Students' Union Elections
Elect your sabbatical officers and student representatives, run referenda and ballot your members online, by secret ballot, with instant results and a full audit trail.
- Sabbatical officer and representative elections by secret ballot
- Single transferable vote and instant runoff built in
- Student referenda on policy and affiliation
- Reaches every student on any device
- Instant results, turnout figures and a downloadable audit trail
How does a students union run its officer elections online?
A students union can run its full cross campus elections online, from nominations through to the count. Choice Voting handles sabbatical officer elections, part time and liberation officer roles, faculty and course representative elections, and student referenda, each by secret ballot using single transferable vote or instant runoff, with a result the moment voting closes and a full audit trail.
Online voting for students' unions
High turnout elections your members actually take part in.
Student elections live and die on turnout, and nothing lifts turnout like letting students vote from their phone between lectures. Paper polling stations and manual counts limit who takes part and slow the result to a crawl. Choice Voting runs your whole election cycle online. Collect nominations and candidate statements, open voting across the campus, and let students vote from any device. Every vote is a true secret ballot counted by single transferable vote or instant runoff, so multi seat and single winner races are handled correctly. When voting closes the result is there straight away, with turnout by role and a downloadable audit trail your returning officer can sign off. For the full picture on student voting, see our student union voting page.
Elect your officers, and settle the big questions
Formal officer elections, and referenda that give a decision a clear mandate.
Elect
Run cross campus elections
For returning officers and democracy coordinators who need an election that is secret, properly counted and defensible.
- Sabbatical officer elections
- Part time and liberation officer roles
- Faculty and course representative elections
- Candidate nominations and statements collected online
Decide
Run student referenda
For unions putting policy, affiliation or constitutional questions to the whole student body.
- Policy and affiliation referenda
- Constitutional amendments on your required threshold
- For, against and abstain counted automatically
- Student surveys alongside the formal vote
Every student vote, on one platform
From a full officer election to a single course rep ballot.
Sabbatical Officer Elections
Run your cross campus officer elections by secret ballot, counted by single transferable vote or instant runoff.
Representative Elections
Elect faculty, department and course representatives, restricting each vote to the right students.
Student Referenda
Put policy, affiliation and constitutional questions to the whole student body with a clear result.
NUS and Affiliation Votes
Run affiliation and disaffiliation votes with a secure, auditable ballot.
Student Surveys
Gather student opinion on services and priorities with eleven question types to choose from.
Society and Club Elections
Run committee elections for your affiliated societies and clubs on the same platform.
Run your election in four steps
From nominations to a signed off result.
Open nominations
Collect candidate nominations, statements and declarations online, ready to move into the ballot.
Add your students
Import your student list and set who is eligible to vote in each race.
Open the vote
Branded with your union logo. Students vote on any device across the voting window.
Announce the result
Results the moment voting closes, with turnout by role and a downloadable audit trail.
Everything your union needs
True secret ballot
No officer or Choice Voting staff member can see how a student voted, so every vote is free and confidential.
STV and instant runoff
The methods student elections use, built in, so multi seat and single winner races are counted correctly.
Eligibility by group
Restrict each race to the right students, so a course rep election goes to the course and an officer election goes to everyone.
Nominations and statements
Collect nominations, manifestos and declarations online, then move straight into the ballot.
Reaches every student
Students vote from any device through a personal secure link, which is the single biggest lever on turnout.
Real time turnout
Watch turnout by role while voting is open and know where a push is worth making.
Instant results and PDF reports
Results as soon as voting closes, with a downloadable PDF and a round by round breakdown.
Returning officer audit trail
Every action logged and timestamped, so your returning officer can sign off the result with confidence.
UK hosted and secure
Encrypted, UK hosted, ICO registered, Cyber Essentials certified and GDPR compliant.
Elections your members take part in
Explore more
Frequently asked questions
Which voting method should we use for officer elections?
Single transferable vote is the usual choice for multi seat races and is built in, while instant runoff suits a single winner race. The platform guides you to a suitable method and produces a round by round breakdown so the count is transparent.
Can we run the whole cycle, including nominations?
Yes. You can collect candidate nominations, statements and declarations online, then move straight into the ballot without re keying anything, so nominations and voting run on the same platform.
Can different students vote in different races?
Yes. You can restrict each race to the right students, so a course or faculty representative election goes only to those students while a cross campus officer election goes to everyone. Each level shows a running count of who can vote.
Can our returning officer verify the result?
Yes. Every action is logged and timestamped, and the result comes with a full audit trail and a downloadable report, so your returning officer can sign it off. A separate scrutineer role lets an independent person oversee the count.
How quickly do we get the result?
As soon as voting closes. The result appears straight away with turnout by role, a full breakdown and a downloadable audit trail.
Run your union elections online
Officer elections, representative races and referenda on one secure platform, with high turnout and a result your returning officer can sign off.