2025 YL Elections!

• Nominations open on the 19th September
• Nominations close on the 26th September
• Hustings - dates to be confirmed
• Voting Opens on the 10th October
• Voting Closes on the 17th October
• Results announced on the 18th October (TBC)

The new Federal Exec will be invited to a handover meeting at LDHQ in London on October 25^th – more details will be sent to the winning candidates.

In order to submit your nomination, please email elections@youngliberals.uk with your name, date of birth, membership number, position(s) you are standing for and a A4 regular and A4 plain text manifesto (both PDFS).

If elected, you'll need to commit a couple of hours per month for Exec or committee meetings. These will usually take place in the evening or on weekends.

Some roles involve chairing a YL Committee, or sitting on a Federal Committee, which will mean a few more hours per month.

Some Committees may meet multiple times per month, though this will depend on the committee's workload, and may vary.

Honourary Officers may spend less time on YL work, but are able to attend Exec meetings and may be invited to attend committee meetings.

• The Federal Executive:
  • Chair: leading the YL Executive, setting our main objectives and chairing meetings, as well as representing YL to the wider party.
  • Secretary: taking minutes of Exec meetings, helping committee chairs run them effectively and keeping key documents updated.
  • Fundraising Officer: responsible for leading activities to raise money for YL, including for specific projects like Access Funds for Conference or Young and Winning.
  • Communications Officer: promoting YL's policies, values and work to members and the wider public through emails, social media and the annual freshers campaign.
  • Elections Officer: helping organise action days, supporting candidates and developing our strategy for getting YL members elected.
  • Membership Development Officer: organise training for members and work on New Members Days to help people get the best out of YL.
  • Events Officer: organise Conference, co-ordinating our presence at Federal Conference and helping Events Committee hold other events throughout the year.
  • Policy Officer: represent YL at the party's Federal Policy Committee, help members submit motions for YL Conference and Federal Conference and train members in policy.
  • International Officer: work with sister parties around the world, including through partner organisations and by managing our presence at international events.
  • Accessibility, Diversity and Standards Officer: work with the Safeguarding Team and Events Officer to make YL safe and accessible, and chair our Diversity Committee to promote diversity throughout YL.
  • Racial Equity, Diversity and Liberation Officer: work with Diversity Committee and the ADS Officer to make YL a more diverse place, in response to the party's review into ethnic minority representation.
  • Non-Portfolio Officer: supporting the Exec with project work and covering any vacant roles on the Exec where practical.
• Federal Committees
  • Communications & Campaigns (3 seats)
  • Policy (3 seats)
  • Events Committee (2 seats)
  • International Committee (4 seats)
  • Diversity Committee (9 community reps):
    • Women
    • Minority Ethnic Communities
    • Disabled
    • LGBA+
    • Trans
    • Carers
    • Care-Experienced
    • Under-18s
    • Social Mobility
• The State Executives of:
  • English Young Liberals
    • Chair
    • Vice-Chair for Elections & Campaigns
    • Vice-Chair for Membership Engagement
    • Policy & Regional Engagement Officer
    • Events Representative
    • English Council Representative (6 seats)
    • Regional Chairs (11 seats):
      • Devon & Cornwall
      • East Midlands
      • East of England
      • London
      • North East
      • North West
      • South East
      • South Central
      • Western Counties
      • West Midlands
      • Yorkshire and Humber
  • Scottish Young Liberals:
    • Chair,
    • Vice-Chair
    • Treasurer
    • Campaigns Officer
    • Comms Officer
    • Policy Officer
    • Accessibility, Diversity and Enfranchisement Officer
  • Welsh Young Liberals
    • Chair
    • Vice-Chair
    • Comms Officer
    • Campaigns Officer
    • Policy Officer
    • Non-Portfolio Officer
• Young Liberals Reps to Federal Council (3 seats)
• the role of Honourary President of the Young Liberals
• the role of Honourary Vice-President of the Young Liberals (3 roles)
  • the three highest placed candidates will serve a two-year term, and the remaining one will serve a one-year term.
  • Honourary Officers support and advise the Executive on a variety of matters, and help to foster positive relationships across the Lib Dems.

Guidelines
Candidates shall conduct their campaigns in a manner respectful of other candidates, of members and of the law.
a. No candidate may incur, or directly or indirectly authorise or cause to be incurred, any further expenses on campaigning at any time before or after the close of nominations. Candidates may make use of free social media.
b. Candidates must not engage in treating.
c. Candidates who hold such information must not make use of membership lists or similar non-public information in order to promote their campaigns.
d. No material published or circulated by or on behalf of a candidate may defame explicitly or implicitly any other candidate or member, and no candidate may so defame any other candidate in the course of personal canvassing.
e. Any candidate with access to information, communication channels, or access to organisation resources must not make use of these as part of their campaign. This shall include a prohibition on using organisational email addresses or digital workspaces in order to plan or conduct campaign activity.
f. Campaigning may only occur from the opening of nominations until the close of voting.

Campaigning on YL Social Media

Young Liberals Forum Guidelines
Every year, to avoid a sea of election posts, there's a limit on the number of posts you can make promoting yourself in the YL elections.
Over the election period you can post:

• 1 post to announce you're running (per position)
• 3 other election related posts that you can use at any point throughout the campaign per position

Each pair of candidates running for a job-share share the limits above (i.e., you get 4 posts between you).
You can still post stuff unrelated to the elections without it counting towards the limits above.
As a reminder - normal forum rules apply (keep it respectful and positive!), and if you have any questions, please contact the mod team!
(PS: we're aware some candidates won't have Facebook but would still like someone to make their 4 posts on their behalf - that's ok! Please just get the candidate to email tom.hughes@libdems.org.uk and ulysse.abbate@youngliberals.uk, letting us know who they'd like to post on their behalf before the first post goes live)

WhatsApp Guidance:
No campaigning can take place on the YL WhatsApp.

Complaints:

• Any member may lodge, in writing, a formal complaint of infringement of election and co-option regulations upon becoming aware of such infringement.

a. The complaint should be addressed to the Returning Officer Elections@youngliberals.uk and should specify the nature of the infringement and must be received before the expiration of 21 days after the declaration.
b. The Returning Officer shall decide whether there is sufficient evidence to uphold the complaint but shall not do so without offering any candidate concerned the right to make representations.
c. The Returning Officer shall have the power to disqualify before or after the declaration of the result any candidate who is found to be in breach of these regulations.
d. Appeals against the decision of the Returning Officer should be directed to an Appeals Panel in accordance with the Appeals Regulations.