UMSU Annual Election 2026
This year's elections will be held in-person via electronic attendance polling. Learn why.
For information about when and where to vote, see below.
Annual elections will be held in September to elect leaders and representatives who will be in charge of UMSU in 2027.
Table of contents
How to vote
This year, the elections will be held by electronic attendance polling.
Vote:
- By attending a polling place during election week (7th – 11th September). Times and locations of polling places will be announced later, which will be on the Parkville, Southbank and Burnley campuses.
- While electronic postal vote applications closed last week, we will accept late applications in a limited number of circumstances. See below.
In all cases, your vote must be received by 5pm (Melbourne time), Friday 11th September. The system is automatically closed to votes after this time.
Note that the polling method has changed since previous years. We won’t be sending a polling link to every student by email. If you can vote on campus, that’s the only way you can vote.
All students enrolled in higher education award courses are eligible to vote in the elections.
Why vote in person? In short, we think it leads to a fairer election. See our argument here.
How to vote — in-person
You can vote in person at polling places on the Parkville, Southbank, Burnley and Werribee campuses: full timetable below.
When you arrive, you’ll need:
- your student ID, and
- the mobile phone/device that you use for Okta Verify to log in to your University account.
Polling place timetable 7–11 September
| Location |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Building 168
Level 1, near UMSU Info Centre |
10am–5pm |
10am–5.30pm |
10am–5pm |
10am–5pm |
10am–5pm |
|
Baillieu Library
Ground Floor, foyer area |
10.30am–4.30pm |
10.30am–6.30pm |
10.30am–4.30pm |
10.30am–4.30pm |
10.30am–5.00pm |
|
FBE Building (Building 105)
Ground Floor, opposite the UMSU Info Pod |
12pm–3.30pm |
11.30am–4.30pm |
|
11am–3pm |
11.30am–4.30pm |
|
Southbank
Location TBC |
|
11am–3pm |
11am–3pm |
11am–3pm |
|
|
Burnley Student Hub (Building 908)
Ground Floor, outside the cafeteria |
|
11am–2pm |
12pm–3pm |
|
|
|
Werribee, Learning & Teaching Building (Building 418)
Ground Floor, kitchen area |
|
|
11.30am–2.30pm |
|
11.30am–2.30pm |
When you vote in person, you’ll:
- be greeted by one of our poll clerks and sign your name on our polling register,
- approach an electronic terminal to vote,
- log in to that terminal using your University student login, and
- vote according to your preferences.
Detailed information about how to vote is available at each polling place.
How to vote — electronic postal voting
Applications for electronic postal votes closed on 3rd September.
If you’re sick, or an emergency has arisen since the close of postal vote applications that means you haven’t and won’t attend campus at all during polling hours, you can make a late application for an electronic postal vote.
We’ll try to review late applications and dispatch ballots as fast as possible, but we can’t guarantee a specific timeframe.
Paper postal votes (delivered by Australia Post) are not offered this year.
Getting help voting
If you have questions about voting, you can contact the Returning Officer for assistance.
During the election, polling places on the Parkville, Southbank and Burnley campuses will be staffed.
List of nominations
A provisional list of nominations is now available.
Note that the list is in ballot paper order.
Nominations (how to be a candidate)
Nominations closed at 12noon on Friday, 14th August 2026. No late nominations can be accepted.
More information for candidates is available and we encourage you to read it carefully. This includes critical information for all candidate supplied by UMSU, information about the mandatory induction, a summary of the eligibility requirements for specific positions, information about tickets, links to election forms, guidance for candidate photos and other information of interest to candidates.
Tickets
A group of fifteen or more members seeking election on a common platform may apply to register a ticket name and be set out on the ballot under the ticket’s name.
Information about tickets, including the form for registering a ticket, is available on the candidate information page.
Timetable
The election timetable will be updated throughout the election period.
- Monday, 27th July
- Formal notice of elections given
- Opening of nominations
- Opening of ticket registration
- Opening of postal vote registration
- 6.30pm, Tuesday 4th August
- 12noon, Friday 14th August
- Deadline: close of nominations, including conflict of position form
- Deadline: close of ticket registrations
- Note these deadlines are written into the Electoral Regulations strictly and therefore cannot be extended.
- 11.59pm, Monday 17th August
- Deadline: changes to policy statements
- Deadline: candidate photograph submission
- Deadline: ticket “order of candidates” forms
- 11.59pm, Thursday 3rd September
- Close of timely applications for electronic postal votes
- Monday 7th September – Friday 11th September
- Polling week
- 5pm, Wednesday 9th September: close of late postal vote applications for most categories
Rulings of the Returning Officer
Notice of Election
Notice is given as of 12noon, Monday 27 July of the 2026 University of Melbourne Student Union annual elections. (Forms submitted before this time will be taken to have been received at the moment notice is given.) This annual election also incorporates by-elections for casual vacancies for the 2026 term of office.
The election will be held from the 7th–11th September, 2026.
List of positions
The following positions are open for election.
Officer positions
- President
- General Secretary
- Education (Academic Affairs) Officer
- Education (Public Affairs) Officer
- Welfare Officer
- Women’s Officer
- Creative Arts Officer
- Activities Officer
- Queer Officer
- Environment Officer
- Media Officers
- Clubs & Societies Officer
- Indigenous Officer
- Disabilities Officer
- People of Colour Officer
Students’ Council — voting representatives
- General representative (15 to elect)
- Representative for Graduate Students
- Representative for Indigenous Students
- Representative for International Students
- Representative for Queer Students
- Representative for Students of Colour
- Representative for Students with Disabilities
- Representative for Southbank Students
Committee members
Each committee elects 7 members.
- Activities Committee
- Creative Arts Committee
- Disabilities Committee
- Education Committee
- Environment Committee
- Indigenous Committee
- People of Colour Committee
- Queer Committee
- Welfare Committee
- Women’s Committee
Southbank campus positions
- Southbank Students Campus Co-ordinator
- Southbank Activities Officer
- Southbank Education Officer
- Southbank Students Committee (7 to elect)
Burnley campus positions
- Burnley Campus Co-ordinator
- Burnley Students Committee (7 to elect)
National Union of Students
- National Union of Students delegate (7 to elect)
2026 Byelection
Note: These positions are 2026 positions that are vacant. Successful candidates will fill the positions for the remainder of the 2026 term of office (until 30 November 2026).
- Burnley Committee (at least 4 to elect)
A list of positions, role descriptions, and current officeholders is also available.
Election regulations
The election takes place under the auspices of the UMSU Constitution, Regulations, policy and procedures, in particular, the Electoral Regulations.
Returning Officer
The Returning Officer is responsible for managing the election. In 2026, UMSU has appointed Stephen Luntz of Above Quota Elections as Returning Officer. Patrick Clearwater has been appointed as Deputy Returning Officer.
Complaints: complaints about the conduct of the elections, or the candidates in it, can be made to the Returning Officer (below).
Office hours
Office: Room 4.06, Building 168, Parkville campus
Hours: All week during election week.
Note: We don’t have an office or regular hours on the Southbank or Burnley campuses, but can attend by appointment if needed. Please contact us below.
Contact details
The best contact for the Returning Officer is returningofficer@union.unimelb.edu.au. If you wish to contact a specific official, see below.