Following the statement made on 3rd March, we would like to provide an important update regarding the Salford SU President election.
During the election a complaint was received concerning a candidate running for the position of President. After a thorough review, the Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) determined that a candidate had breached election rules, leading to their disqualification from the election.
In accordance with our bye-laws, the candidate exercised their right to appeal this decision to NUS, our independent Returning Officer (RO). After a careful review of the case, the appeal was considered, and the original decision was upheld.
Subsequently, a candidate in the election requested that the University Secretary conduct an independent review of the election process, as outlined in our Elections Bye-Law and in accordance with the 1994 Education Act. This review was carried out and concluded on Monday the 24th of March 2025. The findings confirmed that the University considers the conduct of the election to be fair and valid election was conducted in a fair and proper manner and that the election process for 2025 is not required to be repeated (i.e., not ‘re-run’).
With this process now complete, we can confirm that the result for the position of President will be announced later today.
We recognise that this process has taken longer than anticipated, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and engagement throughout. We also want to express our gratitude to everyone who took part in this election—whether as a candidate, or as a voter. Your engagement is vital in shaping student democracy at Salford SU.
As we bring this election to a close, we want to take this opportunity to reaffirm the importance of maintaining dignity and integrity in all aspects of our community. Elections are important, but treating each other with kindness and respect is more important. This ensures that we can uphold the values that make our Union a welcoming and supportive space for all students.
This marks the conclusion of the Salford SU Elections 2025. We understand that many students might have questions regarding the election and we have included an Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below. For any further queries regarding this election please contact su-elections@salford.ac.uk.
We look forward to working with the newly elected officer team as they prepare to take up their roles in the next academic year.
Ed Moloney and Zaki Kaf Al-Ghazal
Deputy Returning Officers
su-elections@salford.ac.uk
FAQs
- Who is the Returning Officer (RO) and Deputy Returning Officer (DRO)? And what do they do?
The Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officers are responsible for the conduct of the election. They must be fair and impartial. Their role includes:
- Overseeing fair elections
- Ruling on complaints and disputes
- Makes decisions on election-related matters, including disqualification (if required).
For Salford, the RO is a member of staff at the National Union of Students (NUS). NUS provides this role for more than 100 students' unions across the country. The DROs are two Salford SU members of staff. They deal with the general administration of the election at the local level. You can find out more about the RO and DRO roles in our election bye-law.
- What is the university's role in this?
The University and the Students' Union are separate organisations. While the SU's Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the conduct of the SU elections, the University of Salford also has responsibility under the 1994 Education Act to ensure that the elections are "fairly and properly conducted".
- What are the election rules?
All candidates must abide by UK law. Election rules are laid out in the organisation’s election Bye-Laws. To summarise, unacceptable behaviours include:
- Bribery of voters or officials.
- Threats or harassment of candidates or voters.
- Tampering with votes or election documents.
- Preventing confidential voting or improper use of electronic devices.
- Any serious misconduct that affects election integrity.
- How are complaints handled?
Complaints are first handled by the Deputy Returning Officers (see above). They may choose to appoint other SU staff members to investigate the complaint, or choose to deal with it themselves. Any appeals are dealt with by the Returning Officer.
- How many complaints were there in the 2025 elections? How many were upheld?
There were 18 separate complaints in the 2025 elections. Two were upheld
- Can the SU comment on individual candidates, individual complaints, or appeals?
Salford SU cannot comment on individual candidates, investigations, or appeals, due to confidentiality, and neither can the NUS or the University. We would like to request that students avoid spreading speculation, misinformation or rumours about any complaints, appeals or investigations.
- Why can the President election now be announced? What has happened between the elections closing and now?
Since the close of the voting period a complaint was made against a candidate standing for President. A decision was made by the Deputy Returning Officers (DROs) to disqualify that candidate, given the severity of the complaint, and the evidence provided. The candidate appealed the decision to the Returning Officer (NUS), and NUS have upheld the original decision of the DROs, meaning that the appeal failed. A candidate requested that the University review the election, to ensure that the it was fairly and properly conducted, and the University has now completed that process, allowing the result to be announced.
- Who should I contact if I have any further questions or queries?
You can contact the DROs, Ed Moloney and Zaki Kaf Al-Ghazal, on su-elections@salford.ac.uk.