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Sabbatical Officer Elections 2026: Frequently Asked Questions

 


All students at the University of Wolverhampton can run for any of our Sabbatical Officer roles! So whether you are a part-time or full time student, apprentice, UG, PG or PGR/PGT or a home or international student, we have a role for you. The one condition: you cannot have completed your studies by the time our elections close. Not sure if you qualify? drop us a message on studentvoice.wolvesunion@wlv.ac.uk.
If you’re in your first or second year and you win a full-time SU role, you can pause your studies for a year and return after your term ends. It’s fully supported by the University — your place on the course will be waiting for you. Your official start date would be around 1st July, giving you time to finish your studies before starting your new role.
International students can absolutely stand in the elections! If you win a full-time position, you can extend your visa to cover your employment period. Just speak to the International Office early so your paperwork is ready in time.
Did you know these are paid full-time jobs? The salary is around £23,500 per year, plus incredible leadership experience. You’ll develop real-world skills that look amazing on your CV — and make a real difference for students.
No, this is not allowed. You can only stand for one position in the Make your Mark Election. Choose the role that best suits you, your experiences, and what you feel you can deliver, and create a campaign to get elected for that role. Students are more likely to be receptive if you have a coherent message and campaign for one role, rather than many.
Your manifesto is basically your campaign promise — what you’d do for students if elected. Keep it clear, realistic, and focused on student priorities — think about issues like housing, support, or campus life
Your campaign is how you share your ideas with students. You can use posters, social media, class visits, and creative videos. It’s all about engaging students respectfully and having fun while spreading your message, and make sure you are following all of our election rules!
When you win, you don’t just represent students — you become a charity trustee for the Students’ Union. And if you’re the SU President or VP Academic, you’ll also be a University Governor — meaning you’ll help shape decisions at the very top level of the University. It’s an incredible opportunity for leadership, influence, and career growth.
Wolves Students’ Union uses Single Transferable Vote (STV) for multi-winner elections and Alternative Vote (ATV) in single-winner elections. These are representation systems in which a person’s vote can be transferred to a second, third, fourth choice and so on (according to their stated preference) if their first choice is eliminated during the vote count.

If you want to understand more, have a look at Southampton’s explainer video for a STV election. The most important aspect of STV is that a voter ranks candidates in order of their preference so if you speak to a student who has already decided not to vote for you, convince them to make you their second choice – it could make all the difference when determining the result.

If you do not think any candidates running for a position in the election are suitable, you can express this by voting for RON (Re-open Nominations).

Do you have a question we haven't answered? Drop us a message by emailing studentvoice.wolvesunion@wlv.ac.uk. 

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