Election Rules

In accordance with section 47 of the Aarhus University By-laws, the rector has determined the following on 27 May 2024:

Election procedure

1.-(1) The rector is responsible for ensuring that elections are held.

Subsection (2) The rector determines the detailed rules for the elections and the corresponding deadlines, and is responsible for planning and holding elections for the Board, academic councils, PhD committees, boards of studies, etc. The rector decides whether elections are to be held centrally or locally.

The election committee and the election secretariat

2.-(1) The rector appoints an election committee comprised of an academic staff representative from each faculty, a technical/administrative staff representative from each faculty, five student representatives and a PhD student representative. The student representative places are distributed among the election pacts/independent election lists from the AU board elections proportionate to the votes received, cf. the applicable Aarhus University election rules. However, no election pact/election list may nominate more than three representatives. The PhD student representative is nominated by AUPA. All nominations are approved by the rector. The rector appoints the chair of the committee and authorises the chair to perform tasks on the rector's behalf in accordance with this election procedure.

Subsection (2) The academic and technical/administrative staff representatives are appointed to four-year terms, with the possibility of a second term. The student and PhD student representatives are appointed to one-year terms, with the possibility of a second term. The term of office begins on 1 February.

Subsection (3) An election secretariat in the central administration performs the operational tasks in connection with the election and provides administrative support for the election committee.

Subsection (4) The election committee approves its rules of procedure The rules of procedure are approved by the rector.

Provisions relating to individual bodies

3.-(1) The rules relating to the length of the terms of office, voting rights and eligibility for the Board are set out in section 17 of the Aarhus University By-laws.

Subsection (2) The rules relating to the length of the terms of office, voting rights and eligibility for other governing bodies are set out in Articles 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Time of election, deadline, commencement (general elections)

4.-(1) General elections are held during the autumn semester. The deadline for determining who has voting rights and eligibility is 1 September. Elected bodies are constituted on 1 February.

Subsection (2) General elections must be concluded by December 1 at the latest.

The election circular and calling of the election

5.-(1) An election circular containing the most important rules and deadlines for the elections is prepared. The election circular is published on the university's website. This is the formal announcement that the election has been called.

Subsection (2) The election circular must include provisions regarding the following:

- the individual bodies, election areas and number of mandates

- the length of the terms of office

- conditions for voting rights and eligibility

- when eligible voters and eligible candidates are to be registered in the e-election system

- the deadline for objections to the eligible voters and eligible candidates registered in the digital election system

- rules and deadline for nomination of candidates and lists

- deadline for announcing the nomination of candidates

Deadline for entering into list pacts and electoral pacts.

- deadline for objections to the nomination of candidates

- date and time for holding elections

- form of voting

- counting of votes

- date and time for announcing election results

 - deadline for complaints regarding elections.   

Election groups

6.-(1) The electorate is divided into eight election groups:

Election group I (full-time academic staff) comprises staff members working 18.5 hours per week or more in positions covered by the ministry's memorandum on the classification of academic ranks and titles and not defined in the memorandum as part-time positions. Clinical professors and clinical associate professors are considered the equivalent of full-time academic staff whose main job is at the university. This election group includes staff in positions covered by the circular on the BScEng and Global Business Engineering programmes. Staff with late-career agreements and staff in flexi-jobs belong to this election group regardless of weekly working hours.

Election group II (full-time PhD students) comprises staff enrolled in a PhD programme working 18.5 hours a week or more as PhD students at AU. Staff with late-career agreements and staff in flexi-jobs belong to this election group regardless of weekly working hours.

Election group III (part-time academic staff and lecturers) comprises other staff members covered by the ministry's memorandum on classification of academic ranks and titles, and whose employment involves a minimum of 100 salaried hours during the semester in which the election is called, or 200 salaried hours in total during the academic year in question. Clinical instructors in dentistry, including senior clinical instructors of dentistry regardless of weekly working hours, belong to the group of part-time academic staff and lecturers. The election group also comprises teaching assistants and AC lecturers at the Department of Dentistry and Oral Health regardless of weekly working hours. Persons employed under the SUL (the national association of student workers) collective agreement do not belong to this election group. Staff with late-career agreements and staff in flexi-jobs belong to this election group regardless of weekly working hours.

Election group IV (technical and administrative staff) comprises all technical and administrative staff members working an agreed minimum of 18½ hours per week. Staff with late-career agreements and staff in flexi-jobs belong to this election group regardless of weekly working hours.       

Election group V (students) comprises students enrolled at the university in full-time degree programmes. Pregraduate research students belong to this group.

Election group VI (part-time students) comprises students enrolled at the university in part-time degree programmes.

Election group VII (non-employed PhD students not enrolled in a Master’s degree programme) comprises PHD students enrolled in a PhD programme at AU.

Election group VIII (non-employed PhD students enrolled in a Master’s degree programme) comprises PhD students enrolled in a PhD programme at AU who are also enrolled in a Master’s degree programme.

The rector, pro-rector, university director, director of Enterprise and Innovation, deans, vice-deans and heads of department/school are not eligible for election to the board or to the other governing bodies.

7.-(1) The rector registers persons eligible to vote and stand for office in Aarhus University’s electronic election system; the deadline is 1 September. Staff eligible to vote and eligible candidates can view their own election rights in the system. Objections regarding errors in the registration of voters and candidates in the electronic election system may be submitted by a deadline specified in the election circular. After this deadline, it will not be possible to request changes in the registered information in the electronic election system. However, the rector may correct any errors in the system as long as this is practically possible.

Subsection (2) Persons who, on 1 September or at the time when the election is held, fall under one of the groups referred to in Section 6, and who are registered in the electronic election system, cf. subsection 1, are entitled to vote and are eligible for election to governing bodies to the extent stipulated in section 17 of the bylaws and sections 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of these election rules.

Subsection (3) Persons who are on leave for a period of over 12 months on 1 September or at the time of the election are not eligible to vote or eligible for election, and will not be registered in the electronic election system.

Organ and terms of office

  • Academic councils

8.-(1) Academic staff representatives are elected by and from among the full-time staff (election group I) for a four-year term, cf. section 22 of the By-laws. However, employed PhD students representing the academic staff are elected for two-year terms.

Subsection (2) Student representatives are elected by and from among the students enrolled in full-time degree programmes (election group V and election group VIII) for a one-year term.

Subsection (3) Representatives for technical/administrative staff are elected with observer status by and from among full-time employees (election group IV) for four-year terms.

  • PhD committees

9.-(1) PhD committees consist of representatives of the academic staff and PhD students. The number of members and the composition of the committees are determined by the dean when the committee is appointed and can be changed after consultation with the PhD committee in question.

Subsection (2) Academic staff representatives are elected by and from among the full-time staff (election group I) for three-year terms.

Subsection (3) PhD student representatives are elected by and from among the PhD students (election group IV) for one-year terms.

  • Boards of studies

10.-(1) (2) Boards of studies consist of an equal number of academic staff and student representatives, however cf. subsection 2. The number of members is determined by the dean when the committee is appointed, and can be changed after a hearing of the board of studies in question.

Subsection (2) Representatives of the academic staff on boards of studies are elected to three-years terms by and from among the teachers (election group I) teaching subjects within the area of the board of studies concerned, cf. subsection (4) below. The board of studies for Oral Health consists of academic staff representatives elected to three-year terms by and from among the teaching staff (election group III) who teach subjects governed by the board of studies.

Subsection (3) Student representatives on boards of studies are elected to one-year terms by and from among the students (election group IV and VIII) studying a subject governed by the board of studies concerned, however cf. subsection (5) below.

Subsection (4) After consulting the board of studies in question, the dean can decide whether teaching staff (election group III) enrolled in part-time degree programmes should be able to vote and stand for election and, if so, whether they should constitute a separate area of representation.

Subsection (5) After consulting the board of studies in question, the dean can decide whether students enrolled in part-time degree programmes (election group VI) should be able to vote and stand for election and, if so, whether they should constitute a separate area of representation.

Election areas

11.-(1) The election areas for each election group correspond to the areas of the individual bodies unless otherwise decided in accordance with subsection (2) below.

Subsection (2) The dean may decide that an election area for an academic council or one of the faculty's boards of studies or PhD committees should be divided into areas of representation.

Subsection (3) Areas of representation may only be defined if the following criteria are satisfied:

a)The area of representation must be defined by unambiguous, clearly defined criteria of which it may be said with certainty that they apply to all eligible persons within the election group.

b) The criteria of job title may not be used to define the area of representation.

Subsection (4) The Election Secretariat is obliged to reject any proposed areas of representations that do not comply with subsection 3, and may reject a proposed area of representation which it finds inappropriate on other grounds, for example if the area of representation is very small.

12.-(1) Voting rights and eligibility only apply within one election group, for one of several parallel governing bodies, and for one election area within a single body.

However, the rector may grant someone voting rights and eligibility for election to several parallel bodies. Individuals affiliated with several areas may communicate where they wish to exercise their voting rights and eligibility before a fixed deadline. If no such statement is made, the rector decides where the rights are to be exercised.

Subsection (2) Voters who belong to more than one election group are set up according to criteria determined by the election secretariat. By a deadline specified in the election circular, these voters can choose to exercise their voting rights in a different election group.

Subsection (3) Voters in election groups V and VIII are set up with the election rights for their enrolment subject. It is not possible to switch election rights to supplementary subjects.

Election procedure and contested elections

13.-(1) Elections are based on lists according to a system of proportional representation with the option of forming list pacts and electoral pacts. The elections are determined using the divisors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. 

Subsection (2) Elections are held electronically. All ballots are secret.

Subsection (3) Elections are conducted digitally during the period specified in the election circular.

Subsection (4) Digital voting takes place in Aarhus University’s electronic election system.

Subsection (5) To vote, the eligible voter signs in to the election portal, where they will find digital ballots for the elections they are eligible to vote in. Each voter may cast one vote per election they are eligible to vote in. Votes may be cast for a candidate, a list or in the category ‘blank’.

Subsection 6 There are no restrictions regarding re-election to governing bodies, cf. section 17(5) of the By-laws concerning elections to the Board.   

14.-(1) Nominated candidates must campaign fairly and constructively.

Subsection (2) Students and staff may not contribute to violations of the election rules.

Subsection (3) Violation of subsections 1-2 will be sanctioned by the rector in accordance with the university's rules on disciplinary sanctions.

Participation as a contractual obligation

15.-(1) Members of election groups I and III cannot refuse nomination for election to a governing body. However, members of these election groups cannot be nominated against their will on a candidate list that includes candidates other than themselves 

Subsection (2) Staff members elected or appointed by draw,/appointed, cf. section 27(1-3) and (2), are obliged to join the body and participate in its work. 

Candidate lists

16.-(1) The maximum number of names on a candidate list is twice the number of members to be elected. However, up to ten candidates may always be listed. No one may be a candidate on more than one list of candidates per election. A candidate who has stood on multiple lists of candidates for the same election may not be considered a candidate on any of the candidate lists.

Subsection (2) A list of candidates may not have the same name as the election in question or a name which gives rise to confusion between lists.

Subsection (3) If there is an error in the name of a candidate list, the election secretariat can correct the error at any point before the election is scheduled to begin.

Subsection (4) The candidate lists must be accepted in the electronic election system by the candidates, who thereby commit themselves to accepting election.

Subsection (5) The nomination of candidate lists for the Board must have five nominators with voting rights from the election group and the election area. A candidate is automatically a nominator for the list on which he or she is nominated, but this must be documented in the election system. No one can act as a nominator on more than one candidate list.

Subsection (6) In case of prioritised listing, the order of the nominated candidates cannot be changed after submission of the list unless all candidates – and nominators for the Board election – have accepted in a written declaration that one or more named individuals are entitled to change the original order of priority. The order cannot be changed after the deadline for nominations. On lists on which candidates are ranked evenly (non-prioritised), candidates are presented alphabetically by surname.

Subsection (7) The order of approved candidate lists is determined by a draw after expiry of the deadline for nominations and before publication of the candidate lists.

Subsection (8) Approved candidate lists are published before a date set in the election circular.

Subsection (9) Objections to the published nominations must be submitted in writing before a date set in the election circular.

Subsection (10) Nominations of candidates takes place in the electronic election system. The detailed rules on online nomination of candidates are set out in the election circular.

List pacts and electoral pacts

17.-(1) List pacts and electoral pacts can be entered into in the electronic election system. The list owner in the election system sends a request to confirm inclusion in list or electoral pacts to all candidates. If no objections are received from the candidates no later than the day before the deadline for notification of list and electoral pacts, the candidate is assigned to the list or electoral pact.

Subsection (2) Notifications about concluded lists or electoral pacts must be submitted to the election secretariat, which approves the notifications. Notification is carried out online in the electronic election system.

Subsection (3) Approved notifications of list pacts or electoral pacts must be announced prior to a date set in the election circular.

Subsection (4) Objections to the published list pacts or electoral pacts must be submitted in writing before a date set in the election circular.

Contested elections and uncontested elections (cancellation of ballot)

Contested election

19.-(1) If more than one candidate is nominated to a seat within an election area, then the election will be contested, unless there is only one ranked candidate list, cf. section 20 on uncontested elections.

Uncontested elections

20.-(1) If only one candidate is nominated for an election to a seat within an election area, the election will be uncontested, and no votes will be cast. This applies regardless of whether the candidates are listed in ranked or non-ranked order, and regardless of whether there are multiple candidate lists.

Subsection (2) If all the candidates nominated are on the same list, the election will also be uncontested, and no vote will be held, unless more non-ranked candidates are nominated than seats to be filled. The election committee will declare the candidates as elected in the order in which they are listed. Non-elected candidates are regarded as alternates for the elected candidates.

Subsection (3) In the event of uncontested elections, the election secretariat will announce that the voting has been cancelled before it is scheduled to begin.

20a.-(1) If no candidate lists are received for an election area, or if few candidates are nominated than there are seat to be filled, the election is annulled/partially annulled.

Subsection (2) For election groups I, II and IV, a draw/appointment of candidates will be conducted cf. section 15 and section 27. For other election groups, the mandates will remain unfilled for the coming term of office.

Vote counting

Distribution of mandates to candidate lists and list/electoral pacts.

21.-(1) When the voting is completed, the election secretariat exports a vote count report from the electronic election system.

Subsection (2) The election secretariat counts votes on the background of the vote count report.

22.-(1) The first step is to determine the number of mandates won by each list of candidates. If the election involves electoral pacts, or list pacts that are not part of electoral pacts, the votes for the candidate lists that have formed electoral pacts or list pacts are totalled. The number of votes cast for each candidate list, electoral pact or list pact is divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. until each number of votes has been divided an equal number of times as the maximum number of mandates that can be allocated to the candidate list, electoral pact or list pact in question. The largest electoral quota achieved in this way gives the list, electoral pact or list pact in question the right to the first mandate. The second-largest quota gives the list, electoral pact or list pact in question the right to the second mandate, and so forth until the total number of mandates required has been distributed between the different lists of candidates, electoral pacts or list pacts. If the electoral quotas are of equal size, the allocation is determined by a draw. The draw is carried out by the chairman of the election committee at a public election committee meeting.

Subsection (2) The number of mandates allocated to an electoral pact is divided between the candidate lists and list pacts that make up the electoral pact, using the same procedure. The mandates allocated to a list pact are divided in the same way between the candidate lists that make up the list pact.

Distribution of mandates and alternates within a candidate list.

23.-(1) When determining which candidates on a list have been elected, a distinction is made between list votes and personal votes. If the voter has ticked off the name of a candidate or has ticked off both the name of a candidate and the list to which this candidate belongs, the vote is considered personal.

24.-(1) For candidate lists with equal ranking, the decision as to who has been elected is based on personal votes only.

Subsection (2) If two or more candidates have achieved the same number of votes and they cannot all be elected, the order in which the candidates have been elected is determined by a draw carried out by the chairman of the election committee at a public election committee meeting.

Subsection (3) After determining the priority of the candidates, the number of candidates to which the list is entitled are considered elected. Non-elected candidates are appointed as alternates according to the same procedure. If all candidates from the list have been elected, alternates are appointed from any list pacts or, if necessary, electoral pacts. If no list pacts or electoral pacts have been formed, or if all candidates from the list pacts and electoral pacts have been elected, the list has no alternates.

25.-(1) For prioritised candidate lists, the candidates elected are determined in the following way:

Subsection (2) The number of personal votes within each list is added to the number of list votes. The resulting total is then divided by the number of mandates allocated to the list plus one. The resulting number, is rounded up to the nearest integer, which is distribution number for the list in question.

Subsection (3) A sufficient number of list votes to achieve the distribution number is then added to the number of personal votes achieved by the first candidate listed. The remaining list votes are then added to the number of personal votes achieved by the second candidate on the list until the distribution number is reached. This continues for all the remaining candidates in the order in which they appear on the list. Once all list votes have been assigned to the list candidates in this manner, the candidates who have reached the distribution number or have received a sufficient number of personal votes to achieve a number that is equal to or larger than the distribution number are declared elected in the order in which they appear on the list.

Subsection (4) If this procedure does not lead to the appointment of the required number of members, the remaining number of candidates required are declared elected based on the number of votes achieved (personal votes plus list votes). If two candidates achieve the same number of votes and only one can be elected, the candidate with the highest ranking on the list is declared elected.

Subsection (5) The candidates on a candidate list who have not been elected are considered alternate for the candidates elected on the same list in the order described above. If all the candidates on the list have been elected, alternate are appointed from any list pacts or, if necessary, electoral pacts. If no list pacts or electoral pacts have been formed, or if all candidates from the list pacts and electoral pacts have been elected, the list has no alternates.

26.-(1) If there is a need to elect more candidates from a candidate list than the number actually listed, the excess mandate(s) will be transferred to the candidate list with which the empty list has entered into a list pact. If the empty list is part of a list pact with several candidate lists, the mandate accrues to the list first in line to the mandate in accordance with the above-mentioned distribution procedure.

Subsection (2) If the empty candidate list has not entered into a list pact with other lists, the mandate will be transferred to the candidate list(s) or list pact(s) with which the candidate list in question has formed an electoral pact in accordance with similar rules.

Subsection (3) If a list pact has been given more mandates than the number on the candidate lists that form part of the list pact, the excess mandate(s) will be transferred to the list pacts or candidate lists with which the empty list pact has formed an electoral pact in accordance with similar rules.

Subsection (4) If all candidates on a candidate list, a list pact or an electoral pact have been elected in accordance with the above rules, the mandate will be transferred to the remaining candidate list, list pact or electoral pact next in line in accordance with the above-mentioned rules.

27.-(1) If it is noted upon determination of the outcome of the election that an insufficient number of staff from election groups I and III were elected in a particular election area, the election secretariat organises a draw between the non-elected eligible members of the group in the election area immediately after the election and before the results are announced, to determine who should join the governing body in question and who should be alternates. The election committee determines the number of substitutes.

Subsection (2) Similar rules applies if no candidates are nominated for election in the area in question.

Subsection (3) In lieu of a draw in accordance with subsections 1 and 2, the election committee may request the dean concerned to select and nominate staff members who are willing to serve on the governing body in the capacity of an alternate member. The election committee announces the nominations, and if no objections have been received within 14 days, the staff members’ appointment is considered confirmed. If objections are received, a draw will be performed in accordance with subsections 1 and 2.

Subsection (4) If no students have been nominated for election, the rules set out in section 34(1) apply.

28.-(1) The election committee announces the results of each election at a vote-count meeting. The results of all elections are published on the election committee's website as soon as possible after the vote-count meeting.

Subsection (2) If a complaint leads to a change in the election result, the amended result will be published on the election committee's website as soon as possible after the change.

Appeals procedure

29.-(1) Complaints about an election must be submitted in writing to the rector before a given deadline, cf. Section 1(2) above.

Subsection (2) After the end of the deadline for complaints and by no later than 1 February, all data related to the election are deleted from the e-election system. Election material, cf. sentence 1, may at the university’s discretion be used for research and statistics in accordance with the rules in the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and the Danish Data Protection Act. Election material covered by sentence 1 which is used for research and statistics, must be destroyed when the election material is no longer necessary for those purposes.

30.-(1) If the final decision on an appeal against the election is that the vote is declared invalid, a by-election must be held as soon as possible.

Subsection (2) In connection with by-elections, only persons who are eligible to vote and are registered as voters in the e-election system can cast a vote. In all respects, by-elections are held in accordance with the same rules as the election on the usual election day.

31.-(1) If the final decision on an appeal against the election is that the election of one or more members is declared invalid, a substitute will take up office in accordance with the rules laid down in Sections 24(3) and 25(5).

Resignation and by-elections

Resignation

32.-(1) If a member no longer meets the requirements for eligibility within his/her election group, the member must resign from the bodies in which the member participates. In case of leave, the rector can decide that the member is temporarily absent during the leave period only.

Subsection (2) When a member resigns or dies during the term of office, his or her substitute takes their place, in accordance with the rules laid down in Sections 24 (3) and 25(5).

Subsection (3) The failure of a member to withdraw in a timely manner does not affect the validity of the decisions of the governing body concerned.

By-elections

33.-(1) If a vacancy occurs in a governing body during the term of office and the general election has not resulted in to the election or appointment of a sufficient number of alternates to fill all seats on the governing body, the rector decides, normally on the recommendation of the governing body in question, whether the vacant seat(s) should be filled in a by-election or whether an appointment can be postponed until the next general election, cf. section 17(6) of the university’s by-laws regarding Board members.

Subsection (2) In by-elections, the election area is the same as for ordinary elections and the provisions of the election circular apply correspondingly.

Subsection (3) If a candidate list is submitted after the deadline and no other candidate lists have been received, cf. section 20a, this is not grounds to hold a by-election.

Special elections

34.-(1) A vacant mandate which is not filled under the general election or a by-election and which must not, according to the rules, remain empty until the next general election, is filled by announcing and holding a special election.

Subsection (2) The term of office for a person who takes a seat as a member of a governing body as the result of a special election is set by the election committee, and normally coincides with the applicable term of office for members elected through general elections for the electoral group in question.

35.-(1) Special elections must be announced, held and counted in the same manner as general elections, subject to changes resulting from the provisions of this section or by the nature of the situation, and being held soon as possible. Special election are announced by the election committee of its own accord or at the request of the rector. The schedule for the election is determined by the election committee.

Subsection (2) A candidate who is elected in a special election takes office as a member of the body after the final approval of the special election.

Subsection (3) If there are changes to the university's organisational structure during a term of office, mandates to bodies lapse and the necessary new special elections are held for the remainder of the term of office.

Filling mandates by appointment (special cases)

36.-(1) Instead of holding a by-election, the rector can, as concerns election groups I - VIII, appoint a member for the remaining term of office on the recommendation of the relevant election group for the body in question, cf. section 17(6) of the university's By-laws regarding Board members.

Subsection (2) Appointment presupposes the agreement of the relevant electoral group for the body in question. In the case of groups V, VI, VII and VIII, in addition the outgoing member must agree with the appointment of the new member.

Date of commencement

37.-(1) These rules come into effect on 1 June 2024.