The Hong Kong University Students’ Union

The Election Regulation

of

The Hong Kong University Students’ Union

(2005 REVISED)

(Last revised in ECM8 2005)

Aim

The Election Regulation shall govern all election matters of the Union.

General

1.          The Union Elections Committee (hereinafter shall be referred to as the Committee) unless otherwise ruled by the General Student Body, or the Council, shall be the sole organization for conducting all Annual Elections and By-elections.

2.          The Regulation shall govern the proceeding of all Annual Elections and By-elections.

Definitions

1.          “Election” shall mean the whole of the process by which a candidate is elected to a post;

2.          “Ballot” shall mean the casting of votes in secret;

3.          “Nominee” shall mean a Full Union Member properly proposed and seconded for election;

4.          “Candidate” shall mean a Full Union Member, having been nominated for election and has not withdrawn his/her consent to being so nominated;

5.          “Elector” shall mean a Full Union Member;

6.          “Voting” shall mean the formal expression of choice of a candidate, made in accordance with provisions of this regulation;

7.          “Sub-organization” shall mean S.A., C.A., I.C.A., hall students’ associations and faculty societies. (amended in ECM8 2005)

Election Officials

1.          An Election Commission (hereinafter shall be referred to as the Commission) shall be set up by the Committee and appointed by the Council, and shall be responsible for the proceeding of a particular election or by-election including:

a                the receiving of nomination;

b               the scrutinization of nomination paper;

c                the organization and publicity of the election;

d               the determination of results of the election; (amended in ECM8 2005)

e                the announcement of results of the election;

f                the presentation of a report to the Council after the election.

2.          The Commission shall be chaired by the Chairman of the Committee. Its membership shall comprise the following:

a                Members of the Committee

b               Council Chairman (amended in ECM8 2005)

The Council Chairman shall act as an Official Observer for the proceeding of the election.

c                Election Officers

The Election Officers shall be members of the Council or Full Union Members appointed by the Council, and shall be in charge of the running of polling stations.

Nomination

1.          Nominations for all Annual Elections shall open on the first day of the First Term, and shall close at 12 noon the day three weeks before the Election Days. (amended in ECM8 2005)

2.          Each nomination shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, and by the nominee giving consent to be nominated on the nomination paper prepared by the Committee.

3.          The Committee shall announce the name of the candidate within 48 hours after receiving the nomination.

4.          Any candidate may withdraw his consent to nomination, if he so wishes, by a signed letter addressed to the Committee within 48 hours after the closing of nomination.

5.          In the event that no nomination is received after the expiration of nomination period, the Committee shall declare the reopening of nomination within 24 hours. The duration of the period shall be decided by the Committee.

Publicity

1.          Any publicity of the candidate is allowed after 48 hours of the closing of nomination.

2.          All resources that will be used by candidate shall be booked through the Committee.

3.          The Candidate shall conduct the publicity in accordance with the Union Internal Regulation. (內務守則)

Friendly Visit

1.          The candidate, if he so wishes, shall visit all sub-organizations.

2.          The time of the visit shall be arranged by the candidate with the assistance of the Committee.

Campaign

1.          The time and place of the campaigns shall be arranged by the Committee.

2.          A Central Campaign shall be held for all Annual Elections and By-elections

.

3.          For the Annual Elections and By-elections of Union Executive Committee, at least one meeting, either in the form of campaign meeting or friendly visit, should be arranged with each sub-organization.

4.          It is entirely at the discretion of the candidates to decide if they will attend the Central Campaign and the campaign meeting.

5.          The executive committees of all sub-organizations shall deem it their duty to facilitate holding of campaign meeting.

6.          Campaign meetings

a                the time for Central Campaign shall be 6 hours, subject to further extension; as decided by the majority of the body involved, with a maximum of 12 hours only;

b               the time for each campaign meeting shall be 3 hours, subject to further extension, as decided by the majority of the body involved with a maximum of 6 hours;

c                any extension of the meeting shall be decided by common consensus;

d               the period of each meeting shall include the time for taking meals;

e                the meeting shall be conducted in accordance with the Union Standing Orders;

f                the procedure of discussion in each campaign meeting shall be proposed by the candidates. However, the Committee reserves the right to decide what procedure should be followed.

7.          Chairman

a                the chairman of Central Campaign shall be appointed by written consent of the Committee;

b               the chairman of the campaign meeting with each sub-organization shall be appointed by the body involved, with the full knowledge of the Committee beforehand.

8.          Quorum

a                the candidates shall not be counted as quorum;

b               the quorum shall be observed throughout the meeting;

c                the quorum of Central Campaign is 30;

d               the quorum of campaign meetings with sub-organization is 15.

Polling

1.          Election Days of all Annual Elections shall be held within the first four weeks of the Second Term. (amended in ECM8 2005)

2.          A notice of the polling shall be posted five clear days beforehand.

3.          The method of regional polling shall be adopted. Electors can vote in any polling stations set up.

4.          Any other methods of polling may be adopted by the Council with the consent of two-third of those present voting. (amended in ECM1 1998)

5.          A locked ballot box with the certificate signed by the Committee shall be prepared for each station. The keys shall be kept by the Council Chairman. (amended in ECM8 2005)

6.          The period of the polling shall not be less than 8 hours.

7.          Election Officer shall be present at the station at any time during the whole period of the polling.

8.          The station shall be opened by Election Officer to allow for the casting of vote.

9.          Nobody shall be allowed to enter the station except for the purpose of voting.

10.      Voting procedures:

a                each elector shall prove his/her identity and eligibility by showing his certificate of registration to the Election Officer. This certificate shall be checked by the Election Officer with a networked computer database or against a list of eligible electors provided by the University Registry. (amended in ECM1 1998)

b               Election Officer shall give each eligible elector a ballot paper, prepared by the Committee, for this purpose setting out the nominations to which consent still stands;

c                each elector shall be entitled to one ballot paper only on which his/her identity;

d               the ballot paper shall not be taken outside the station;

e                the elector shall place his ballot paper into the ballot box.

11.      The followings shall be defined as a spoiled ballot paper:

a                a paper without the certificate of the Committee;

b               a paper torn or damaged;

c                a paper recording a vote in any manner other than that mentioned on the ballot paper.

Counting of Vote

1.          The ballot box shall be sealed and removed from the station and delivered to the Council Chairman at the closing time of the polling. (amended in ECM8 2005)

2.          The Council Chairman shall open the ballot boxes and votes shall be counted within 6 hours after the closing time of the polling. Only Members of the Committee, Election Officers and Union Councilors who are not being one of the candidates can count the votes. (amended in ECM8 2005)

3.          The Members of the Committee shall, and the candidates may, if they wish, observe the counting of the vote, and any one of them may call for one recount only at the conclusion of the counting.

Determination of Results (amended in ECM8 2005)

1.          The Committee shall determine the results of each election in accordance with the conditions stated in the Union Constitution and convey such results to the Council Chairman.

2.          The Chairman of the Committee and the Council Chairman shall sign jointly on a formal paper, with the results of the election, signifying their consent to the results of the particular election.

Announcement of Results

1.          Official announcement of the results shall be made 24 hours after the closing of the count, if no complaint is received.

2.          The Committee shall be the only body to announce the results of each election which shall include: (amended in ECM8 2005)

a                the number of votes cast in each election;

b               the number of valid and invalid ballot papers in each election;

c                the number of votes cast for, against and abstain to each candidate;

d               the list of elected candidates.

2.         Any complaint concerning the conduct of the ballot or the count shall be lodged with the Committee within 24 hours of the closing of the count. If a complaint is so lodged the Committee shall investigate and shall report its findings to the Council. (amended in ECM8 2005)

3.         If there is any complaint being raised, no official announcement of the results shall be made until all complaints have been solved. (amended in ECM8 2005)

By-election (amended in ECM8 2005)

In the event of any vacancy occurring in any post referred to in the Constitution, By-election(s) shall be held.

Re-election (amended in ECM8 2005)

The Committee, with the approval of the Council, shall have the duty to order Re-election(s) in the event of any contravention of the above election procedures, and this Re-election(s) must take place within seven days immediately following the Election Day.

Interpretation

The interpretation of this regulation shall rest with the Committee.

Amendment

This regulation shall not be amended except by a motion carried at a Union Council. Meeting with the consent of two-thirds of those present voting.

Revised: August, 1994

January, 1998

September, 2003

September, 2005