Spring Elections 2023: How to Write a Manifesto
Wednesday 08-02-2023 - 09:23
Every candidate who nominates themselves is expected to submit what we call a manifesto. This is simply a statement of intent – a list of issues or ideas that you will prioritise if elected.
All voters will be able to see and read the manifestos of all of the candidates to help them decide who to choose to vote for so it is important that your manifesto captures your intentions for the role.
DOs
DO spend some time researching what students care about before writing your manifesto – speak to students (not just your friends) about their experience at Chester, and look for reports and resources that may have been written about the student experience (National Student Survey data is publicly available).
DO write your manifesto in a clear and concise way. Avoid talking in abstract terms about what you want to achieve, voters prefer you to be specific!
- Bad example: “I will change things for the better for all students.”
- Good example: “I will lobby the University to install a water fountain in X building.”
DO make sure your promises are achievable and realistic. Ideally, they’d be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Remember if you’re elected you will be expected to deliver on these promises!
DO submit it on time: all manifestos must be submitted by 24th February at 12 mid-day. You won’t be able to submit after this deadline, so leave yourself a few hours to submit in case of any problems.
DO save a copy of your manifesto onto your computer and/or phone so it's easily accessible later on.
DO refer back to your manifesto in your pitch to students during voting week, and candidates' question time. You might want to create a 1-minute ‘elevator pitch’ style version of your manifesto you can verbally offer to students.
DONTs
DON’T just focus on one group of students – remember the whole student body has a vote and our voting system benefits candidates who gain the most amount of second and third preference votes as well first.
DON’T use lots of jargon or acronyms.
DON’T exceed the limit of 500 words.
DON’T speak about any other candidates and keep it positive!
DON’T use lots of fancy formatting, we recommend using numbered or bullet-pointed lists. Voters will be reading lots of manifestos so you need to keep their attention.
