How Students' Union Elections and By-Elections Work at UCalgary

The Students' Union (SU) at the University of Calgary runs elections and by-elections under a public-notice model: the SU posts a formal Notice of Election, opens a defined nomination window, holds voting, and then publishes results on su.ucalgary.ca. By-elections are used to fill specific faculty or office seats outside the main election cycle. If you want to run, vote, or simply track the process, the site's Elections and News sections are the authoritative starting point.

The election cycle at a glance

The SU follows a repeating sequence for both general elections and by-elections:

1. Notice of Election — announces which offices are open and the key dates.
2. Nomination Days — a fixed window when candidates submit nominations.
3. Voting — the period when undergraduate students cast ballots.
4. Results announced — outcomes are published publicly, typically as a news post.

The 2026 by-election shows this pattern in practice. A Notice of Election was posted on September 24, 2026, stating that an election would be held to fill offices including Faculty of… positions. Nomination Days were set for Tuesday, September 22 and Wednesday, September 23, 2026, per the Notice of Nomination posted September 8, 2026. Results were announced on October 8, 2026.

What a by-election is for

A by-election fills seats that are vacant or that become open between general elections — for example, a specific faculty representative position. It is not a full renewal of all SU offices. The Notice of Election is the document that tells you exactly which offices are in play, so read it before deciding whether to nominate.

Key dates and where to find them

Because dates change each cycle, treat the posted notice as the source of truth rather than any calendar you remember from a previous year. The 2026 by-election, for instance, placed nominations in late September and results in early October — a compressed timeline that differs from a general election.

How to participate

If you want to run

• Watch for the Notice of Election to confirm which offices are open and whether one matches your faculty.
• Prepare your nomination before Nomination Days; the window is short (two days in the 2026 by-election).
• Submit according to the instructions in the Notice of Nomination, then follow any campaign rules the SU publishes.

If you want to vote

• Check the election notice for the voting period and eligibility details.
• Cast your ballot during the stated window; results are published afterward on the site.

If you just want to follow along

The News section carries results announcements and related advocacy updates — for example, SU statements on AI policy and on proposed 2027–28 tuition and fee increases appear alongside election news.

Common sticking points

• Missing the nomination window. Nomination Days are brief and fixed; there is no indication of late acceptance, so plan ahead.
• Assuming a by-election covers everything. It fills only the offices named in the notice.
• Relying on old dates. Each cycle issues a fresh notice; confirm against the current posting.
• Confusing news posts with official notices. Results and advocacy stories are news; the Notice of Election and Notice of Nomination are the procedural documents.

What the SU is

The Students' Union is described on the site as one of the leading undergraduate student associations in Canada. Its site combines election administration, advocacy news, and job postings (such as Manager, Student Services) in one place, which is why election material sits alongside press releases and hiring notices.

For the current cycle, start at the Elections section of su.ucalgary.ca and read the most recent Notice of Election before acting on any date.