Thursday 27-02-2020 - 07:55

A look at what it takes to win from someone who won two elections - some dos and don'ts from Ex-President Amie Atkinson.

So, you’ve decided to run in the Student Officer election. You have your logo picked out and your winner’s song on repeat. The question you probably have now is “how do I win this?”

I’ve been successful in both of my elections, and I’d like to share some trade secrets on how to take becoming an Officer from a ‘pipe dream’ to a reality.

DO

Write a good manifesto
Not only is this a requirement, but it’s also the main thing that will tell students why they should vote for you. If you’re stumped, just think of all the things you’d like to change about student life at Manchester Met (or student life in general), talk to students and see what they want.

Be a team

In both my elections, I was a part of a slate. This meant I ran alongside students running for the other roles. So if you can, create a team with people who have similar ideas and values as you – and for every vote you get, your team will out there getting four more. You can also ask friends to help you campaign – strength really does come in numbers. Try and have one person in each faculty, then you have all your bases covered.

Use social media

People will spend their evenings checking social media so it’s worth thinking about posting on these channels when you’re not out physically getting votes. One thing I found worked quite well was to create a Facebook frame, which people could add to their profile pictures showing their support for you.

Hall knocking

Get your t-shirt with your candidate logo, grab a bag of sweets and get knocking. Before you do hall knocks, make sure you email the halls 48 hours before your campaign there – but it’s a great way to get your face out there.

DON’T

Don’t get ahead of yourself

In my first year election, we got the dates mixed up and ended up announcing our candidacy a day early on Facebook. We were given a day’s sanction meaning we couldn’t campaign for a whole day. Just don’t risk it. Someone will hunt for your pages.

Don’t go over budget

It may be tempting. “I have £10 left to spend, but my posters will cost £15. I’ll get them anyway,” You’ll be asked to provide receipts for everything you buy, and if you’re caught cheating, you run the risk of being disqualified.

Don’t vote on behalf of other people

We have a complaints process, so if a student says you’ve used their login/used their phone to vote for you, you’ll get in trouble. It’s not worth it. Let people use their vote the way they want, even if they’re not voting the way you’d like them to.

Don’t rely on popularity to get you the vote

Your mates might be well known in football, or ISOC, but that’s only a small percentage of all of Manchester Met students. If you’re not out talking to students, you’re losing votes. Get out of the Union and go talk to students in ALL faculties (yes that means a long walk to Birley is on the cards). 

The library floor is lava

A big no-no for campaigning is the Library. Avoid it like the plague. Don’t even look at it. If you do any sort of campaigning in the library and someone sees it, you’ll get in trouble. Don’t offer unrealistic incentives Don’t offer services as a reward for getting a vote, such as subscription services. You can, however, offer sweets, as long as it’s within your budget.

Don’t let your university work come second

If you want to be 100% focused on elections, that’s fine. Just make sure you have all your assessments handed in and you're on to a winner.