So, you’ve been tasked with setting up and running your student elections. No pressure, right? Imagine this: Great candidates running for every position, informed and engaged voters, exciting and innovative campaigns, and the highest turnout in years. Sound good? Well, let's make that a reality!
So, you’ve been tasked with setting up and running your student elections. No pressure, right? Imagine this: Great candidates running for every position, informed and engaged voters, exciting and innovative campaigns, and the highest turnout in years. Sound good? Well, let's make that a reality!
MSL's Top Tips for Running a Successful Election
1. Plan Ahead (and Early!)
Without a clear timeline, deadlines can creep up, tasks can be missed, and your election may feel chaotic.
The key to a stress-free election is preparation. Start by mapping out your timeline well in advance. Think about the key dates you need to cover:
Make sure you communicate these dates loud and clear, so no one’s left in the dark. You can even set reminders to keep everyone on track – like briefing your candidates, making sure election rules are clear and pushing voter turnout.
Planning early reduces stress, minimises the last-minute scramble, and sets you up for a much smoother election.
💡MSL’s Election module lets you schedule and manage each of these phases, including nomination periods and approval workflows, all in one place – no spreadsheet stress required.
2. Nail Your Communications
If students don’t know when, where, or how to get involved, your election will struggle to get any traction.
Communicating effectively is the secret sauce to making sure everyone, candidates and voters alike, is kept in the loop. Use a variety of channels to get the word out:
The important thing is to use the channels where your students are, to ensure you maximise the opportunity of your messages being seen.
Keep your messages fun, clear, and to the point. Remind students why voting is important and how they can make their voices heard.
Clear communication means candidates are ready, voters are engaged, and everyone feels in the know.
Want to go a step further with your messaging?
Consider segmenting your student audience into groups based on whether they’ve voted or not. Targeted messages can make all the difference, nudging non-voters with reminders or encouraging already-engaged students to spread the word.
💡With MSL’s Elections module, you can generate voter and non-voter groups automatically during the election and send relevant messages straight from the system. It’s a powerful way to personalise communications and keep engagement high throughout polling.
3. Make Nominations a Breeze
A complicated nomination process is a surefire way to lose potential candidates before they even get started.
The trick to boosting participation is to keep the nomination process super simple. An online platform can make all the difference here. Online systems let students nominate themselves in a flash and allows you to showcase candidate profiles, bios, and photos. Boosting visibility during the campaign too!
💡MSL Elections lets students upload their manifestos and candidate details online, cutting out the extra admin.
A straightforward nomination process encourages more students to get involved, so you’ll have a wide range of candidates to choose from.
4. Set Clear Campaign Rules
If the rules aren’t clear, you might end up with a whole load of confusion and conflict, which could scare candidates off.
Set the tone for a fair, positive campaign with clear, easy-to-follow guidelines. Outline the rules for posters, digital promotion, and behaviour. And don’t leave your candidates hanging – offer templates for campaign materials to help them get the word out in style.
💡Using a central elections platform like MSL means you can publish and update your rules in one place, so candidates always know where to find the latest guidance.
Clear guidelines create a respectful environment and avoid any unnecessary drama. A happy election is a successful election!
5. Pick the Right Voting Platform
If your voting system is clunky or confusing, you’re going to lose students who can’t be bothered to figure it out.
Choose a voting platform that’s simple, secure, and easy to use. You want one that offers:
Make sure it’s also designed to be fair and anonymous, which builds trust with your voters.
A seamless, secure voting platform makes the process easy, increases turnout, and helps students trust the system.
💡MSL’s Elections module offers secure login, real-time statistics, mobile-optimised access, touchscreen voting, and fair, auditable vote processing – built specifically for student organisations.
If you’re exploring your options or planning an upgrade, it’s worth taking a look at some of the most common pitfalls and how to steer clear of them.
6. Boost Voter Turnout
Let’s face it, getting students to vote can be a bit of a challenge. A gentle nudge (or a full-on campaign) is often needed.
So, get creative! Try running campaigns like:
💡Use real-time voter data and group segmentation in MSL to trigger timely reminders or highlight underrepresented student groups mid-poll.
Mixing awareness, rewards, and regular reminders is your best bet to get students excited to vote.
More votes means better results. The higher the turnout, the more accurately the election reflects the student body.
7. Reveal Results Quickly and Clearly
Don’t leave your candidates (or voters) hanging! A delay in results can lead to frustration and mistrust.
Once voting closes, get those results out fast. Celebrate all candidates, thank everyone for participating, and make sure the results are clear and easy to understand.
💡MSL supports both Single Transferable Vote (STV) and First Past the Post (FPTP) including surplus vote transfer, Re-Open Nominations (RON) handling, Open STV data export, and flexible post-election tools – from instantly assigning elected candidates to roles, to scheduling their addition after training, with announcements ready to publish straight to your website.
Prompt and transparent results build trust in the process and make sure everyone feels seen and appreciated.
8. Reflect and Improve for Next Time
When it’s all over, don’t just pack it up and move on. Take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could use a little tweaking.
Gather feedback from candidates, voters, and your election team to see where you can improve. The more you learn, the better your next election will be!
💡Use detailed reporting tools, such as MSL’s voting dashboards and the candidate and voter demographic reports, to analyse turnout across student groups, courses, and faculties. These insights are gold for planning improvements.
Reviewing your process means you’ll keep getting better, year after year, making the whole thing even smoother and more engaging.
Why Going Digital is the Key to Success
Going digital isn’t just about cutting down on paper (though, that’s nice too) – it’s the smartest way to run a secure, accessible, and engaging election. A solid digital platform reduces admin stress, helps with voter participation, and gives candidates a bigger stage. Plus, with real-time reporting and data security, you’ve got everything you need to run a fair, trusted election.
That’s where MSL’s Election module comes in. From nominations to the final count, MSL makes the process smooth, secure and stress-free. Candidates can upload their details, self-define where needed, and submit manifestos – all online, with approval controls in place. Voting is just as easy, whether online, via polling stations, or through the StudentLink+® app. Real-time stats help you keep engagement high, and transparent counting ensures a fair outcome every time.
Ready to take your elections to the next level? Get in touch for a demo of the MSL Elections module and make this year’s election your best yet!