Conservative Students in Aarhus, Frit Forum Århus and the Student Council at Aarhus University have drafted this paper on good election practices before and during the upcoming university elections. The aim of the paper is to ensure clarity and to make sure that everyone has a good election.
The paper sets out an overall framework, and student associations are expected to respect this framework. Besides the practices described in the paper, it is important that everyone behave courteously, with mutual respect and common sense.
As student political associations, we primarily campaign to get support for our own positions are and to get as many students as possible to vote. Associations should campaign with a platform of realistic issues and goals that are realistically achievable in university bodies and committees. This does not preclude from discussing external politics, as long as you make it clear what can be done in forums of the boards of studies, the academic councils and the board, respectively.
There must be room for humour in local election activities, as long as it is clear that the humour is just for fun, and that the intention is to draw attention to the elections.
Hang election posters in accordance with the campaign rules for 2024 adopted by the Election Committee. In 2024, this means that you can hang up election posters from 20:00 on 27 October.
Do not remove other associations' posters unless they are displayed very close to, or next to, your own association’s offices. If there are any disagreements about the placement of posters, the associations should contact each other to resolve the problem.
The various election lists are responsible for taking down their own posters. We encourage associations to work together and coordinate the removal of posters after election week. Posters must be removed by the end of the week after the election at the latest.
The election booths used by associations for election activities during election week should be set up on the first day of the election and removed by the associations on the last day. The student associations may use the election booths for their own election activities and to inform fellow students about the elections. It’s permitted to set up computers in the election booths for students who want to vote. However, the principal of anonymous (secret) voting must be respected. Respect the physical space in election booths and do not campaign from election booths belonging to other associations.
Remember to keep a civil tone during discussions about the election, and focus on the issue not the person. In other words, do not talk about your association’s external affiliations, but stick to the policies of the local associations. It is okay to object if you feel verbally attacked by a representative from another association, and everyone should be sensitive to how their words affect others. It is also okay to ask representatives from another association to leave your booth if you feel that a discussion is getting out of hand. Respect requests for space and focus on having a civil conversation. Do not escalate conflict.
The focus in the election booths should be on your own policies and key issues. You can relate your policies and key issues to what other associations are saying, but keep in mind that if you mention other associations you should refer people to the relevant association's election booth or website for further details.
If someone asks about a different student association, refer the person to that association’s website or election booth. Do not define another association’s viewpoints.
Election booths are sacred during the election campaign. This means that it is never okay to seek out associations at their election booths to start long political discussions. Think about the practicalities in this context. If you are standing next to each other, try not to sabotage each other, but instead consider starting the day by drinking a cup of coffee together and balancing expectations.
If any problems do arise about the election booths, the associations should contact each other (perhaps through a contact person assigned for a specific area at AU) to resolve any problems before they escalate to conflict.
Clearly, the various associations will run their campaigns on social media, and it is equally important here to keep a civil tone and focus on the issue and not on an individual or election list. In this context, the election list refers to persons on the lists of candidates. If the associations feel that someone is taking a discussion too far, the associations should contact each other to resolve the problem.
To avoid problems, it is important that we as student associations keep in contact with each other, constructively and clearly, both during the election period and during the rest of the year. So it is important to contact the head of the particular association directly if any problems occur during the elections. This will minimise the risk of unnecessary tension and conflict between associations and help us find a solution more quickly.
In the election campaign, associations have a huge responsibility to ensure that students vote on an informed basis. This means that, besides campaigning, associations must talk to students about the various university bodies realistically and appropriately.
The associations would like for neutral election material to be prepared in collaboration with AU Communication & Press in order to provide impartial information about the election and to present the boards of studies, the academic councils and the board. This information should also be available online.