UMSU International Byelection - Sept 2025
Results
The provisional declaration of results is now available:
Appeals against the results may be made to the Electoral Tribunal, and must be made within one academic day of the provisional declaration. We ask a copy of any appeal to the Tribunal be cc:ed to the Returning Officer.
Table of contents
Election documents
The following election documents are available:
Notice of election
Notice is hearby given for a Byelection to fill certain vacancies that have arisen in the UMSU International Committee.
The byelection will take place online over the 15th and 16th September 2025. All voters will be sent a personalised voting link to their student email account. A full timetable for the election is set out below.
All international students enrolled in a higher education award course are eligible to vote. Full details about eligibility to stand, including the list of positions available, are given below.
Nominations are open from Tuesday 2nd September 2025 and close at 5pm (Melbourne time) on Tuesday 9th September. This deadline is strict and cannot be extended; candidates are encouraged to submit their nominations well in advance.
Stephen Luntz
UMSU Intl Returning Officer
Above Quota Elections Pty Ltd
Tuesday, 2nd September 2025
Election timetable
- Tuesday 2nd Sept — formal notice given and nominations open
- Saturday 7th Sept — a provisional list of nominations will be published (48 hrs before close of nominations)
- 5pm, Tuesday 9th Sept — close of nominations
- 10am, Monday 15th Sept — voting opens
- 5pm, Tuesday 16th Sept — voting closes
All times are Melbourne time.
Positions to be elected
Byelection
- President
- Vice President (Education and Welfare)
- Vice President (Media and Marketing)
- Secretary
- Media and Marketing Director
Information for prospective candidates
The nomination form is now available. Nominations (including completed nominator and seconder consents) must be received by 5pm (Melbourne time) Tuesday 9th September 2025. This deadline is strict and cannot be extended.
Because of the nominator/seconder consent process, we urge you not to leave your nomination to the last minute. Most mistakes in a nomination form cannot be corrected after the deadline.
Eligibility
Generally, all international students are eligible to run for any position. You can’t run for more than two positions.
The following specific rules apply:
- To be eligible, you must be able to complete your full term within the duration of your course
- If you are going on exchange during your term of office, you are not eligible
- All non-International Students who hold an Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship are eligible to run for Director and Officer positions only (Electoral Regulation 6.2)
- Australian Citizens are eligible to run for Officer positions only (Electoral Regulation 6.3)
If you are not sure about your eligibility, please get in touch early.
Nominators and seconders
All candidates must have a nominator and seconder (Regulation 10.1 and Electoral Regulation 9.5). The nominator and seconder:
- Must each be international students
- Must not themselves be candidates
- Can’t be you (you can’t nominate yourself)
You’ll have to provide contact details of the students nominating and seconding you on the candidate nomination form. We will write to those students to seek their consent to the nomination process—this just requires them to click a link and a button in their email, but must be done by close of nominations. We strongly encourage you to nominate well before the deadline so any issues with nomination can be worked out.
Campaigning
Any campaigning must be done in accordance with the UMSU International Electoral Regulations, and can be done only by candidates or their nominated representatives. More information will be posted closer to the election, but you are encouraged to contact us if you have any questions.
Information about the roles
Part V of the UMSU International Regulations (linked below) sets out the duties and powers of elected representatives.
Progressive vote totals
- Turnout at 5.45pm, Monday 15th September: 432
Returning Officer’s determinations
The following determination, from the April election, continues to apply except that dates are to be read in line with the byelection timetable.
Regulations
Together, the UMSU International Regulations and the UMSU International Electoral Regulations set out the rules and procedure governing the elections. All participants in the elections must follow the regulations.
How to make a complaint
The election is a rules-based activity. All candidates and their registered campaigners are required to adhere to the rules throughout the election, and the Electoral Regulations provide penalties, including disqualification, for breaches. The Regulations above lay out the rules in detail, but key expectations are reiterated below.
- A campaigner remaining near a student who is voting is prohibited
- A campaigner may not: vote on behalf of a student, take a student’s phone and vote for them, or “assist” a voter in making a vote. Any voter who requires assistance casting a vote should contact the Returning Officer who can arrange for a neutral poll clerk to assist
- Harassment, coercion, bullying and other forms of intimidation directed at voters or campaigners is prohibited
- In this election, campaigning is permitted only by candidates and their designated campaigners
If someone coerces you to vote a certain way: If someone places you in a position where you feel coerced, or they apply duress to make you vote a certain way, we can cancel your vote and assign you a fresh vote. Please email the Returning Officer with a brief description of the incident, your student number, and a request that your vote be cancelled. This applies in cases where rules have been breached, and is not an opportunity to revote if you change your mind.
To make a complaint, please email the Returning Officer including as much detail as possible. Anyone, whether student, staff or community member, can make a complaint.
Returning Officer contact details
The Returning Officer is responsible for running the election.
If you have any inquiries, complaints or feedback, please email the Returning Officer: returningofficer@union.unimelb.edu.au. You can also make an appointment if you’d like to discuss something in detail with us, in person or by videoconferencing.
Office hours: we will be available on level 1 of Building 168, across from the Information Desk from 10am to 4pm during the election (we may need to occasionally step away for urgent business or lunch).
Contact details for the RO and Deputy RO are below.