Election Period Advice for UAL Students

As we approach the election period, it is crucial to remember our roles within UAL and the wider community.

Register to vote

We encourage all students and staff who are eligible to register to vote. The deadline to register to vote is on Tuesday 18 June.

If you’re unable to vote in person, you can apply for a postal vote. The deadline to submit your application for postal vote is Wednesday 19 June.

You can also see the SU page on Voting in Local and National Elections.

Guidance for us as a university 

In line with the guidance from the Charity Commission and Universities UK, we’ve summarised key guidelines to observe during the pre-election and election period.

These guidelines ensure that as a charity we all maintain our neutrality without endorsing any party or politician. Personal political campaigning is your right if it is done in a personal capacity.

As a university, we can:

• Support and encourage eligible students and staff to participate in the democratic process.
• Continue to advocate for our existing and agreed policy positions without aligning with any political party, by focusing on the issues rather than comparing our views with those of political parties or candidates.
• Engage with the election process by hosting debates, discussing policies, and promoting research that informs public debate as long as equal and fair representation is given to all parties.
• Continue to support academic freedom.
• Use our unique position to contribute to policymaking and support sustainable creative industries.

However, we should also make sure that:

• Any use of UAL's resources or platforms does not imply endorsement of any political party or candidate
• Any UAL-related communications remain non-partisan and focused on policy rather than political support.
• UAL’s name isn't cited in a candidate’s manifesto or publicity materials
• None of our funds are donated to any individual party or candidate