Potential candidates are asked to note the Election Regulations, part of the Regulations of the RCPCH (see full Regulations of the RCPCH on our Governance page) and in particular the injunction against canvassing. Canvassing is prohibited to prevent candidates having to pay personally for travel costs or the printing of additional material. The prohibition is also intended to ensure that all candidates, whatever their current role in the College, have an equal opportunity to present their manifestos to the electorate at the appropriate time.
While the broad intention is clear, it is difficult to define what constitutes canvassing, and so this note is being issued in advance so that no candidates are disadvantaged.
The following actions are prohibited:
- Sending out any material (by post or email or personal website or social media account) directly promoting the sender’s candidacy, other than the statement described in section 15.1 of the Election Regulations.
- Sending out any material of any sort directly promoting the candidacy of a third party.
- The systematic telephoning or emailing of individual members using College lists.
- Use of College resources to promote a candidacy, other than allowed for in section 15.3 of the Election Regulations.
Candidates breaching any of the above restrictions are at risk of action under section 20.1 of the Election Regulations.
Rob Okunnu
Chief Executive Officer
The relevant sections of the Election Regulations are reproduced below:
- 15.1 Candidates for posts may be asked to accompany their nominations with a statement or supporting documentation to assist electors in making their choice. The nature of the supporting documentation required for any post will be decided by the Registrar or the Treasurer (in the case of the election of the Registrar) and will be made clear in the Call for Nominations.
- 15.3 Candidates or proposers are forbidden to send to electors any circulars or additional information over and above that specified in the Call for Nominations.
- 20.1 In the event of a breach of these regulations by any candidate, or if it is found that a candidate is ineligible to stand, or if it is found that a candidate has intimidated voters or offered voters any improper inducement or attempted to falsify the results of the election or behaved in a manner that is otherwise prejudicial to a fair electoral process, the Returning Officer may, after consultation with the Registrar or the Treasurer (in the case of election of the Registrar), either warn the candidate as to his or her conduct or disqualify the candidate from standing in that election. Disqualification on any grounds shall be subject to appeal, as set out in these regulations; all such appeals will be heard at the earliest possible date.