▼ Which positions are available in the election?

The positions available in the Fall 2024 by-election are listed below. Positions are held until April 30, 2024.

Please review DSU Bylaws 4-6 for more information about the roles and responsibilities of each position.

Community Representative Positions

• Students Wtih Disabilities Community Rep: The Disabled Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of disabled students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Black Students Community Rep: The Black Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of Black students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• LGBTQ Students Community Rep: The LGBTQ Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of LGBTQ students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Women Students Community Rep: The Women Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of women students. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Residence Students Community Rep: The Residence Students Community Representative is a member of DSU Council and brings forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of students living in residence at Dalhousie. They may collaborate with other councillors, societies, or DSU Offices to plan events, work on campaigns or policies, or initiate new projects. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee. NOTE: The Residence Rep must be living in residence at Dalhousie during the 2023/24 year.

• Faculty of Agriculture Representative: The Faculty of Agriculture Representative is a member of DSU Council that represents students studying within the Faculty of Agriculture. This position is located on Dahousie's Truro Campus. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

• Faculty of Heath Professions Representative: The Faculty of Heath Professions is a member of DSU Council that represents students studying within the Faculty of Heath Professions. They will attend Council meetings and join at least one DSU Committee.

▼ Am I eligible to run for an executive officer position?

Students are eligible to run for an executive position, as long as they are a Dalhousie student for the duration of their term! For more information, see Bylaw 4.2.

Please Note: Council has passed a special resolution on eligibility for running in the election to be that any student who has been formally impeached or terminated by the council will not be eligible to run for any elected position within the student union. For more information, please view the September 21, 2023, council minutes

▼ What is the time commitment for an Executive Officer position?

Executive Officers are expected to devote the time and attention to the role as may be required to carry out their responsibilities and meet the objectives of the Union, as outlined in DSU bylaws and policies. They are expected to set and maintain regular office hours to be accessible to Members and Union staff. These are full-time, paid positions. See Bylaw 5, the Executive Policy, and section 14 of the Financial Policy for more information.

▼ Am I eligible to run for a Community Representative position?

Council includes a representative for many key communities of Dalhousie students. Eligibility is based on self-identification with a specific community. Where membership in a community is through self-identification, the DSU honors a candidate's self-dentification and does not request proof of their identity.

Section 3 of the Elections and Referenda Policy states that:

• The Black Students Representative must self-identify as a Black student and be elected only by self-identifying Black Students.
• The Disabled Students Representative must self-identify as a disabled student and be elected only by self-identifying disabled students.
• The LGBTQ Students Representative must self-identify as an LGBTQ student and be elected only by self-identifying LGBTQ Students.
• The Residence Representative must live in a Dalhousie residence during their term and be elected only by students in residence.
• The Women Students Representative must self-identify as a woman and be elected only by self-identifying women students.

You must also meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Bylaw 4.2.

▼ How do I run in the By-Election?

To nominate yourself for a position, you must complete all the following steps:

1. Ensure that you are eligible for the position you would like to run for. Eligibility requirements can be found in sections 1-3 of the Elections & Referenda Policy and Bylaw 4.2.
2. Using a Microsoft Form which requires students to sign in with their Dalhousie email address, gather the names, B00s, and Dal email addresses of at least 25 other Dalhousie students who support your candidacy. Watch the video under the drop-down menu for instructions on creating your form. Upload the results to the Nomination Form in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. If you'd prefer to collect signatures physically (or a mix of both), email dsucro@dal.ca for a template.
3. Gather the names, B00s, and Dal email addresses of the other students who will be your campaign workers during the election using this template. Campaign workers are optional. Unsure what a campaign worker is? Check out the next drop-down to find more information.
4. Record all the social media pages and handles you will be using to campaign using this template.
5. Be sure to read Bylaw 9 and the Elections and Referenda Policy! Come prepared to the All Candidates Meeting with any questions you might have, or reach out in advance to the CRO at dsucro@dal.ca.
6. When nominations are open (between October 4th-18th), submit your completed spreadsheets (2-3 in total) and the rest of your nomination information through the online Nomination Form. The link to the Nominations Form will be posted when nominations open. In addition to uploading your completed spreadsheets, you will be asked for your: name, pronouns, B00, Dal email address, program/major/year of study, and confirmation that you have read Bylaw 9 and the Elections and Referenda Policy.

After you submit your nomination, you will also be required to attend the All Candidates Meeting and Anti-Oppression Training, submit a Candidate Questionnaire and, of course, campaign!

The All-Candidates Meeting will be held on October 21st and the Candidate Questionnaire is due at 12 noon on October 21st. Campaigning begins October 22nd.

▼ What are the important election dates and deadlines?

See the full Elections Period Schedule here.

• Nominations and Campaign Registrations Open | October 4
• Nominations and Campaign Registration Close (all completed forms also due)| October 18
• Deadline for Appeals of the Verification of Nomination (to Elections Committee) | October 19
• Questionnaire and Campaign Info Forms | October 21 @ 12pm
• All Candidates Meeting & Anti-Oppression Training | October 21
• Campaign Period | Begins October 22
• Campaign Period Ends: Deadline for Candidate to Withdraw | October 29 (Tues)
• Voting Period | October 30 and 31
• UnoZicial Results Announced | November 1
• Appeals Deadline | November 4
• Official Results Announced, End of Elections Period | 2 days after Last Appeals Ruling. November 3 @ 9 am (Earliest), November 22 (Latest)
• Complete Elections Period Ends November 30

▼ What is a campaign worker?

A campaign worker is an individual who has agreed to assist a candidate with campaigning in any capacity. If you are worried about running a campaign all on your own, you do not have to! All you need to do is ask someone if they would be willing to help with your campaign and then submit a list of campaign workers alongside your nomination form. You could have one, a few, or a whole team of campaign workers!

A campaign worker does not have to be a Dalhousie student, meaning you could ask a student from another institution or someone who is not a student. However, Dalhousie faculty, teaching assistants, and all other University staff must not serve as campaign workers. If a campaign worker is employed by the DSU in any capacity they must contact the CRO and inform them of their work. Furthermore, they must not campaign while they are working. Have questions about who can or cannot be a campaign worker? Email dsucro@dal.ca.

Campaign workers must abide by the Elections and Referenda Policy and attend the All-Candidates Meeting.