The JCR Exec is elected, normally around week 8 of Michalemas Term . The election process can seem quite daunting, but it’s not designed to trip anyone up and we like to see as many people running for JCR positions as possible. There’s a campus myth that says to get on a JCR Exec, you have to be either best mates with the current Exec or really popular in your College. Neither of these things is true! JCR Elections are open to all members of the College who are committed to getting involved and making a difference to their College and the University as a whole. And it’s not about how many people you know (I didn’t think I knew anyone in County when I was elected!) it’s all about the manifesto you produce.

To run for the JCR Exec, you need to either sign up on the signup sheets which appear in the bar two weeks before elections commence or online at http://democracy.lusu.co.uk/. You need to be nominated by two Undergraduate members of The County College (so two mates in County who will vouch for you being a suitable candidate for the position you want need to provide their names and Uni email addresses). After this you will need to attend a Candidate’s meeting after nominations close, to discuss the rules for campaigning and also to ask any questions you may have about the election process.  You then have five days and a £10 campaign budget to impress your fellow County students with. During this time, Hustings will be held in County Bar, so you can exercise the gift of the gab before your electorate and they can question about what you intend to do for them and their College. You will also need to produce a 200 word manifesto and a photo to be published on the online voting system. After this, voting opens online for 24 hours and shortly after it closes, results will be announced in County Bar. And hey presto, it could be you who has been elected as a member of the new County College JCR Exec!

Sometimes positions on the Exec will be unfilled or vacated, so Bye-Elections will be held to remedy this. They run in exactly the same way as JCR General Elections. Also, Sports Reps are often elected in a Bye-Election at the end of Summer Term. If a position is free, then it is possible to be temporarily Co-Opted into it. To do this you need to inform the Chairperson and attend the JCR Meeting after the position is advertised to the College. You will then need to give a 2 minute speech for the Exec, explaining why you would like to be Co-Opted into that particular position. The exec will vote on this via a show of hands and then you will be informed of the decision. Co-Option is a good way to find out about a particular position and generally if the JCR Exec is for you, if you are interested in running for a position in a bye-election.

Remember, Student democracy really matters. You can’t complain if you don’t vote and if you think you’ve got what it takes to have a say in your College (because it really is YOUR College), then go for it and stand for a position !

Lucy

The County College JCR Chair

Meet the County College JCR Exec 2010