Executive Election Results 2017/18
How the count worked
Newman Students’ Union received a total of 610 ballots across the entire election.
The Returning Officer then counted the number of valid ballots for each position (those ballots which students voted in or didn’t spoilt*) and worked out the quota.
The quota is 50% + 1 of the total number of valid ballots and is the number of votes required to win the election. For example: if 100 people voted, to win the election a candidate would be required to receive 51 votes.
Once the total number of valid ballots was counted and the quota calculated, the first round of votes could take place, known as Stage One.
Stage One
At Stage One, the first preference votes were counted and tallied for each candidate. This means that all ‘number one’ votes were counted up for each candidate within that particular election.
If a candidate received over 50% of the votes in the first round, they are then immediately elected.
If none of the candidates received a majority and therefore did not reach the quota, the returning officer would proceed to Stage Two.
Stage Two
At Stage Two, the person (including Re-Open Nominations also known as R.O.N) with the lowest amount of votes is eliminated from the election.
Following the elimination, their votes are re-distributed to the other candidates according to second preference votes. This means that any of the eliminated ballots that contain a ‘number two’ next to another candidate will be added to that individuals count.
Further Stages
This process then continues through further rounds until there is a clear winner.
To Explain Further…
Let’s say there are three Candidates (A, B and R.O.N) running for a position with 12 votes:
Candidate A receives 5 votes;
Candidate B receives 4 votes; and
R.O.N receives 3 votes.
As Candidate A did not reach the quota of 7 (12 divided by 2 plus 1) the voting would go to Stage Two.
R.O.N is therefore eliminated and their 3 votes are re-distributed.
All 3 voters for R.O.N, marked Candidate B as their second preference and therefore 3 more votes are added to Candidate B’s original count of 4.
Candidate B now has 7 votes to Candidate A’s 5 and Candidate B therefore wins the election.
So, despite Candidate A winning the election at Stage One, Candidate B is the eventual winner due to the re-distribution of votes from R.O.N.
Newman Students’ Union received a total of 610 ballots across the entire election.
The Returning Officer then counted the number of valid ballots for each position (those ballots which students voted in or didn’t spoilt*) and worked out the quota.
The quota is 50% + 1 of the total number of valid ballots and is the number of votes required to win the election. For example: if 100 people voted, to win the election a candidate would be required to receive 51 votes.
Once the total number of valid ballots was counted and the quota calculated, the first round of votes could take place, known as Stage One.
Stage One
At Stage One, the first preference votes were counted and tallied for each candidate. This means that all ‘number one’ votes were counted up for each candidate within that particular election.
If a candidate received over 50% of the votes in the first round, they are then immediately elected.
If none of the candidates received a majority and therefore did not reach the quota, the returning officer would proceed to Stage Two.
Stage Two
At Stage Two, the person (including Re-Open Nominations also known as R.O.N) with the lowest amount of votes is eliminated from the election.
Following the elimination, their votes are re-distributed to the other candidates according to second preference votes. This means that any of the eliminated ballots that contain a ‘number two’ next to another candidate will be added to that individuals count.
Further Stages
This process then continues through further rounds until there is a clear winner.
To Explain Further…
Let’s say there are three Candidates (A, B and R.O.N) running for a position with 12 votes:
Candidate A receives 5 votes;
Candidate B receives 4 votes; and
R.O.N receives 3 votes.
As Candidate A did not reach the quota of 7 (12 divided by 2 plus 1) the voting would go to Stage Two.
R.O.N is therefore eliminated and their 3 votes are re-distributed.
All 3 voters for R.O.N, marked Candidate B as their second preference and therefore 3 more votes are added to Candidate B’s original count of 4.
Candidate B now has 7 votes to Candidate A’s 5 and Candidate B therefore wins the election.
So, despite Candidate A winning the election at Stage One, Candidate B is the eventual winner due to the re-distribution of votes from R.O.N.