Frequently Asked questions

When will nominations for the election open and close?

Nominations for the WSMS 2024 General Election will open at 20/SEP/2024 at 9:00am AEST.

Nominations will close on 30/SEP/2024. 
 

How many roles can I nominate for?

All students can nominate themselves for up to 3 unique roles this election. However, you can only hold a maximum of 2 roles within the Western Sydney Medical Society at any given time, and cannot hold multiple roles within one Special Interest Group.

If you are running for the WSMS Executive, please note that you cannot simultaneously hold any other roles concurrently.

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What roles am I eligible to apply for?

For the purposes of this election, please use the year group you will be in 2025 to assess your suitability. 

• Current Year 1 students (Year 2 in 2025) will be eligible to apply for Pre-clinical roles.

• Current Year 2, 3 and 4 students (Heading into Year 3, 4 and 5 respectively in 2026) will be eligible to apply for Clinical roles.

• Current Year 5 students (Graduating in 2025) will not be able to apply for roles, but can vote in the General Election.

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Some roles are restricted so that only certain groups can apply (e.g. Year Representatives, Clinical vs. Pre-clinical roles). Specific criteria may apply to ensure the suitability of candidates in managing the responsibilities that come with that role.

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Other roles may have recommended applicant profiles. Even if you do not match the recommended applicant profile, please do not be deterred from applying as you will have the opportunity to receive a handover from the previous role-holder to help you adjust to your new role.

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How do I get Returning Officer Approval?

Returning Officer approval comes from me! Within 72 hours of receiving all other necessary approvals, I will review your eligibility for the role you have applied for and provide you with the final approval to head to the voting stage.

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What if there is no Past Holder, or I can't get in touch with them?

If you can't reach out to the person who is currently holding the role you wish to apply for because they are unavailable or do not exist, don't worry! Please let me know via emailing it@wsms.org.au, and we can either assist you in getting in touch with the past holder or simply override their approval and send you straight to the voting stage.

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How do I withdraw from the election?

If at any stage you wish to withdraw from a particular election, please let me know and I will remove you from the ballot. In the event that voting has not yet commenced, I can withhold Returning Officer Approval, which means your name will not appear in the voting stage for this particular role.

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When will election results come out?

Once voting closes, we will be reaching out to individuals who received the highest number of votes in each election to offer them the position privately. If they accept different positions, or otherwise decline the position, the offer will be made to the candidate with the next highest number of votes. 

This process may take around one week, and an announcement will be made on the WSMS Facebook Page around Mid-October once all positions have been sorted out. Please note that the number of Subcommittee positions available often vary from year-to-year depending on the relevant Director's needs, and Subcomm results may be delayed until the incoming Director has been appointed.

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Are my votes anonymous?

Yes! Nobody, including the Returning Officer, has access to your unique automatically-generated link, and you are the only person who can see who you have voted for.

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What if the role I'm interested in is not up for election?

Please feel free to reach out to myself either via email, text or social media if there is a particular role you are interested in that is not available on the Elections website. If there is a need to fill that role, we'd love to put it into the election!

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When will the next Election be?

Our next scheduled election is in March 2025. At this stage, the following roles will be available: 

• First Year Representative (WSMS & most Special Interest Groups)

• Pre-Clinical Representatives (some Special Interest Groups)

• Subcommittee Roles

• Unfilled Roles from the 2024 General Election