A student group getting a group photo taken on a trip to a mountain range

Elections

Each year, every student group must hold an election to elect the new committee and student leaders for the next academic year.

What are club and society elections?

Student groups are led by a committee who work to organise events and bring students together. To make sure that everyone has an opportunity to become a committee member, club and society members will vote to elect their new committee leaders every year. Typically Club and Society Elections are held in Winter Term, unless you're a new or postgraduate group.

All core committee roles (President, Secretary and Treasurer) must be elected through these elections. You can also include non-core roles (eg. Events Officer, Inclusions Officer, Marketing Officer) if you wish.

Any LSE student can run in an election and it is a great way to get engaged with your club or society, take more responsibility and offer a brilliant professional experience that can benefit you throughout your career.

upcoming elections

Autumn Term Elections - October 2023

This election cycle is mainly for the following groups:

  • New groups from MT 2022 (please note, any new groups from LT or ST 2023 will be included in the Winter Term Elections in March)
  • Groups who had unfilled core roles after the LT 2023 elections
  • Postgraduate groups

You can see a final list of the groups and roles included in this election cycle here.

All instructions regarding nominations and voting will be sent out to all members of the individual Clubs and Societies involved in the elections.

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The dates for the elections are as follows:

  • Nominations Open: 09:00 Monday 25th September
  • Nominations Close: 23:59 Tuesday 3rd October
  • Voting Open: 09:00 Monday 9th October
  • Voting Closes: 16:00 Tuesday 10th October 

All results will be announced during the following week.

 

Memberships to any included groups will be offline during the elections, to ensure fairness (25/09/2023 - 11/10/2023), so if you'd like to nominate yourself or vote in an election, please purchase a Standard Membership before this time!

 

Please email su.societies@lse.ac.uk or su.sport@lse.ac.uk with any questions!

How do they work?

  • All elections will run online, through the SU website. No elections/ voting are permitted to take place in person, however you are welcome to host hustings where nominees discuss their manifestos. Please submit an event form for this!
  • SU staff will set up the elections and email all of your group's members with information about nominations and voting, and the results that follow.
  • All you need to do is promote the elections to your members, and encourage people to nominate themselves for roles!
  • Please note that membership sales will close before the election period begins:
    • 1 month before Winter Term elections
    • 1 week before Autumn Term elections
  • Please direct any election complaints or concerns to the returning officer, su.communitywelfare@lse.ac.uk.
  • Please note, candidates are not permitted to have any budget or expenditure for the purpose of campaigning or creating promotional materials.

For more information, please see the guidance documents linked at the top of this page (Online Elections Rules and Guidance and Manifesto Guidance)

CORE ROLES

There are three core roles that every affiliated group must have:

Presidents are routinely responsible for the overseeing of the whole club or society and their activities including events, finances, and engaging new members throughout the year.

Treasurers are routinely responsible for the overseeing of the club or society finances for the year, including budgeting for small and large scale events, as well as ensuring that membership funds are spent appropriately to benefit all members. 

Secretaries are required to support the President and Treasurer where necessary, including planning events, chairing committee meetings and distributing notes from these meetings  where needed. They may also be responsible for planning social events for the members of the club or society.

The form to opt-in additional roles to the elections has now closed. These non-core roles (such as Inclusions Officer, Social Secretary or Vice President etc.) can either be elected informally, or through our MT elections in October.

WHY BE ON A COMMITTEE?

Being on a committee is a great way to develop your skills, meet new people and hopefully have lots of fun! It's your chance to shape your group and make your members' voices heard. The SU are here to support you every step of the way.

Here's what some of our recent committee members said about their time on a committee:

"Being a part of the Drama Society’s committee has been the foremost highlight of my time at LSE. Not only was it an excellent way to de-stress and do something different at the end of every day, but as a member of the committee, it also allowed me to share my love of theatre and foster the same love in others, building a community. Most importantly, however, being a part of the committee allowed me to form long-lasting friendships and relationships that will extend beyond my time at LSE, for which I will always be enormously grateful."

- Lara, Drama Society, President 2022/23.

'My position was an unique opportunity to organise the largest events for one of LSE’s largest societies. I gained so many skills from taking responsibility for these projects, recruiting and working with a subcommittee, and balancing them with my academic and other extracurricular commitments. A particular highlight was working with some of the world’s most pre-eminent economists during our Economics Symposium. To anyone thinking about running for a committee position, I’d definitely recommend going for it!'

- Edward, Economics Society, President 2022/23.

 

"Being involved in society committees was most certainly the highlight of my university experience. The skills I gained, the confidence I have developed, and the opportunities I have been given have transformed me into a successful leader who now makes positive changes to this world. In what is a truly unique experience, being a committee member gives you the chance to meet remarkable individuals and professionals whilst providing fantastic opportunities for your members. Furthermore, not only do you get to deliver such fantastic events and legacies to the LSE community, you also get build a team and network of friends who all share the same interests as you."

- Navin, United Nations Society Society, President 2022/23.

 

"Being a president of society is a great way to improve your leadership and team management skills, while at the same time giving back to a much wider community."

- Danylo, Ukrainian Society, President 2021/ 22 and 2022/23.

 

"Being part of university societies has been an integral part of my time at LSE. Just joining societies as a member has allowed me to learn so much and meet amazing new people, but particularly being President of various societies has taught me invaluable lessons about leadership and working in a team. Joining the committee of a society and helping to build a community is an incredibly rewarding experience and one that I would genuinely recommend to everyone at LSE."

- Jessica, Grimshaw Club, President 2022/23

 

"Being president of Outdoors and Hiking Society these past two years has been a huge privilege. Whilst at times a labour of love, it is something I am extremely passionate about and I hope to have made my mark. I've enjoyed meeting new people, seeing the society grow, and the sense of pride in delivering successful events- culminating in leading a team of 12 for the UK Three Peak sub-24hr Challenge. As I complete my Mountain Leader qualification it has also been an excellent opportunity to develop and put into practice a number of key skills, including leadership, planning, communication and management skills."

- Guido, Outdoor and Hiking Society, President 2021/22 and 2022/23.

 

“Holding a leadership role at one of LSE’s largest societies pushed me out of my comfort zone massively, but was definitely the most rewarding experience of my second year. The people I worked with are now some of my best friends, and I managed to meet some of the most inspiring professionals working in international affairs. It was great to contribute to the LSE community while honing my son skills and making the best memories :) “

- Siumi, United Nations Society, Secretary-General for LSEMUN Conference 2023/23

 

"Getting involved in LSE societies was the perfect opportunity for me to expand my network & develop my interpersonal skills, here I was interviewing industry-renowned speakers and organizing London-wide events."

- Dean, Business & Investment Group, Head of Corporate Relations 2022/23.

 

"Being the Social Secretary for the Law Society was hard work but enriching ultimately (and looks decent on the CV too to be fair). I made some friends along the way but also lost a few when they saw the price of Law Ball tickets. I semi-recommend this position."

- Justin, Law Society, Social Secretary 2022/23

 

"I applied for vice president of LSESU Outdoors Society as a first year student just a few weeks into LSE with absolutely no knowledge of how a university society operates or what my role would be really be like - I was probably just feeling brave that day! However, I can confidently say that it was one of the best decisions I made during first year. The committee, society members and LSESU made it such a fun experience with a whole year of memories - and skills for the CV :) - that I won't be forgetting anytime soon!"

- Bhakti, Outdoor and Hiking Society, Vice President 2022/23.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Rules and Guidance For Candidates)Manifesto Guidance

Explore this section: