Ethical guidelines for the 2021 Student Union Council elections  

The purpose of the ethical guidelines for the Student Union council elections, determined by the election committee, is to give equal possibilities for everyone in the recruitment process of candidates and for the election advertisement. The ethical guidelines are designed to ensure that all voters and potential candidates can in peace make their own decision on who to vote for and for which election associations they want to run. If need be, the election committee can complete the instructions for the election.  

 Candidate recruiting 

  • Recruiting through the student associations and other e-mail lists must always have approval from the relevant administrator. 
  • Personal recruitment should take place through the election association’s own contacts, i.e. using the general e-mail lists of ÅAU and the Student Union for recruitment is not allowed. 
  • Election association posters or messages on public noticeboards require permission from the respective person responsible. 
  • Recruiting via Facebook groups or other pages requires permission from the group or page administrator. 
  • Candidate recruitment in an instruction or a teaching context is forbidden 
  • Recruitment of candidates is not allowed to take place while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. A person who has signed and submitted an agreement of candidacy or supported the forming of an election association while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs has the right to annul the signing by contacting the election committee chair.  
  • It is also forbidden to use pressuring as a recruitment method.

Campaign and marketing 

  • There is no time limit for campaigning or when the Student Union Council elections can be promoted  
  • ÅAS gives all election associations the opportunity to market themselves through one poster per election stand around campus. The size of the poster can be max one (1) A3. Marketing of a single candidate on the election stands is forbidden. The poster can be placed freely on the election stand, but already placed posters must be respected. The posters of others are not allowed to be moved, covered or soiled. Only the election committee has the right to move posters in case they inhibit effective use of the election stand.  
  • Election associations are free to campaign but are to ask for permission from the person responsible for the space if required and to clean up after themselves. 
  • After the council election all election associations are to remove all marketing material from all places. 
  • The general e-mail lists of ÅAU and the Student Union are not allowed to be used for marketing of either election associations or candidates. 
  • Marketing on ÅAU’s public noticeboards is only allowed with permission from the respective person in charge. Use of the official noticeboards of ÅAU is not permitted.  
  • Marketing through student associations’ own information channels (e.g., e-mail lists, noticeboards, homepage, Facebook page, groups etc.) is only allowed with permission from the student association. 
  • Election associations are to refrain from littering during marketing, e.g., triangles and fliers. 
  • The distribution of marketing of single candidates, election associations or election alliances together with ÅAS’s general council’s election marketing is not permitted without separate permission from the election committee. 
  • To promote a candidate or election association in an instruction or a teaching context is forbidden. 
  • The candidates should show a good example during the campaign. Respect towards other candidates and election associations must be shown. Candidates are not allowed to bother other candidates’ or election associations’ campaigns, for instance by insulting them in social media or somewhere else.  
  • In the election advertisement offensive, insulting or inappropriate language is prohibited. 
  • The voting for a specific candidate or election association cannot be enforced by rewards such as coffee coupons, overall patches or other rewards. A person’s vote cannot be sold or given to another person. The usual distribution of advertisement material is however allowed.  
  • The voter’s integrity must be respected. To force somebody to vote before or during the election dates is strictly forbidden.