How voting works: the STV system
For the GSU elections, we use a voting system called Single Transferable Voting. This system ensures that the four GSU Officers elected best represent the preferences of the voters. When you go to vote, you will be presented with all of the candidates running for GSU Officer. You should place a 1 next to your favourite candidate, and 2 next to your second favourite candidate, and so on.
You can rank as many candidates as you like. Only like one candidate? Then only place 1 next to their name. Perhaps you think three candidates are worthy of election? Rank them in order of preference.
There is also the option to vote RON. RON stands for re-opens nominations, and you can vote for RON if you think none of the candidates are right for the role, and that you think the election should be run again.
To get elected, a candidate has to meet a certain number of votes, called the electoral quota. This number is calculated based on the number of votes cast and the number of roles available, and represents the majority of votes someone needs to be clearly decided as a winner. When we count the votes, if one candidate doesn’t get enough first preference votes to exceed the quota, we move to your second choice and so on. This continues until a candidate wins enough votes to meet quora, or until all preferences are exhausted.
This is why it is important to rank as many candidates as possible, as your preference could make the difference and affect the final outcome. If your favourite candidate doesn’t garner enough votes to meet quora and thus is eliminated, your vote will then transfer to your second preference, and so on.
This process ensures that the four officers elected are the most popular choice across all voters. The candidate with the most votes is then offered the role of GSU President.