By Ruby Smith
It is officially the most exciting time of year for politically engaged ANU students: ANUSA elections. Run by students, for students, the ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA) offers services such as legal advice, financial assistance, and academic support.
ANUSA annual elections decide which students hold its leadership positions, including President, Vice-President, General Representatives, and more. These roles function similarly to other student representative bodies on campus, such as residential hall student bodies. Elected ANUSA members represent the voices of the students. Different elected members provide distinct, specialised functions to the governance and administration of the association.
This year, polling will take place in Week 9, between 6 October to 9 October. All students will be sent an email with a link to the online voting site, QR codes will be accessible across campus, and an in-person voting option will be available in Kambri.
Two systems of voting will be utilised depending on the position being voted. For executive positions, voters will rank individual candidates, needing to specify at least their first preference. and numbering from there as they please.Executive positions include: President, Vice-President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Education Officer, Welfare Officer, Clubs Officer, Undergraduate Coursework Officer, Postgraduate Coursework Officer, and HDR Officer.
Comparatively, for all non-executive positions including: General Representatives, College Representatives, Department Officers, NUS (National Union of Students) Delegates, and University Council members, voters will be able to choose between voting above the line or below the line.
Voting above the line will involve ranking tickets as a whole. Voting below the line will involve ranking specific candidates.
Candidates may not be present when students vote, and cannot tell a student who to vote for.
Since its conception in 1960, ANUSA elections have been a prominent part of university life at the ANU, often fraught with common ‘stupol’ tension. During the earlier stages of ANUSA, most winning tickets were backed by a major political group, such as Labor Right or the Greens. In 1996, an incident coined as ‘Wadgate’ by Woroni, involved a student allegedly being seen stuffing 146 additional ballot papers into a ballot box, all with preferences towards the ‘Rage!’ ticket.
This event altered the common theme of the election of ticket-backed executives, as students turned toward voting for independent candidates in subsequent years. Trends between voting for independent candidates and ticket-backed candidates have oscillated since this point, dependent on various factors, including general shifts in campus culture alongside political and structural changes within the governance of ANUSA.
Notably, earlier this year, 2026 Welfare Officer Leila Clarke proposed changing the below-the-line voting system for the executive to an above-the-line system, citing a need for greater student engagement in annual elections. Those against Clarke’s motion argued that it would increase partisan trends within ANUSA, and disadvantage independent candidates.
Observer will be following along with the 2026 ANUSA elections.
Happy voting!
Graphics by Nur Asiyah
Know something we don’t know? Email news@anuobserver.org or use our anonymous tip submission.
If you have an issue with this article, or a correction to make, you can contact us at news@anuobserver.org, submit a formal dispute, or angry react the Facebook post.
If you don’t have an issue with this article and want to hear more from us, we’re in the process of making a newsletter! Sign up here, and have the latest news delivered directly to you.
Want to get involved? You can write articles, photograph, livestream or do web support. We’re also looking for someone to yell “extra!” outside Davey Lodge at 1AM. Apply today!
