Election Complaints

If at any stage of the election you feel you need to make a complaint about the way a candidate has conducted their campaign, you can do so using the form below. This form allows for all election complaints (excluding society, sports club, student-led services, or assoication elections). A complaint must show how an election candidate (or a member of their campaign team) has breached a principle(s) and caused an unfair advantage.

Election Principles

1. Students must be free to cast their vote without undue influence or pressure.
2. Obey the law, union and university policies
3. Candidates should focus on their own campaign and thus avoid interfering with the campaigning of others
4. Items produced or primarily used for your campaign must be accounted for within the given allowance in line with the unions’ financial election regulations.

To read more about the rules that govern the Students' Union spring elections, take a look at the Elections Regulations:  English / Cymraeg.

To read more about the rules that govern the Students' Union by-elections, tkae a look at the by-election regulations here. 

Complaints Process

Once a complaint is recieved, the Returning Officer Team will discuss the issue. There will be a discussion as to whether any principles have been broken, and from there it will be assessed as to whether said broken principle caused an unfair advantage. If it has caused an unfair advatage then a deicision will be made as to whether the balance can be re-dressed, if it cannot then candidates will be removed from the elections.

When submitting a complaint, please remember the following:

• Complaints must be submitted within 24 hours of an incident occurring. 
• If you have evidence of the alledged action or event, please send this evidence to Elections@cardiff.ac.uk as well as submitting the below form.
• Complaints must be submitted before the close of voting. Any complaint submitted after the close of voting cannot be acted upon.
• The final arbiter of complaints is the Returning Officer, and there is no right of appeal from their decision.
• Complaints that fall outside of the principles will not be considered.