The annual elections for the TCDSU (Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union) sabbatical officers will start with the opening of nominations on January 20th, with the window being open until January 31st. Campaigning will then begin on February 17th with the results being announced ten days later on February 27th. During this ten-day window, a number of hustings will take place where the nominees will have a chance to defend their positions. Students will be able to ask questions directly to the nominees.
The sabbatical officers elected will then serve in the 2025/2026 academic year, holding seven positions: the SU President, the Education Officer, the Welfare and Equality Officer, the Communications and Marketing Officer, the Ents Officer, Oifigeach na Gaelige and the Editor of The University Times.
Any student is eligible to run and can campaign to be elected to any of the sabbatical offices while presenting a manifesto on what they intend to do if elected. The elections will be organised by the Electoral Commission (EC), which will announce the winner for each position. The voting is based on a single transferable vote system, meaning that students can rank the candidates according to their preference for each position, with the candidate with the most number one preferences winning the Office.
Speaking to The University Times, the Chair of the EC stated that: “As intimidating as running for a Sabbatical role might appear, the Electoral Commission & the Sabbatical Board are dedicated to making it as accessible and as enjoyable an experience as possible.”
In a comment to The University Times, TCDSU President Jenny Maguire advised nominees to: “Run as yourself, not who you think others want. As someone who has co-ran two successful sabbatical campaigns (Gabi Fullam, 2022, and my own!), I constantly came back to this thought. If you run 100% with your own expertise and conviction (as well as a team of people that love you for who you are) then if you win or lose, it meant the college just didn’t want that choice, not that that choice is bad!”
Furthermore, she recommended that students reach out to the current sabbatical officers, saying: “Be yourself, get onto Canva premium, read the rules and take time to love yourself – it’s hard, come and talk to the sabbatical team who will be happy to support you <3”.
Echoing Maguire’s advice, the EC Chair encouraged students to get involved saying: “We’ve seen amazing engagement with Union this year, and we hope to see that continue through into the TCDSU-AMLCT leadership race. If you have a vision for the future of your students’ union, run for a position”.
