they&#8217;ve surely got a lot to live up to as well.



These elections are a time where it is really vital for our best, and brightest to get involved. If you have something to say &#8211; if you genuinely want to make a difference &#8211; if you believe in fighting to make the lives of your peers more secure: put down your name. At a time like this, when we desperately need for this to come true, we could really do with someone like you.

There is No Better Year to be a Sabb

Three lockdowns ago, I ordered myself a very bougie gym set. I mean, the sports bra alone was enough to turn people’s heads when I ventured out onto my daily run, but combined with the silky, yet supportive leggings…GAME CHANGER.&nbsp;



However, now that it’s almost approaching one year since we were put into the first lockdown and absolutely nothing has changed apart from an increase in my workload, and the fact that I haven’t seen some of my loved ones since Christmas 2019, I can say with confidence that said gym set has not been outside since May 2020.&nbsp; Instead of waking up &#8220;early&#8221; and reaching for my trainers, I now reach for my phone and spend the entire morning (sometimes the afternoon too) on TikTok. But, that’s okay.&nbsp;



Every lockdown has been difficult. Students are either stressed about their degree grades, financial situations, or generally feeling super lonely. If you are struggling then I want to draw your attention to some of the support programmes both at York and in general, to hopefully bring you a little bit of relief.&nbsp;



During 2019 &#8220;63% of students stated that financial struggles affected their mental health&#8221;. With the current climate, students have either found themselves paying for a house they are not living in or struggling to afford other necessities because they are attempting to survive off the bare minimum.&nbsp;



In previous years, YUSU have made a difference in easing some of students&#8217; anxieties. Especially surrounding money. In 2019 #RentRant was launched in an attempt to lower the cost-of-living conditions in York. In 2020 the University also stated that students living on campus didn’t have to pay their third term rent, due to us being in a lockdown. So, hopefully we can all keep our fingers crossed that this message reaches York’s private landlords for second and third year students.&nbsp;



Whilst helping with finances YUSU also tend to work alongside Student Minds, making sure students are aware of the various options available to help support their mental state. Student Minds is the UK&#8217;s student mental health charity, who work alongside professionals and academics to develop new ways of helping students’ mental health. They train both students and staff across universities in the UK to deliver student-led peer support programmes and research-driven campaigns and workshops.&nbsp;



Although YUSU have been making a difference, I would also like to draw your attention to some of York’s mental health support programmes. The Open Door team are a group of professionals who provide a safe and warm environment for students to discuss their anxieties. College tutors are also allocated to freshers when they move to York to help them settle in. Nightline is a number that students can call at any time to discuss how they’re feeling. The Student Support and Advice situated at the Student Hub is also available and if you feel as though you’d rather speak to a doctor, York have two GP practises located on Campus East and Fulford.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



So please, I urge you to contact any one of York’s mental health support services if you are really struggling with the current situation. Whilst it is ok to abandon exercise plans and gym sets that got you through the first lockdown, it is also ok to talk to somebody about how you are feeling.&nbsp;

Why Mental Health is Important Now More Than Ever

Over the past couple of York University Student Union (YUSU) elections, turnout is rapidly dwindling. YUSU secured only 23.8% turnout in 2020, down from 31.5% the year before.&nbsp;



And now, with many students away from campus and incentives of pint price reductions no longer feasible, there is little hope that this downward trend will improve in the upcoming 2021 elections.&nbsp;



While YUSU have boasted of being &#8220;amongst the top SU’s for turnout&#8221;, 31.5% is still significantly lower than a majority, signifying the results of York’s Student Union elections have been decided by a minority of students.&nbsp;



When asked why students appear to have little interest in voting for their student union representatives, many may jump to the conclusion of apathy; students simply do not care.&nbsp;



However, with YUSU often receiving negativity on anonymous online platforms, it is clear students do care about what their student union does for them, so what are the real reasons that students appear not to vote when given the opportunity?



One third year politics student told us, while he did vote, he understood why YUSU elections often had bad turnout:



&#8220;The biggest things for me are the lack of accountability that YUSU actually has, and the fact that I don’t think a lot of people get into it for the right reasons.&#8221;



&#8220;It seems to be something to look good on your CV rather than wanting to make a difference.&#8221;



When pressed on what “the right reasons” would consist of, he explained they would be &#8220;actually wanting to improve the student experience and doing what the students want&#8221;, but you can &#8220;never truly know what a person’s motivations are for running&#8221;.&nbsp;



Third year psychology and education student, Molly Pullen said she wouldn’t be voting in the upcoming elections since &#8220;third years will be leaving in a couple of months, so the outcome won’t directly affect us&#8221;.&nbsp;



This argument was echoed by many other third years, who feel as though to vote would be a pointless venture, since they would not see the application of the nominees&#8217; manifestos in their time at University.



First and second years, however, should have a vested interest in the outcome of the 2021 YUSU elections.



Emily Smith, a second year English student, said people tend not to vote as they &#8220;think it’s a lot of effort to read all the manifestos and decide who to vote for&#8221; especially if students believe one vote &#8220;won’t make a difference&#8221;.&nbsp;



She added, however, she probably would vote, &#8220;because we can’t complain about things not being right and not vote for the people that would change it&#8221;.



Many responses to the question &#8220;why don’t you vote in the YUSU elections?&#8221; are simply &#8220;what have YUSU ever done for us?&#8221;. 



The argument remains, however, that YUSU’s primary aim is to represent the students of the University, and over the COVID-19 pandemic that is what they did.&nbsp;



YUSU’s election myth-busting page recalls YUSU being one of the first Students’ Unions in the country to &#8220;secure a commitment from the University to reimburse all of students’ rent from their term three accommodation &#8211; equating to roughly £8.5 million pounds in total&#8221;.&nbsp;



Furthermore, while final years have lower incentives to vote in student union elections, one would argue that they still ought to vote for what they feel is the greater good of the student population, voting for a candidate that will solve problems they faced for future cohorts.



By nominating and voting, students have the opportunity to drive change within the University, ensuring their representatives are doing just that: representing students’ best interests.&nbsp;



Additionally, due to YUSU’s voting system of Single Transferrable Votes (STV), students need not worry about their vote not making a difference, as if their first choice doesn’t receive enough votes their vote will be transferred to their next preference, ensuring no votes are wasted.



As for questions of intentions, it remains down to the candidates to prove their positive motivations and convince the electorate to cast votes in their favour.&nbsp;



With so much at stake this year one hopes to see a higher turnout so that a larger proportion of students can have a say in who will be spearheading the response to student concerns over the next year at the University of York.&nbsp;

Why Students Aren’t Voting in Union Elections, and Why They Should

Prior to the official opening of the nominations on 8 February, YUSU held a series of important workshops surrounding the issue of the consistent underrepresentation of minority groups within the University. 



The workshops, headed by the YUSU Democracy &amp; Campaigns Development Coordinator, focused on women and non binary students, BAME students, students with disabilities, and working class students and can be accessed through the  <a href="https://yusu.org/elections2021/index">YUSU website</a> and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xz7wT7N7Nc&amp;feature=youtu.be">YUSU Official Youtube Channel</a>.



Despite ongoing efforts from the University of York to tackle both the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic gap, and the attainment gap for disabled students, there remains very little representation amongst minority students within the YUSU. Although incredibly unfortunate, the significant levels of underrepresentation and&nbsp; participation from said minority groups within the students union comes as almost no surprise and in many ways is almost entirely reflective of overarching socio-political issues within the UK. <a href="https://44e636c1ebe784492f84-5a01dd4a6616d09e705101b62b4054a7.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/2497CB1E_YUSU_BAME_Workshop_slides_2020.pdf">The University of York is well below the sector average for BAME Access and Participation (24%)</a> with a mere 14% of domestic students at the University being from BAME backgrounds.&nbsp;



York is 6% behind the sector average for working at 20%, however, the University performs well for access and participation for students with cognitive and learning disabilities, students with mental health difficulties, and students with social and communication difficulties. These figures highlight the relationship between societal wide barriers to access and participation and their effects on representation for minority students within universities such as York.&nbsp;



The University, as illustrated throughout each workshop, has a series of long term targets it aims to reach in order to both gain a better understanding of the gaps in experience and barriers for minority students and to produce tangible results in relation to widening access and representation. For example, when looking at the&nbsp; <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/media/abouttheuniversity/UniversityOfYork_APP_2020-21_V1_10007167%20(2).pdf">‘Access and Participation Plan 2020-21- 2024-2025’</a>, in relation to working class students, one of York’s main targets is to &#8220;<a href="https://44e636c1ebe784492f84-5a01dd4a6616d09e705101b62b4054a7.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/94B5180D_YUSU_Working_Class_Workshop_slides_2020.pdf">reduce the ratio of the most and least well off from 5:1 to 3.6:1.</a>&#8220;. Another key target surrounding BAME students, is to <a href="https://44e636c1ebe784492f84-5a01dd4a6616d09e705101b62b4054a7.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/2497CB1E_YUSU_BAME_Workshop_slides_2020.pdf">&#8220;close the gap between BAME and white student attainment by raising the attainment of BAME students by 2% &#8211; 71% to 73% by 2024/25</a>&#8220;.



Although these long term goals seem promising in the sense that they demonstrate the University&#8217;s awareness of pressing issues surrounding access and participation, all of these targets, it begs the question of what can be done in the present moment.&nbsp;



Being that the elections are primarily about making a difference and ensuring that students have the <a href="https://yusu.org/elections2021/index">&#8220;best possible experience at University</a>&#8220;, sessions such as these are imperative for further reminding and promoting us to take action in pushing forward student representation of minorities and significantly underrepresented groups within the University and the Students&#8217; Union. The workshops aim not only to highlight key disparities between minority groups and representation in YUSU, but to actively push and guide minority students on how to nominate oneself and carry out a sufficient campaign for a position at YUSU.&nbsp;



Although the figures mentioned above are quite damning, this is not to say that there is no hope for increased access and participation both University-wide and within YUSU. The more we continue to gather information, knowledge and awareness on key issues in relation to minority and underrepresented students, the more we can do to actively break down these barriers and create an inclusive student environment and students&#8217; union for both those who wish to run and those who are to be represented.&nbsp;



As the nomination process begins, one can only hope that there will be a diverse selection of students running for these important positions.

The Election