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Student elections: why should you stand?

Becoming a students' union officer allows you to bring about the change you'd like to see in your institution. It also looks impressive on your CV. Learn more about running in a student election

Participating in an extra-curricular activity while at university has substantial career benefits; yet graduate employers often look for something more. Assuming a more active role within the students' union, or its numerous societies and sports clubs, is a good idea.

There are many elected roles available, with some requiring greater involvement than others. While societies and sports clubs host voluntary elected positions to run alongside your studies, the students' union offers numerous paid, full-time sabbatical roles - such as president, vice-president, education officer and welfare officer- that can be held for one or two years.

Learn more about  the importance of extra-curricular activities .

'I decided to run for election as I had been the men's rep on our students' council for two years and had developed a passion for student voice and welfare,' says Joe Bigland, VP welfare officer at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Students' Union (SU).

'Additionally, the democratic processes in the union showed me the influence that officers and student reps can have and I built a manifesto that I thought could harness that influence and help students.'

If you're considering running in a student election, Joe highlights some of the reasons you should give it a go:

• It's a great way to give back to a union that has looked after your interests at university.
• It's a rewarding job as you get to see a change you've implemented and think 'I did that'.
• You get the opportunity to create change in huge institutions for years to come and make life better for future students.

Here are a few things you should bear in mind before kicking off your campaign…

The advantages of standing in a student election

First and foremost, elected students have the ability to drive change. By leading campaigns or organising events, you can steer the direction of your society, sports club or wider university, and advance the causes that you and your peers believe in.

Involvement extends to wider university matters for those in more senior roles. Sabbatical officers sit on major committees with the vice-chancellor and the senior team - providing an invaluable insight into the higher education sector. You really get to understand what the university does and see how it works from the inside 

Taking a more active role also allows you to interact with students from a variety of  backgrounds and this can result in strong, long-lasting friendships. You'll work with a diverse range of people, including academics, university senior management, university staff, union staff, the wider community and importantly, the eclectic make-up of students.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of becoming involved in your students' union is boosting your employability. The experience you'll gain will look great on your  CV  and you'll be able to use relevant examples from your time in office to back up skills in your  cover letter  and at  interview . Tasks such as managing budgets and running effective meetings develop qualities such as drive, leadership, influencing, multitasking, organising, communication and negotiating. Having to make decisions that may be unpopular with your peers also enhances resilience.

'The biggest advantage is the experience you get on the job,' agrees Joe. 'Not many people can say that they became a trustee of a large charity and a company director while taking a gap year or having recently graduated.

In the three months I've spent in this job, I've gained professional experience in public speaking, events planning, policy review, problem solving and presentation,' adds Joe.

The disadvantages

There are, however, some drawbacks; most notably the fact that increased involvement results in increased time pressures. For the more demanding roles you must be willing to sacrifice much of your time, which may impact upon your studies or social life. Discover  how to balance work and study .

Joe highlights the demands of the job. 'I won't sugar coat it, there can be quite a few challenges. The stress is a big factor, going from being a student to having strategic input in an entire organisation can be pretty daunting.

At UCLan, SU officers have to attend student casework meetings, things like student complaints and academic misconduct, which means that we sit on panels that decide whether or not students get expelled for breaking the rules. That can be hard to do, especially as we were students ourselves not too long ago.

It's also easy for your social life to revolve around the SU. The issues that you face day-to-day can dominate conversations outside of work, and all of these factors result in you thinking about the SU 24/7. All officers have to protect their free time and ensure they have some time away.'

How to win a student election

The best way to win a student election is to follow the advice of previous successful candidates. But remember that the more demanding roles will require greater preparation.

• Believe that you're the best person for the job  - Have confidence in yourself and truly believe in what you stand for if you want people to vote for you. If you don't believe you can win, nobody else will.
• Organise your manifesto  - Know in advance what your campaign will focus on. This involves combining your personal beliefs with those of your peers. Figure out your 'brand' and capitalise on your unique selling points. Keep the message simple and recruit a good support team.
• Practice public speaking  - You'll be doing plenty of this before and during your tenure, so it's important to hone your communication abilities. Take up every opportunity to practice speaking in front of an audience - be this through course assignments, work presentations or hobbies.
• Be visible  - If you want to win an election you need to be recognisable to student voters. You won't win by just printing your face on a few posters. Get out and about on campus - chat to students face-to-face.
• Don't over promise  - Be realistic and honest throughout your campaign and don't make promises you can't keep. If you need a bit of guidance on what's plausible speak to current union officers.

With that in mind, in Joe's experience it's all about how much you care. 'If students can see how driven you are to improve their experience, then they'll vote for you.

I also think it's important to not just do social media campaigns, sometimes in-person canvassing can be very effective. It depends on the culture and layout of your university, but make sure you consider all options to figure out what might work best.'

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• School Education /

Essay on Voting for School Students: Samples in 150, 200, and 250 Words

• Updated on  
• February 15, 2024

Essay on Voting: Voting is a powerful tool for any democratic country. The act of voting not only helps the candidate to build a nation by making laws and implementing them, but the active participation of voters in the democratic process also ensures active participation in nation-building.

Similarly theme for the year 2024 National Voters Day is ´Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure’ aims to raise awareness about voting, encouraging eligible candidates to register for the nation, building responsibility, and actively participating in the process of democracy.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Voting in 150 Words
• 2 Essay on Voting in 200 words
• 3 Essay on Voting in 250 words:

Also Read: One Nation One Election Essay in 500 Words

Essay on Voting in 150 Words

Voting plays an important role in a democratic country. For the citizens of a democracy, voting is more than a civic duty; in fact, it is a powerful expression of the thoughts and hopes of the general public. 

Through the right to vote, the voting behaviour of a citizen in a country actively participates in shaping the future and influences the policies that are made or are still to be drafted for the welfare of the people. In a voting method, the citizens of a country elect representatives who align with their values. Altogether, voting gives the right to subjects that empower and encourage a sense of responsibility and help in engagement with the community.

Moreover, it should be understood that the impact of each vote resonates beyond the electronic voting machines or ballot boxes. In reality, voting shapes the course of the nation and ensures a government that recognises the alternate visions and aspirations of the general public.

Also Read: Features of Democracy Notes

Essay on Voting in 200 words

The behaviour of voters plays an important role in running elections and in shaping the country’s democracy. Among the many key determinants of understanding voting behaviour is the voter´s socio-economic background. Every human needs financial assistance to live; therefore, choosing monetary benefits as the priority is not incorrect in any way. To earn, we need employment opportunities, control of inflation, and a boom in economic development. All these three key ingredients make up one of the mindsets of voters towards selecting the type of government they want. The areas experiencing good growth regarding the economy as well as job opportunities may witness the support of the voters for the ruling party in the future, while the areas facing challenges may lean towards failure.

Moreover, caste and community also play an important role in aligning the candidates in the minds of voters. Apart from economic development and casteism, the political agendas and manifestos of political parties also help in shaping the voter’s behaviour. In between all of these, how can we forget the role of the media in building the perception of public opinion?

Voter behaviour in voting is a complex interaction where understanding socio-economic factors, media influence, political ideologies, and leadership qualities not only marks success for the political parties but also for building a strong nation as per voters´ voting desire.

Also Read: Speech on President of India for School Students in English

Essay on Voting in 250 words:

The Indian system of voting follows a parliamentary democracy in which the people elect representatives to a parliament, and they make laws for them. The Indian electoral system in India is designed to ensure the representation and participation of citizens while they choose their representatives. The entire process of voting involves many steps, which begin from the registration of voters to the actual casting of votes.

In the first stage, eligible citizens who are over the age of 18 must register themselves as voters. Then they have to submit their necessary documents, which include proof of identity and address, to the Election Commission of India. Once the candidates are registered with the Election Commission of India, they receive their identification card, also called a voter ID card.

The political parties nominate the candidates, and citizens vote for their favourite candidate. The contender who gets the highest number of votes in the constituency wins and represents the legislative body.

In the whole process of elections in India, the Election Commission makes sure that the voting process is fair and transparent throughout the electoral process. Moreover, it is also made sure that people should be able to use EVM, which is another replacement for traditional paper ballots.

The people of India trust the Constitution as well as the authorities that help them elect their representatives. Furthermore, the Election Commission also runs voter awareness campaigns and proxy voting methods, which contribute to the fairness of elections in India.

Also Read: Notes on Lok Sabha

Ans: In simple words, voting means choosing someone in an election. 

Ans: One can participate in democracy by voting for their favourite candidate.

Ans: The word democracy comes from the Greek words demos, which means people, and kratos, which means rule. In short, we can say that democracy is the power of selection that always lies in the hands of the people.

Ans: Elections are the mechanism by which a registered and valid person of a country can only choose their leader.

Ans: People can participate in democracy by voting for their favourite parties. 

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Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with educational and informative content expertise. She has hands-on experience in Education, Study Abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and analysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particularly in the education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs related to her field to expand her expertise further. In her personal life, she loves creative writing and aspires to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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Finding education on the ballot.

For many college undergraduates, this presidential election marks the first time they’re eligible to vote. But there are many barriers to entry, said Jennifer Wolf, a senior lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) and director of undergraduate programs at the GSE (UP@GSE).

“Oftentimes students are away from home and from all the different resources that they might typically draw on,” she said. “On top of that, they’re encapsulated inside of a fast-moving, high-demand university setting where they have to think about studying for finals,” let alone dealing with a thick ballot and deciding how to vote.

On Oct. 8 Wolf hosted a teach-in at Stanford to help prepare students for the upcoming election, with nonpartisan information on voting and a particular focus on finding ways to advocate for education through the ballot.

“Voting is not easy,” said Wolf, who hosts a teach-in for education every presidential election year. “I tell my students that voting is like studying for finals, only more important. You don’t just go in there and decide willy nilly — you have to study,” Wolf said.

Here, Wolf discusses the importance of civic education, offers tips for teachers, and suggests how voters can look for education on the ballot. 

Jennifer Wolf is a senior lecturer at the GSE and director of undergraduate programs at the GSE. (Photo: Sofiia Kukhar)

What is a teach-in, and why do you host one on voting for education?

A teach-in is a brief, designed, exchange of information on a critically important current issue in the education democracy. UP@GSE hosts a variety of teach-ins — we’ve also conducted them on book banning, curricular freedom, and rampage school shootings, to name a few.

We exchange information freely on these topics, not related to a grade or credit, because we veer into political territory where people are welcome to bring different opinions.

My hope is that people come to the teach-in already solid in their own beliefs about education and what’s important to them. How they feel about school choice, teacher salaries and unionization, freedom of speech across the school sphere — those are their beliefs to form themselves.

Our job with the teach-in is to identify how to vote for those beliefs on a ballot, because it’s not super clear. And especially with education, you raise your voting power as you go lower down on the ballot. 

What are some misconceptions people might have when it comes to “voting for education?”

There’s a long distance between who we vote for president and how that’s going to affect our local school district. If I want to have power over the local school district, I need to vote for my school board members and my state legislators. 

Sometimes an issue of education makes it onto the votable state ballot, but more often a bill is put forward in the state legislature that you as the citizenry writ large aren’t going to vote on. The state assemblyperson and senator that you vote for are going to vote on that.

On a ballot you will see bonds for schools, but that’s almost always a funding thing. Bonds, because they’re collected through tax dollars, have to be brought forward by voters.

Almost everything else with regard to education goes through the state legislature, because in the United States, each state, protectorate, and tribal nation is responsible for its own education governance. For example, Massachusetts set up public education in 1852, but it wasn’t until 1917 that Mississippi did the same. We need to pay attention to our state legislatures with regard to education because each state has its own take.

How can we help students make informed voting decisions?

One of the things we do at the teach-in is to give people questions to ask their local legislators when it comes to their stances on issues. We also connect them with nonpartisan voting resources like Ballotpedia, where voters can enter the zip code where they’re registered to vote and see their ballot, as well as a summary of every candidate, initiative, and bond in three sentences. 

There’s also Stanford Votes , Secretaries of State Voter Guides , State Policy Network , and the National Center for Education Statistics , among many others. We’re not doing this work alone. I also encourage students to look into recommendations from news outlets and organizations they trust to see why they support a particular candidate.

At the teach-in I share a matrix I use that lists all of the candidates and initiatives I’m interested in, what the recommendations are, and the stances of candidates on both sides. 

We also cover education bills in play, by state, public K-12 spending per student, and some people, places, and races they may want to watch.

Some might find that level of research daunting. How can we make it less overwhelming?

I tell people to do it communally, to find other people you care about and do it together. Every year I sit with my mom and my daughter and we do it together. We have some issues where we have different beliefs, but we say this is the night when we’re going to do this, and we get out the drinks and the hors d’oeuvres.  

Voting is a tool for your citizenship at the federal, state, and local realms, and each of these contributes to democracy.

What tips do you have for teachers who want to teach students about voting in a nonpartisan way?

For me, the primary thing I’ve done is lead teach-ins and take the civics education outside of the classroom. I never want a student to feel they need to meet, mimic, reflect, or agree with my political ideas in order to earn a grade.

Students need to feel free to come into a classroom and learn with their own belief system in place. I mean, we’re going to challenge it, and we’re going to talk about it, but I don’t ever want students to think they need to agree with me.

By putting this in a teach-in setting, we remove that. It’s completely voluntary and it’s not transactional in any way. You come to the teach-in and you get knowledge, a sticker, cookies, and an apple. There’s nothing else to be gained.

For me that’s one thing that’s really important in teaching civics education. We just want to empower students to vote, not in a specific way or for a specific person.

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Washington Square News

Why NYU students are voting third party in the 2024 presidential election

Liyana Illyas , Deputy News Editor | October 28, 2024

Under the Arch

Students spoke with WSN about the issues that matter to them — and why those problems have led them to vote in defiance of the two-party system.

Liyana Illyas, Deputy News Editor | Oct. 28, 2024

As students count down to the 2024 presidential election, tensions on college campuses remain a point of critical contention. Amid the community’s stark political divide and institutional crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests, students face significant moral dilemmas at the polls, struggling to support candidates who do not reflect their values and turn to third-party candidates to fill that role.

While most citizens are deciding between voting for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump, many are exploring alternative options beyond the traditional bipartisan landscape of American politics. In 2024, 63% of U.S. adults agreed that a third party is needed in such a polarized climate, as the two leading parties fail to adequately represent the diverse American population. Third-party candidates offer voters, including NYU students, an opportunity to find representation of their political and moral beliefs.

​​CAS junior Hajar Ebid — whose primary concern in the upcoming election is both candidates’ positions on Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza — expressed her frustrations with the polarized nature of American politics, stating that it has “turned into theater on public display.”

“I don’t align with either of those parties, and that’s completely aside from their stance on Palestine — no American president has ever had an interest in establishing a Palestinian state or advocating for Palestinians as much as they advocate for Israel,” Ebid said in an interview with WSN. “They’ve never shown interest, so that’s an issue when it comes to [all presidential] elections for me personally, but this time it’s just exacerbated because of what’s been happening over the last year.”

The main third-party candidates for this upcoming election include Green Party nominee Jill Stein, independent Cornel West and Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver. Though independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dropped out of the race to endorse Trump, he is still an option for third-party voters, with his name appearing on the ballot in 28 states. The other third-party candidates — with Stein as the “most prominent,” according to The Hill — will also appear on the ballots in some states. 

Though they have never won in an American presidential election up to this point, third-party candidates have been influential in the small numbers of previous elections. In 2016, Green Party nominee Jill Stein and Libertarian Gary Johnson each received more votes in “blue-wall states”   — states that have historically leaned Democrat in elections — than the margin by which Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election.

The war in Gaza has become a major point of contention for many Arab and Muslim voters across the country, leading some to vote based on whether the candidates foresee an end to the escalating violence and suffering in the region. Ebid said she plans to vote for Stein, describing her stance on Palestine as “very supportive.”

CAS senior Ishi Gupta, an LGBTQ+ woman of color, said that “living under Trump was horrifying” and expressed her concerns about the possibility of another four years under his administration. Gupta feels she has “no choice but to vote third party” in this election, viewing it as a way to challenge and push for change in the rigid American political system.

“The longer we abide by the strict partisan system we have been told we must uphold, the longer we make excuses for why change cannot happen,” Gupta said. “We have a choice to either abide by the rules they have given us, or fight and say we will no longer allow genocide to happen in our name. And when it is put like that, I see that there was never any other option than to vote third party.”

​​Ebid also said that the recent hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina are another factor influencing her vote in the upcoming election. Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida just under two weeks after Hurricane Helene, forced millions to evacuate and killed at least 17 people . The storm’s aftermath, with damages estimated at around $50 billion, has left residents feeling unprepared due to delayed aid. 

Affordability of health care, another key issue for U.S. voters, has dropped six percentage points since 2022, now standing at 55% according to a recent Gallup poll. About half of U.S. adults say it is difficult to afford health care costs, based on a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. Ebid said her decision to vote third party is largely driven by the government’s inadequate health care services.

For CAS sophomore Lauren Fakhoury, a key issue in this election is Harris’ immigration policy. She sees third-party candidates as a way to send a message to Democrats that “there are people who won’t ‘vote blue no matter who,’” and as a source of hope for breaking away from the “Democratic-Republican duopoly” in American politics.

“Third-party candidates offer a choice that is not the lesser of two evils,” Fakhoury said. “When each of the two major parties no longer believes their only opponent is the other, they’ll be able to get away with a lot less.”

Contact Liyana Illyas at [email protected] .

Liyana Illyas is a sophomore from New Jersey studying journalism and political science with a minor in data science on the pre-law track. As a proud Sri...

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