EC Nominations Process

We have a nomination process: this means that you (a candidate) make an application to be a member of the EC, and it must be supported by another member (your nominator). You can also submit a statement and photo, which is recommended in case there is a ballot (postal vote).   

Please note that members from the Global Majority and Young Members can submit nominations for reserved EC seats as well as Regional EC seats, provided they are eligible, and as outlined on the EC Elections 2026 page. 

The nomination process is online via the link below. It is open from Monday 17 August 2026. The deadline for submission of nominations, statements and photos is Wednesday 09 September 2026 at 12 Midday.  

Interested? Here's what you need to do/check first..  

1.  Find out what it means to be an EC member - If this might be for you, view the eligibility criteria to make sure you can apply to be a candidate.  

2.  Arrange for another current member to support your application for the EC (agree to ‘nominate’ you) and share their membership number and email address with you. They will simply need to confirm (reply) by email when they hear from us after you have submitted the online nomination form.   

Eligibility also applies to your nominator: like you they must be a member of the region or community (Global Majority, Young Member) that nomination relates to.  

3.  If you want to check your membership information, log in to the MU website and click on “My MU”. Your membership number and join date are at the top, and your Region is displayed at the bottom of that page.   Other MU record details such as Ethnicity can be found in the Personal Details section - check these are correct if you wish to stand for a Reserved Seat.  

4.  Write a candidate statement! If more valid nominations than places are received, a ballot (postal vote) will be held with voting members receiving candidate statements and photos to help them choose who to vote for. You will be able to submit a short statement via an online link once you have submitted your online nomination form.   

If you have any access requirements or need assistance with this process, please contact email ec-elections@themu.org or phone your regional office.  

Nomination    

If you wish to stand as a candidate, completing the online nomination form is very simple.  

You will need to be logged in to access the form and then select which ballot you are submitting a nomination for.  There are three options: Your Region, Global Majority or Young Member.  

If you are submitting a nomination for more than one EC seat (e.g. London EC and Global Majority EC) you will need to complete a separate nomination for each.   

The form should autofill your MU membership number and your email address (which you should check is current). For Global Majority nominations you should also see whether your record currently includes ethnicity data which will be required for you to proceed with a nomination.  

You will then need to add in:  

• Your nominator’s MU membership number  
• Your nominator’s email address  

What happens next?  

On receipt of your online nomination, we will email your nominator for confirmation. Please be aware that your nominator will need to respond to this email to complete the nomination process.   

We will also need to check eligibility for you and your nominator i.e. that you are both members of the region or community (Global Majority, Young Member) the nomination relates to, on our systems.  

Once the checks are complete, we will email you to confirm your nomination.  

If we don’t hear back from your nominator, or if the eligibility checks raise an issue, we will contact you as soon as possible.  

If we are unable to confirm your nomination is valid due to a lack of subsequent response to our confirmation emails or an update to eligibility, your name will not be included.  

If you are concerned following submission of a nomination, or have any questions, you can email ec-elections@themu.org.

We will also provide you a link to enable you to submit a statement and photo if you wish. You can do this straight away, or later if you prefer. If you are standing for more than one EC seat you will need to submit a statement and photo for each (even if they are the same).  

Please note the nomination deadlines and additional information below. If you or your nominator don’t know your MU membership number or have any queries about this process, please email ec-elections@themu.org.

The EC election process is set by the EC each year – please note the details below.   

Nomination Deadlines  

The MU rules state that a valid nomination must be received on or before the deadline set by the EC which this year is Wednesday 09 September 2026 at 12 Midday.  

Ballot  

A ballot will be held between Monday 05 October 2026 and Monday 02 November 2026. These dates will be confirmed to the candidates prior to the ballot being held. If the number of nominations does not exceed the number of vacancies, it will not be necessary for a ballot to be held.  

The ballot will be of the relevant group of members e.g.  for a regional seat the members in that region.  

For Reserved EC seats, only the members of that community can vote. So, for example, only Global Majority Members can vote in a ballot for a Reserved EC Global Majority Seat.   

For a member to receive a ballot paper, the MU membership database will need to show that they are a member of that community on the date that data is extracted for the purpose of conducting a ballot and have given the MU consent to send them a ballot paper. For 2026 this will be on or after 28 September 2026.  

Please see this guidance on how update/check your information if you are a member of an underrepresented community.  

Ballot Results  

If a member is successful in more than ballot the process will work as follows:  

The Regional EC seat will take priority with the candidate taking that seat, and the Reserved seat will pass to the member that polled the next highest number of votes in that category.  

Ballot results received from the Independent Scrutineer are published on the MU website.  

Independent Scrutineer  

The Executive Committee has appointed PIN Communications, The Tannery, Water Street, Stockport, SK1 2BP as the Independent Scrutineer for the Executive Committee elections.  

Candidate statements   

You don't have to provide a statement or a photo, but if the seat you are applying for goes to a ballot you will likely be at a disadvantage if you don’t.  

Candidates may submit a statement of not more than 150 words for circulation with the ballot papers. This must be received via an online link no later than Wednesday 09 September 2026 at 12 Midday. This link will be sent to you following receipt of your nomination so please allow time to do this.   

Details:   

Candidate name: the exact text for your name as you wish it to appear on the ballot paper e.g. Jen Baker if you prefer that to Jennifer Baker  

Candidate Statement (max 150 words). The exact text of your statement as you wish it to appear on the ballot paper.   

Click here to for more information on what members might typically include in a statement.  

You are responsible for the content of your statement, and we will not make any changes, including where there might be grammar or spelling errors for instance. Please check it is written as you wish it to be printed.   

If your statement is over the word count and in the event that it is not possible to notify you and get an updated version, only the first 150 words will be printed.   

Photographs  

Candidates may also submit a photograph for inclusion with their statement when standing for EC. In order that photographs can be printed to the best possible standard, candidates are advised to:  

• submit their photograph in black and white only, as all photographs will be printed in monochrome;  
• email their photograph as an attachment in jpeg format;  
• ensure they are the only person in the photograph; and  
• send a head and shoulders photograph, as all photographs will be cropped to head and shoulders format.  

Campaigning  

You may wish to carry out some campaigning activities to improve your chances of success. There are no restrictions placed on how you carry out your campaign, but you should bear in mind that, as with your statement, you are solely legally responsible for your actions. Online campaigning can be an effective tool, however, members might find our advice helpful if they encounter problems with harassment or abuse online. As part of the MU rules, all MU members are committed “to oppose actively all forms of harassment, prejudice and unfair discrimination whether on the grounds of sex, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, colour, class, caring responsibilities, marital status, sexuality, disability, age, or other status or personal characteristic”.  

Where a ballot for EC, RC, or Advisory Boards is taking place, the statement provided by a candidate and distributed to members is the relevant document for members deciding who to vote for. Consideration of other content present on MU channels as part of ongoing operation, or of additional content distributed by candidates or third parties is entirely the decision of that individual member and beyond the control of the MU.