Students attending a Student Members' Meeting in a lecture theatre

Referenda

A referendum is a ballot in which all SU members are entitled to cast a vote. Make sure you have your say - cast your vote below!

About Referenda

A referendum is an all-student vote on either a particular issue-based question or a vote of no-confidence in a Trustee or elected representative.

SUpport

Some of the current referenda questions deal with issues that people might find distressing such as spiking. We recognise the sensitive nature of issues such as these and do our best to make sure our democratic events are safe spaces for everyone. We do also encourage those that wish to attend events to consider their welfare and prepare accordingly. We will have a quiet space at the Town Hall for any student to take a moment if they feel they need to. In addition, if you would like extra support or to talk to someone, you can email our anti-harassment support advisor, Laura, at l.d.boland@lse.ac.uk. You can also access resources and support from LSE here

SUMMER TERM Referenda results

Should the LSESU lobby the LSE to have student representation on the External Funding Ethical Review Board (EFERB)? View the full proposal here

  • This proposal did not reach quorum and so did not pass

 

Should the LSESU work to make availability of free drinks covers and stoppers mandatory at all on and off campus events run by the LSESU and LSE? View the full proposal here

  • This proposal did not reach quorum and so did not pass

 

Should the LSESU lobby LSE to allow students to chair societal events with a guest speaker? View the full proposal here

  • A majority of votes cast were in favour of this proposal, it has passed and is now LSESU policy until the end of the 23/24 academic year

 

Should the LSESU lobby the Faith Centre to open a new prayer room for Muslim women? View the full proposal here

  • A majority of votes cast were in favour of this proposal, it has passed and is now LSESU policy until the end of the 23/24 academic year

 

Should the LSESU restore codified provisions for the funding of Student Media Groups such as The Beaver? View the full proposal here

  • This proposal did not reach quorum and so did not pass

FAQs

How can a referendum be called?

A standard referendum can be called by:

  1. A Secure Petition signed by 100 student members
  2. A simple majority vote of the Student Members Meeting
  3. A simple majority vote of the Trustee Board
  4. A vote of the Student Panel

A vote of no-confidence in Trustee or elected representative can be called by:

  1. A Secure Petition signed by 100 student members
  2. A simple majority vote of the Trustee Board
  3. A 2/3rds majority vote of Accountability Board members
How do students vote in a referendum?

After a referendum is called, the referendum question will be discussed either at the next Town Hall, or at an Additional Student Members' Meeting. Information of this meeting and the referenda to be discussed will be posted at least 7 days prior.

Unless the referendum process requires adaptation to account for accessibility or wellbeing, campaigning activity and voting for the referendum will open at 9am on the day of this meeting, and will remain open until 12pm, midday, two days later. (More detail around these timelines can be found below and in the Referendum Rules.)

Students can cast their votes on the voting portal on this page.

What is quorum?

Quorum is the minimum number of voters needed for a referendum result to be valid.

Quorum for a standard referendum will be set by Democracy Committee, but will not be more than 5% of student members. For the academic year 23/24, Democracy Committee have set quorum for standard referenda as 200 students.

The quorum for a vote of no-confidence is 4% of all members.

 

referenda rules

If you are campaigning for a "yes" or "no" campaign for any referendum, you must follow the Referendum Rules or you and your campaign could face sanctions from the Returning Officer.

Explore this section: