User:Alextheconservative/OU elections in the 2023-4 Academic Year

Electoral system
The method for electing positions is determined by Standing Order D4 of the Rules, Standing Orders, and Special Schedules of the Oxford Union Society. 11 positions are elected for Secretary's Committee, 6 positions are elected for Standing Committee, and 1 position is elected for each of the Officer positions. For the Officer positions, the option to "re-open nominations" is available for voters alongside validly nominated candidates. The election uses a form of single transferable vote for all positions, with a randomised ballot order.

Counts work as follows:
 * 1) The quota is calculated using the following formula, where v is the number of valid votes and s is the number of positions to be filled, rounded down to 2 decimal places: $v⁄s + 1 + 0.01$
 * 2) Each ballot paper is given a value of 1, and first preferences are distributed
 * 3) If one or more candidates are over quota, the candidate with the most votes is declared elected (only 1 candidate may be elected in each round) and their surplus is redistributed (see below)
 * 4) If no candidates meet quota, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed (see below)
 * 5) If no candidates meet quota, but the number of remaining candidates is equal to the number of positions to be elected, then all remaining candidates are declared elected
 * 6) If no candidates meet quota, but the elimination of a candidate would lead to the number of remaining candidates plus elected candidates being equal to the number of positions to be filled (for example, if 3 candidates are left for Standing Committee (none meeting quota), and 4 other candidates have already been declared elected), then all candidates save the one with the lowest number of votes are declared elected

Transferring:


 * 1) If a candidate is over quota, the surplus is calculated using the following formula: $Votes received by the Elected Candidate - Quota$
 * 2) Each ballot is then transferred at the value given by the following formula, rounded down to 3 decimal places: $Current vote value × Surplus⁄Total value of votes received by the candidate$
 * 3) If a candidate is eliminated, their votes are redistributed at their current value

Important note
The "party" parameter in these templates is used for colleges - unfortunately, no method exists to change it to college. Names are as listed on ballot papers.

Trinity Term 2024
The Returning Officers for this election were Adam Turner (St Cross College) from the opening of poll until circa 20:18, and Abigail Bacon (Brasenose College) from circa 22:50 until the completion of the count. Stanislas Lalanne (Merton College) was the Acting Returning Officer during the interim.

Hilary Term 2024
The Returning Officer for this election was Kit Newbold (St Edmund Hall).

Tribunal re-interpretation
A tribunal was convened to rule on disputed ballots. Under Standing Order D5(d), an election tribunal has the power to re-interpret ballots. In this tribunal, they ruled that 3 ballots initially declared as spoiled were, in fact, valid preferences for a candidate.

(Overturned) Tribunal-ordered re-count
Two candidates in this election were deemed disqualified by a tribunal. As such, the re-count took place according to the provisions under Rule 33(e)(vi). This meant all preferences for the disqualified candidates were ignored (i.e. if a vote had preferenced a disqualified candidate first and re-open nominations second, this would be deemed a vote for re-open nominations). A further Appellate Board ruled that the re-interpretation would stand, rather than this re-count.

Michaelmas Term 2023
The Returning Officer for this election was Kit Newbold (St Edmund Hall).

Tribunal-ordered re-count
A candidate in this election was deemed disqualified by a tribunal. As such, the re-count took place according to the provisions under Rule 33(e)(vi). This meant all preferences for the disqualified candidate were ignored (i.e. if a vote had preferenced the disqualified candidate first and re-open nominations second, this would be deemed a vote for re-open nominations). An appellate board later declared the office of President-Elect vacant for the duration of Hilary Term 2024.