Election Process & Committee

The Election Committee is responsible for overseeing the entire election process, including the appointment of a Returning Officer, the validation of nominations, the conduct of the election, and the counting of votes. They also regulate the publicity budget for candidates, ensure the confidentiality and protection of the Electronic Balloting (E-Balloting) system, and manage the retrieval of vote counts from Information Technology Services (ITS) after the close of polling. Additionally, the Election Committee is responsible for enforcing regulations related to prohibited conduct, such as dishonesty in the election process, and ensuring that all candidates adhere to the rules and regulations outlined in the MUPA Constitution.

The process of appointing the Election Committee for both the Annual election and Bi-election involves the following steps:

• For the Annual elections, the Returning Officer must produce an election guide, which includes the appointment of the Election Committee.
• Nominations for the Annual elections open at 10:00 am on Tuesday one week before the elections, and for by-elections, nominations open five academic days before the by-election.
• The Returning Officer must give notice of the election on the Tuesday two weeks before the annual elections, and in each edition of any regular MUPA news-sheet between the opening and closing of nominations.
• All students are eligible to stand in the elections, subject to the MUPA Constitution.
• The Election Committee must make nomination forms available at the MUPA office.
• The Elections Committee must publish a full list of all registered tickets by 10.00 am on the Wednesday one week before the annual elections.
• Any group of candidates for a MUPA body may apply to have their names set out on the ballot paper under the name of a ticket.
• This process ensures that the Election Committee is appointed and the necessary procedures are followed for both the Annual election and Bi-election.

The annual elections are held once a year during the second semester. There is also a provision for by-elections, which are held separately from the annual elections. Therefore, the election takes place once a year, with the possibility of additional by-elections as needed.