​Announcement of election of ÅAS council for the perioid 2022–2023

Elections for the council of the Student Union at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAS) for the period 1.1.2022–31.12.2023 will be held from Tuesday 2.11.2021 at 09.00 to Wednesday 3.11.2021 at 15.00. Advance voting takes place between Tuesday 26.10 at 09.00 and Friday 29.10 at 15.00. The Student Union Council elections will be conducted electronically.

This document is originally written in Swedish, and the translation is provided for convenience only. In case of any discrepancy between this version and the Swedish one, the latter takes precedence.

1 EXAMINATION OF THE ELECTORAL REGISTER

The electoral register, based on the student register of Åbo Akademi University before the 16th of September 2021, will be provided for examination for the period 16–20.9.2021 at:

The student union office in Åbo, Tavastgatan 22, 3rd floor at 12–15

The student union office in Vasa, Havtornen, Inre Hamnen at 12–15

You can easily check that you are registered through a link on the election website: https://karval.studentkaren.fi.

In case of finding any faults in the electoral register affecting eligibility to vote or run as a candidate, please make a written demand for correction to ÅAS Election committee (karval@studentkaren.fi) during the time the electoral register can be examined.

A member of the Student Union at Åbo Akademi University that has registered as present for the term during the time the electoral register can be examined has according to the ÅAS council election bylaws (Valordning för val av fullmäktige 3 § 3 mom.) the right to request to be included in the electoral register. A member that has registered for the term no later than 13.10.2021 thereby has the right to be included in the electoral register. To be included in the electoral register, the member must send a free form request to the election committee by email karval@studentkaren.fi no later than 13.10.2021 at 15.00.

2 SUFFRAGE AND ELIGIBILITY TO RUN

Suffrage in the Student Union Council elections extends to every at Åbo Akademi University enrolled member of the Student Union who is included in the electoral register.

Every member of the Student Union that holds suffrage is eligible to run as a candidate. The right to run candidates for the council election is reserved for election associations (valföreningar). An election association can be formed through at least 15 suffrage holding student union members signing an agreement to form an association. Each election association has the right to run no more than 50 candidates.

Please note: the administrative language of the Student Union of Åbo Akademi University is Swedish – a comprehension of Swedish is necessary to function as a member of the Student Union Council.

3 NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES

Agreement to form an election association is to be handed in no later than 20.9.2021 at 15.00.

The nomination of candidates for the council election is to finish no later than and the forms be filled in by 30.9.2021 at 15.00.

A free form agreement to form an electoral coalition is to be sent to karval@studentkaren.fi by 3.10.2021 at 15.00.

Forming an election association can be done in its entirety either digitally or through paper forms. Note: Only digital forms exist in English.

Each association is managed by an ombudsman (delegate), or ombud for short. The election association’s ombud functions as its contact person during the election. The ombud gives the association’s candidates for them needed information about election proceedings and pass on information from the election committee to the candidates. A person can only act as ombud for one election association.

Links to the digital forms for nomination of candidates and the forming of election associations can be found on the Student Union Council elections’ website: https://karval.studentkaren.fi.

Paper forms can be downloaded from the Student Union Council elections’ website: https://karval.studentkaren.fi or picked up from the student union offices at Tavastgatan 22, 3rd floor, Åbo, and Havtornen, Inre Hamnen, Vasa. Opening hours for the offices are listed on the student union website https://www.studentkaren.fi/en/contact-information/.

4 ELECTRONIC VOTING

The council election will be conducted completely electronically. Voting will begin on the 2nd of November 2021 at 9:00 and end on the 3rd of November at 15:00. The link to the electronic voting can be found on the council election website https://karval.studentkaren.fi.

Students also have the right to advance voting. The advance voting will also be conducted electronically. Advance voting begins on 26 October 2021 at 09.00 and ends on 29 October 2021 at 15.00. The link to the advance voting can be found on the council election website https://karval.studentkaren.fi.

To participate in the vote the voter must have an ÅAU-username and password. Those who do not possess an ÅAU-username and password are kindly requested to contact the election committee chair Tobias Ahlbäck no later than 12.10.2021 at 15.00, by email karval@studentkaren.fi.

If any problem arises during the voting procedure, please contact the Secretary General.

5 VALORDNINGEN

The rules for the council election are stated in Valordning för val av fullmäktige (Swedish only) and can be found on the Student Union website www.studentkaren.fi.

The election follows the by the election committee stated ethical rules for recruiting of candidates, marketing and election advertising. The rules can be found on the election website https://karval.studentkaren.fi.

Vasa, 27 August 2021

ELECTION COMITTEE OF THE STUDENT UNION OF ÅBO AKADEMI UNIVERSITY

Election committee chair
Tobias Ahlbäck