WHAT’S A MANIFESTO? AND HOW TO WRITE ONE
HUDDERSFIELD.SU/ELECTIONS #HUDELECTIONS
WHAT’S A MANIFESTO? A manifesto is what you run your election on. It explains a bit about who you are and what you want to do. Considering that you’re running in the SU Elections, there’s probably some kind of reason you’re going through this whole process that goes beyond just getting a graduate job.
HOW DO I WRITE ONE? Sit with a piece of paper and a pen, and think about why you’re running – what has your time at University been like? What would you change if you had the chance?
talk to your housemates, friends or course mates! They’ll have some things that they wish could be improved. Remember, you can always talk to the existing Officer! Obviously make sure your points are reasonable. Don’t make ridiculous promises that you know you can’t keep. Make sure they’re relevant. Ideally, you’ll have some kind of way of measuring the outcome of that manifesto point.
Now it’s time to write it up. It’s not War and Peace, so keep it brief. In the Officer elections, there are 5 positions. Say that 5 people run for each position – that’s 25 manifestos each voter would need to read! So remember – no one is going to hear about your great ideas if they can’t get past the first line.
Try to come up with three big things. If you’re struggling to think of ideas,
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WHAT’ SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
opportunity to upload a picture. However, remember that the picture of you that the Students’ Union takes will be up there, so there is no need for you to worry about submitting a photo.
The way you lay out your manifesto can make it way easier for the voter to understand what you’re communicating.
Remember: bullet points are useful and the bold tool is your friend when it comes to highlighting key points - but don‘t overdo it.
It’s suggested that you keep the bit about yourself to just a few lines – maybe what you study, why you’re running, and why you’d be a good Officer. Give each section of your manifesto a heading. This means the voter can get an idea of what you care about without delving into the ins and outs of your policies. Now, when you submit your manifesto online it’s quite restrictive about what you can submit. There’s no HTML function and there is not the
Writing a manifesto can be easy. Get your ideas, make sure you can explain them simply and clearly. Keep it brief, and make sure it’s easy to read.
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GO FOR GOVUS FOR FAKE SU PRESIDENT! Hey! My name's Freya and I'm a first year Democracy and Campaigns Coordinator at the SU. I have a load of experience that would make me a great fake SU Pres. I've previously run campaigns about the living wage, removing the stigma around mental health, and I've actually been an officer for 2 years already! Here's some info about what I'd do as your fake SU Pres.
More pizza for everyone • Over Freshers we get loads of pizza, sure. But pizza is for life, not just Freshers! • We should try different kinds of pizza - there's so much pizza out there, why not try it?
More fun stuff • Campus could be way more fun! We should get a slide down the spiral stairs in Student Central • If elected, I would change all the office furniture into inflatable furniture!
EXAMPLE MANIFESTO Here’s one that we made earlier, but how would you improve it?
Greggs and Pret
If you’ve read this and you’re still not sure what to do, get in touch with Freya our Elections Coordinator who is full time and here to help all candidates run a smooth election.
• There's no doubt that the demand for cheap pasties isn't being met on campus. I'd get a Greggs on campus. • There's no denying that Pret a Manger is the best chain coffee shop - goodbye Starbucks!
Freya Govus f.govus@hud.ac.uk 01484 471464
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