• How do I run in the fall election? Your first step is to be nominated for a position by completing the following steps:

  • Complete your Nomination Form, available here. Packages can be completed electronically and physically.

    • Provide your information and what position you are running for

    • Confirm you have read Bylaw 9 and the Elections & Referenda Policy

    • Get the support of fifteen (15) Dalhousie University students using the Nominator Collection Form in the Nomination Form

  • Submit your completed Nomination Form here by September 24th , 2026 at 4:30pm

  • Attend the mandatory All-Candidates Meeting on September 24th, 2026 at 6:00pm in Council Chambers.

See the full Elections Period Schedule HERE! Find an overview of key dates below.

Important Dates:

• Nominations Open 

  September 14th @ 8:30am 

• Information Sessions 

  September 14th – 24th 

• Nominations Close (Nomination Forms Due) 

  September 24th @ 4:30pm 

• All-Candidates Meeting 

  September 24th @ 6:00pm to 8:00pm 

• Campaign Period Begins 

  September 25th @ 8:30am 

• All-Members Email 

  September 25th @ 8:30am 

• Candidate Questionnaire Due 
  September 26th @ 12:00pm 

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Campaigning Prohibited) 

  September 30th 

• Debate 

  October 1st @ 7:00pm to 9:00pm 

• Deadline for candidates to withdraw 

  October 5th @ 12:00pm 

• Voting Period Begins 

  October 6th @ 8:30am 

• Voting Period Ends 

  October 7th @ 8:30pm 

• Campaign Period Ends 

  October 7th @ 8:30pm 

• Results, Appeals, and Clean-Up 

  Unofficial Results Announced 

  October 8th @ 8:30am 

• How do I run my campaign?

  • Learn the campaign rules by reading the Elections & Referenda Policy.

  • Campaigning starts on September 25th, 2026 at 8:30am!

  • Submit the Candidate Questionnaire by September 26th, 2026 at 12:00pm (noon).

  • Build your team of Dalhousie University students to help with your campaign as Campaign Workers. Keep a list of your Campaign Workers using the List of Campaign Workers.

  • Start campaigning!

  • Encourage students to vote by sharing DSU "How to Vote" posts!

Do:

1. Submit Documents on time!
   Not submitting important documents by their deadlines will likely result in the revocation of your candidacy!

2. Get all your required signatures.

   Failing to meet your signature quota will cause your nomination to be denied.

3. Attend all required training

   It’s important for your candidacy to complete all required training, and attend appropriate meetings. Failing to do so can result in fines, or revocation of candidacy.

4. Treat other candidates respectfully

   Any form or forms of discrimination and/or harassment will not be tolerated, nor will hate speech rooted in, but not limited to, sexist, racist, classist, ableist, homophobic or transphobic sentiments and/or remarks.

Don’t:

1. Second guess your qualifications!

   If you meet the eligibility requirements for a position and are thinking of running, go for it. You’ll learn along the way!

2. Overspend

   Candidates have access to funds for their election campaign, but can also incur fines during the election period that must be paid. Make sure to spend wisely, as you only have so much!

3. Misunderstand the Position

   Ensure that you understand what position you’re running for, and what its roles are.

   Tailor your campaign to these roles in order to reach the appropriate audience!

______________________________

Common Elections Mistakes:

• Not reading the Campaign rules

  It’s important to know what is and is not allowed during an election. The DSU has rules regarding where and when you can campaign!

• Errors in your Nomination Forms

  Having errors, or mistakes in your nomination forms can lead to disqualification in some cases, or even just a lack of information on your campaign being accessible to voters. Always double check your work before submitting, and ensure that you submit all required forms!

• Not understanding the difference between a Nominee and a Candidate

  When you nominate yourself, your nomination must be approved before you officially become a candidate. If you’re missing certain forms, your nomination may not be accepted and you will not show up on the ballot.

  Keep in contact with the CRO!

Faculty Representatives are members of DSU Council who bring forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of students within their respective faculty departments.

There are twelve (12) Faculty Representatives, with one representative from each faculty.

The current positions available are:

• Faculty of Agriculture Representative

  • Faculty of Architecture & Planning Representative

  • Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Representative

  • Faculty of Computer Science Representative

  • Faculty of Graduate Studies Representative

Community Representatives are members of DSU Council who bring forward the ideas, concerns, and viewpoints of students within their respective communities.

There are seven (7) Community Representatives, with one representative from each community,

The following Community Representative positions are available in the Fall Election:

• Disabled Students' Community Representative

• Women Students' Community Representative

• International Students' Community Representative

• Residence Students’ Community Representative

Executive Postion Eligibility:

• All students are eligible to run for an executive position, as long as they are a Dalhousie student for the duration of their term.

  General Election: May-April

  By-Election: October - April

  For more information, see Bylaw 4.2

Community Representative Eligibility:

• 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, theDSU honours a candidate's self-identification and does not request proof of their identity. 

Faculty Representative Eligibility:

• Coming soon

Read through the “ Becoming a Candidate” dropdown at the top of our page, or download the PDF version HERE!

Still have questions, or feeling unsure?
Reach out the the CRO dsucro@dal.ca who is in charge of this year’s election!

See the full Elections Period Schedule HERE! Find an overview of key dates below.

Important Dates:

• Nominations Open 

  September 14th @ 8:30am 

• Information Sessions 

  September 14th – 24th 

• Nominations Close (Nomination Forms Due) 

  September 24th @ 4:30pm 

• All-Candidates Meeting 

  September 24th @ 6:00pm to 8:00pm 

• Campaign Period Begins 

  September 25th @ 8:30am 

• All-Members Email 

  September 25th @ 8:30am 

• Candidate Questionnaire Due 
  September 26th @ 12:00pm 

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Campaigning Prohibited) 

  September 30th 

• Debate 

  October 1st @ 7:00pm to 9:00pm 

• Deadline for candidates to withdraw 

  October 5th @ 12:00pm 

• Voting Period Begins 

  October 6th @ 8:30am 

• Voting Period Ends 

  October 7th @ 8:30pm 

• Campaign Period Ends 

  October 7th @ 8:30pm 

• Results, Appeals, and Clean-Up 

  Unofficial Results Announced 

  October 8th @ 8:30am 

Executive 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.

Faculty & Community Rep Positions:

• Community & Faculty reps are required to attend the appropriate committee meetings they sit on,

• They are required to attend council meetings (monthly in summer term & bi-weekly during fall and winter term)

For more specific information on roles refer to duties under DSU By-laws!

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 has to be a Dalhousie student.

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

Contact the Chief Returning Officer, Reid Delaney, with any questions about the elections process.

dsucro@dal.ca