There are just 11 days left to get your nominations in for the candidates you’d like to see elected to party committees.
If you need a reminder of which roles are up for election, here it is:
Top of the bill is Federal President, to take over from Sal Brinton on 1 January and serve for 2020, 2021 and 2022. This is a major role chairing the party’s Federal Board, protecting and representing members, and acting as guardian of the party’s interests. Hustings will be held throughout the country during the two-month campaign, and candidates may raise and spend £20,000 campaigning for the job.
The party’s senior Federal Committees for the next three years are also up for re-election: Federal Board members (15); Federal Policy Committee members (15); Federal Conference Committee members (12); and Federal International Relations Committee members (6).
These elections will run concurrently with the Presidential election. There are no hustings or campaign budgets for committee places, but candidates are entitled to submit a short manifesto which will be posted on the election pages of the party website and on a ‘click-through’ when members cast their votes.
Members in England, Scotland and Wales will each also elect one State Representative to the Federal Board.
We are also electing our delegation to our European party’s ALDE (Alliance of Liberal Democrats in Europe) Council (6 representatives – including one from each state and one under age 26). It’s also worth noting that if there is a General Election in the near future, then our delegation may well increase in size – so we will likely need more than just 6 candidates!
Members in Scotland will also be electing the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ party committees for 2020 on a broadly concurrent timetable and using the same online voting platform.
Members in Wales will be electing the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ party committees this autumn, but their own rules may mean a slightly different timetable and they will be using the same online voting platform.
You can find out more about all of these roles, the process, rules and of course, how to get nominated here: www.libdems.org.uk/internal-elections
This year, we are also trialling online nominations.
To nominate someone online, you’ll need your Unique Nomination Code, which can be requested here: www.libdems.org.uk/nomination-form
Once you have it, you’ll be sent a link to a form where you can nominate as many candidates as you like (with their consent of course!). We hope that this will make it easier than ever before for candidates who can’t make it to conference to get nominated.
Nominations close at 5pm on Monday 30th September – so if you do want to stand, you’d better start gathering signatures soon.
Members will start to receive ballots by email (except for those without email addresses, who will receive a postal vote) on the 28th October and the results in all of the elections are expected on the 19th November.
If you’re planning to stand in this round of elections, then I wish you the best of luck.
If you aren’t, then I hope you are able to attend one of the Presidential election hustings and to cast your vote for, what I am certain will be a fantastic slate of candidates.