UMSU International Byelection October 2026
UMSU International — Notice of Election
Polling October 7–8, 2026
Notice is hearby given for a Byelection to fill the vacancies for President, Education Director and Media and Marketing Director that have arisen in the UMSU International Committee.
The byelection will take place online over the 7th and 8th October 2026. 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 Sunday September 27, 2026 and close at 5pm (Melbourne time) on Thursday 1st October. This deadline is strict and cannot be extended; candidates are encouraged to submit their nominations well in advance.
Stephen Luntz
Returning Officer
Above Quota Elections Pty Ltd
Provisional Declaration
President
| Satvik Gulati |
317 |
324 |
| Xing Ying Denise Lim |
69 |
|
| Raiesa Khutel |
95 |
101 |
| Jhanvi Raghav |
86 |
90 |
| Declan Benedictus Lee |
108 |
122 |
Satvik Gulat declared provisionally elected
| Sakshi Sharma |
307 |
| Dhanvi Sharma |
232 |
Sakshi Sharma declared provisionally elected
An appeal has been received against the election of Satvik Gulati and Sakshi Sharma. The Electoral Tribunal are trying to find a time to meet to hear it.
No appeal has been received in relation to Media and Marketing Director. Consequently Anshika Batra is declared elected unopposed.
Stephen Luntz
Returning Officer
13/10/2026
Nominations & registered campaigners
Campaign Bans
Satvik Gulati and campaigners until further information is provided to the Returning Officer regarding breachers by one of his registered campaigners.
Cody Luo Yue Xin (Campaginer for Declan 11am-2pm Thursday, or until the Returning Officer is provided with information regarding apparent campaigning from a non-registered campaigner on behalf of Declan)
All campaigners for Jhanvi Raghav, other than Jhanvi herself for breaches committed by one of her campaigners.
Election timetable
- Thursday 24th September — formal notice given
- Sunday 27th September — nominations open
- Tuesday 29th September — a provisional list of nominations will be published (48 hrs before close of nominations)
- 5pm, Thursday 1st October — close of nominations
- 10am, Wednesday 7th October — voting opens
- 5pm, Thursday 8th October — voting closes
All times are Melbourne time.
Positions to be elected
- President
- Education Director
- Media & Marketing Director
Information for candidates
Eligibility
Generally, all international students are eligible to run.
The following specific rules apply:
- To be eligible, you must be able to complete your full term within the duration of your courseIf 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.
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 sets out the duties and powers of elected representatives.
Contact the Returning Officer
General inquiries: returningofficer@union.unimelb.edu.au.
Details for specific officials:
September 24, 2026