The Hong Kong University Students Union

_____________________________________
THE ELECTION REGULATION
OF

THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTSUNION COUNCIL

(Last revised in CM6 2013)

SECTION I PRINCIPLE
Article 1
The Election Regulation shall govern all election matters of the Union.

SECTION II DEFINITIONS (amended in CM11 2009)

In this Election Regulation:
Union
Constitution
Council
Committee
Commission
University
Election
Ballot
Nominee

Candidate

Elector
Voting
Sub-organizations
Clear day
Returning Officer

shall mean the Hong Kong University Students Union.

shall mean the Constitution of the Hong Kong University Students
Union;
shall mean the Hong Kong University Students Union Council.
shall mean the Union Elections Committee of the Council according
to Section Six Sub-Section XIII of the By-laws of the Council;
shall mean the Election Commission appointed by the Council;
shall mean the University of Hong Kong;
shall mean the whole process of the election defined by Section VI of
the Constitution;
shall mean the casting of votes in secret;
shall mean a member of the Union properly proposed and seconded
for election who shall be eligible to nominate for election under the
Constitution;
shall mean a member of the Union, who having been nominated for
election, shall be eligible to be nominated for election under the
Constitution and has not withdrawn his/her consent to being so
nominated;
shall mean a member of the Union who shall be eligible to vote for
election under the Constitution;
shall mean the formal expression of choice of a candidate, made in
accordance with provisions of this regulation;
shall mean the sub-organizations of the Union under the Constitution;
shall mean a whole day excluding the day of issue and the day of
event; (appended in CM6 2013)
shall mean the member of the University staff who is appointed by the
Council under the Constitution. (appended in CM6 2013)

SECTION III UNION ELECTIONS COMMITTEE (repealed in CM6 2013)

SECTION IV ELECTION OFFICIALS (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 1
The Commission shall be established and appointed by the Council, and shall be responsible for
conducting a particular election including: (amended in CM6 2013)

a.
b.
c.
d.

The receiving and scrutinizing of nomination;

The organization and publicity of the election;
The determination of results of the election; (amended in ECM8 2005)
The announcement of results of the election.

Article 2
The Commission shall be chaired by the Chairperson of the Committee. Its membership shall
comprise the following:
a. Members of the Committee (amended in CM6 2013)
i.
The membership shall follow the membership of the Committee when the
Commission is established by the Council.
ii.
Any person stated under Article 2(a)(i) whose terms of office in the Council
expire after the establishment of the Commission shall continue to bear the
b.

c.

membership in that Commission till the completion of that particular election.

Official Observer (amended in CM6 2013)
The Chairperson of the Council shall act as an Official Observer for the proceeding of the
election.
Election Officers
The Election Officers shall be Full Union Members appointed by the Council, and shall be
in charge of the running of polling stations and the vote-counting process.
(amended in CM6 2013)

Article 3
The session of the Commission shall end when the official result of the particular election is
announced. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 4 (repealed in CM6 2013)
Article 5 (repealed in CM6 2013)
Article 6
The office of any member of the Election Commission shall terminate automatically once he is
nominated as a candidate in the elections mentioned above. (appended in CM6 2013)
Article 7 (appended in CM6 2013)
The duty of Returning Officer shall include the following:
a. Monitoring the arrangements of the particular election;
b. Inspection of the ballot box before the operation of polling station;

c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

Signing on the seal of the ballot box after the closing time of polling;
Monitoring the vote counting;
Inspection on any questionable ballot;
Showing his/her consent on the counting result and the official result;
Other duty requested by the Commission or the Council.

SECTION V NOMINATION
Article 1
Nominations for all Annual Elections shall be opened on the first day of the First Semester, and shall
be closed at 12 noon any day which is at least four weeks before but not longer than six weeks before
the Election Days. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 2
Each nomination shall be signed by a proposer and a seconder, and by the nominee giving consent to
be nominated on the nomination paper prepared by the Commission.
Article 3
Each proposer and seconder shall nominate only one nominee for a particular post. Any post with
more than one vacancy shall still be counted as a single post. (appended in CM6 2013)
Article 4
The Commission shall announce the name of the candidate within 48 hours after receiving the
nomination. (amended in CM11 2009)
Article 5
Any candidate may withdraw his consent to nomination, if he so wishes, by a signed letter addressed
to the Chairperson of the Commission within 48 hours after the closing of nomination.
Article 6
In the event that no nomination is received after the expiration of nomination period, the Committee
shall declare the reopening of nomination within 24 hours. The duration of the period shall be
decided by the Committee.
Article 7
The nomination period shall be approved by the Union Council after the establishment of the
particular Election Commission. The notice of the nomination period shall be served five clear days
before the nomination period commences. (appended in CM6 2013)

Article 8
The nomination form shall be kept in a locked collection box immediately after collection. The key
of the box shall be kept by the Chairperson of the Commission. (appended in CM6 2013)
Article 9
Official receipt shall be given to the one who submits the nomination form. (appended in CM6 2013)
SECTION VI PUBLICITY
Article 1
Any publicity of the candidate is allowed after 48 hours following the receipt of the nomination.
(amended in CM11 2009)
Article 2
All resources that will be used by candidate shall be booked through the Commission.
(amended in CM11 2009)
Article 3
The Candidate shall conduct the publicity in accordance with the Internal Regulation of the Union.
()
Article 4
The candidate may provide election advertisement particulars to the Commission. The Commission
shall gather all the election advertisement particulars collected on a Central Platform which is
available to the electors. (appended in CM6 2013)
SECTION VII CENTRAL CAMPAIGN AND FRIENDLY VISIT
Article 1
A Central Campaign shall be held for each election. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 2
The time and place of the Central Campaign shall be arranged by the Commission.
(amended in CM11 2009)
Article 3
Proceedings of the Central Campaign: (amended in CM6 2013)

a.
b.

e.

The chairperson of the Central Campaign shall be appointed by the Commission;

The Central Campaign shall be conducted in accordance with the Standing Orders of the
Council;
The procedure of discussion in the Central Campaign shall be proposed by the candidates,
subject to the Commissions right to decide on the appropriate procedures.
The time for the Central Campaign shall be 6 hours, subject to further extension as decided
by the majority of the body involved, with a maximum of 12 hours in total;
No further extension beyond 12 hours shall be allowed unless there is no objection heard

f.
g.
h.

from the body involved;

The quorum of the Central Campaign is 30;
The candidates shall not be counted as quorum;
The quorum shall be observed throughout the meeting.

c.
d.

Article 4
Candidates should visit all sub-organizations either in form of campaign meeting or friendly visit.
(appended in CM11 2009)
Article 5
The executive committee of all sub-organizations shall deem it their duty to facilitate the holding of
the campaign meeting. (amended in CM11 2009)
Article 6
The chairperson of the campaign meeting with the sub-organization(s) shall be appointed by the
sub-organization(s), with the full knowledge of the Commission beforehand.
(amended in CM6 2013)
Article 7
It is entirely at the discretion of the candidates to decide if they will attend the Central Campaign.
Article 8
The Commission should prepare for a recording of the Central Campaign. The recording shall be
available for Union Members. (appended in CM6 2013)
SECTION VIII POLLING
Article 1
Election Days of all Annual Elections shall be held within the first four weeks of the Second
Semester. (amended in CM6 2013)

Article 2
A notice of the polling shall be posted five clear days beforehand.
Article 3
The method of regional polling shall be adopted. Electors can vote in any polling stations set up.
Article 4
Any other methods of polling may be adopted by the Council with the consent of two-thirds majority
votes at a Council meeting. (amended in CM11 2009)
Article 5
A locked ballot box with the certificate co-signed by the Chairperson of the Commission and
Returning Officers appointed by the Council shall be prepared for each station. The keys shall be
kept by the Chairperson of the Council. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 6
The period of the polling of every polling station shall not be less than 8 hours.
(amended in CM6 2013)
Article 7
Election Officers shall be present at the station at any time during the whole period of the polling.
Article 8
The station shall be opened by Election Officers to allow for voting. (amended in CM11 2009)
Article 9
Nobody shall be allowed to enter the station except for the purpose of voting.
Article 10
Voting procedures:
a. Each elector shall prove his/her identity and eligibility by showing his/her certificate of
registration to the Election Officer. This certificate shall be checked by the Election Officer

b.

with a networked computer database or against a list of eligible electors provided by the
University Registry or Union office. (amended in CM11 2009)
Election Officer shall give each eligible elector a ballot paper, prepared by the Commission,
for this purpose setting out the nominations to which consent still stands; (amended in
CM11 2009)

c.
d.
e.

Each elector shall be entitled to one ballot paper only on which his/her identity;
The ballot paper shall not be taken outside the station;
The elector shall place his/her ballot paper into the ballot box.

Article 11
The following shall be defined as a spoiled ballot paper: (amended in CM11 2009)
a. A paper without the certificate of the Commission;
b. A paper torn or damaged;
c.

A paper recording a vote in any manner other than that mentioned on the ballot paper.

Article 12
The number of ballot used and discarded for each station shall be reported to the Commission by the
Election Officers responsible for that station. (appended in CM6 2013)
Article 13
The post to be elected, name and curriculum of candidate shall be printed on the ballot. Serial
number should be printed on the ballot. A reference copy of ballot shall be kept for verifying the
ballots used in the election. (appended in CM6 2013)
Article 14
Each ballot box shall be assigned with a serial number. Designated location of polling station for
each ballot box shall be recorded. (appended in CM6 2013)
Article 15
All ballot boxes and remaining unused ballot papers should be available for monitoring.
(appended in CM6 2013)
SECTION IX ELECTORAL SUBSIDY
Article 1
The electoral subsidy shall be related to the election affairs of the candidate.
(appended in CM11 2009)
Article 2
The maximum amount of the electoral subsidy to a particular election shall be recommended by the
Union Finance Committee after the nomination period and subject to approval by the Union Council
beforehand. (amended in CM6 2013)

Article 3
Candidates are responsible for giving concrete documents to the Committee within one month after
the particular election. (amended in CM6 2013)
SECTION X COUNTING OF VOTE
Article 1
The ballot box shall be sealed and removed from the station and delivered to the Chairperson of the
Council at the closing time of the polling. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 2
The Chairperson of the Council shall open the ballot boxes and votes shall be started counting within
6 hours after the closing time of the polling. Only Members of the Committee and Election Officers
who are not being one of the candidates can count the votes. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 3
The Members of the Committee shall, and the candidates and Union Members may, if they wish,
observe the counting of the vote. (amended in CM6 2013)
Article 4
Election Officers responsible for a particular station shall not be responsible for counting the votes
casted in that particular station. (appended in CM6 2013)
SECTION XI DETERMINATION OF RESULTS
Article 1
The Commission shall determine the results of each election in accordance with the conditions stated
in the Constitution and convey such results to the Chairperson of the Council.
(amended in CM6 2013)
Article 2
The Chairperson of the Commission, the Chairperson of the Council and all Returning Officers shall
sign jointly on a formal paper, with the results of the election, signifying their consent to the
counting results and official results of the particular election. (amended in CM6 2013)

SECTION XII ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS

Article 1
The announcement of the official results shall be made 24 hours after the announcement of counting
results, if no complaint is received. (amended in CM6 2013)

Article 2
The Commission shall be the only body to announce counting results and official results of a
particular election which shall include: (amended in CM6 2013)
a. The number of votes cast in each election;
b. The number of valid and invalid ballot papers in each election;
c. The number of votes cast for, against and abstain to each candidate;
d. The list of elected candidates.
Article 3
Any complaint concerning the conduct of the ballot or the count shall be lodged with the Committee
within 24 hours after the announcement of counting results. Only Union Full Members have the right
to lodge the complaint. The complainant shall provide his/her name, University ID and contact
information. If a complaint is so lodged the Committee shall investigate and shall report its findings
to the Council. The Council shall decide upon the appropriate action to be taken.
(amended in CM6 2013)
Article 4
If there is any complaint being raised, no announcement of the official results shall be made until all
complaints have been solved. (amended in ECM8 2005)
SECTION XIII BY-ELECTION
Article 1
The Committee shall have the duty to order a By-election in each union session if there is any
vacancy occurring in any post referred to in the Constitution.
(amended in CM11 2009)
Article 2
In the event that there remains a vacancy after the By-election held pursuant to Article 1, any
subsequent By-election shall only be held by a motion carried at a Council meeting with the consent
of two-thirds of those present in the meeting. (appended in CM11 2009)

SECTION XIV RE-ELECTION (repealed in CM6 2013)

SECTION XV INTERPRETATION
Article 1
The interpretation of this regulation shall rest with the Committee.
SECTION XVI AMENDMENT
Article 1
The Regulation shall not be amended except by a motion carried by a two-thirds majority votes at a
Council meeting. (amended in CM11 2009)
Article 2
Any amendment of the Regulation made under Article 1 after the establishment of the Commission
for a particular election shall not be effective for that election, unless by a motion carried by a
two-thirds majority votes at a Council meeting.
(appended in CM11 2009)
Article 3
A notice intimating the proposed amendment or rescission shall be sent to all members of the
Council five clear days before the Council meeting. (appended in CM6 2013)

Revised: August, 1994

January, 1998
September, 2003
September, 2005
January, 2010
July, 2013