Meet the Full-Time (President) Advocacy Officer Candidates!
Click the candidate images below to read their Candidate Statement and learn about what they plan to do for you, if elected;
R.O.N or Re-Open Nominations will also appear as an option on the ballot paper. This option gives you additional choice in elections. More information on R.O.N is available in the FAQ's section at the bottom of this page.
Meet the Part-Time Advocacy Officer Candidates!
Click the candidate images below to read their Candidate Statement and learn about what they plan to do for you, if elected;
R.O.N or Re-Open Nominations will also appear as an option on the ballot paper. This option gives you additional choice in elections. More information on R.O.N is available in the FAQ's section at the bottom of this page.
Voting day is
For questions or queries about the MISU Elections, please email the MISU Returning Officer - Dáire Martin - on ReturningOfficer@misu.ie.
What Are the MISU Elections?
MISU is the representative body for the students of Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick, and Thurles.
During the Spring Semester each year, the entire MIC Student Body vote in the MISU Elections to determine which students will become members of the MISU Advocacy Officer Team and represent them during the next academic year.
The Advocacy Officer Team
The Advocacy Officer Team represents student interests, advocates on behalf of the student body, and implements the decisions made by referendum and relevant governance bodies.
The Advocacy Officer Team is led by the full-time MISU President and they are supported by two part-time Advocacy Officers.
The Advocacy Officer Team is responsible for:
- Representing student interests on institutional and external committees and forums
- Advocating for students with college management and staff
- Championing student-led campaigns and action squads identified through democratic participation channels
- Ensuring that the student voice is to the forefront of college decisions
- Implementing decisions made by referendum and relevant governance bodies
- Protecting and upholding the terms of the MISU Constitution
Being a member of the MISU Advocacy Officer Team is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to make a difference in the college community, whilst gaining invaluable knowledge, experience, and developing new skills. All of which are a big win for your CV and future employment!
By getting involved, you will get ahead!
Click here to view the MISU Constitution which was approved by Referendum on 12 February 2026 and will come into effect on 15 June 2026
Upcoming MISU Elections
The MISU Elections to determine the MISU Advocacy Officer Team for Academic Year 2026/27 will take place on Thursday, 19 March 2026 from 8:00am to 6:00pm.
Nominations
Nominations opened on Thursday, 05 March 2026 at 9:00am and closed on Thursday, 12 March 2026 at 2:00pm.
Elections Vs a Referendum
MISU hold both Elections and Referenda and know that the difference between them can be sometimes confusing.
In short, an Election is held to decide who will be in charge and a Referendum is held when changes to policy, operations, or structures need to be made.
The MISU Elections take place each and every year to elect the new MISU Advocacy Officer Team however, a Referendum will only take place as and when necessary to make changes to the MISU Constitution.
The Constitution of MISU is a binding document that outlines how goals should be achieved, how the Union is governed, how decisions are made, the roles of the elected officers, and the frequency and operations of MISU meetings.
It is only through a Referendum that any changes can be made to the MISU Consitution and all MIC Students are entitled to vote in a Referendum.
A Referendum of the MISU Constitution took place on 12 February 2026 to 'Adopt a new democratic ecosystem for MISU to replace the current failing representative democracy structures'.
Click here to view the MISU Constitution which was approved by Referendum on 12 February 2026 and will come into effect on 15 June 2026
Voting in MISU Elections & Referenda
Voting is open to all MIC Students and is easy to do.
We encourage all students to exercise their right to vote - MISU is YOUR UNION, YOU have the say in WHO represents YOU and how it is MANAGED!
How to Vote
Voting is easy and only takes two minutes by following these steps:
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Click the 'Login' button on the top right hand side of this website or use the following link: https://misu.ie/elections/
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LOG IN using your MIC STUDENT NUMBER and MIC NETWORK LOGON PASSWORD
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Accept the Terms & Conditions
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Only elections and referenda which you are eligible to vote in will appear after login.
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For elections, votes are ranked in order of Preference, #1 being your most preferred candidate. With multiple candidates you may indicate a second preference with #2.
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You will move through each position following the above instructions e.g. #1 for most preferred candidate then #2 and so on.
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For Referenda, you will have two voting options - Yes or No.
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If you are having any difficulties voting, please contact chloe.keogh@mic.ul.ie
How does voting in an MISU Election work?
Voting in MISU Elections and Referenda is conducted by secret ballot using the Single Transferable Vote system.
How do I decide who to vote for?
Your vote is important and could be the difference between a win or lose result, so we encourage all MIC Students to read the Candidate Statements carefully when deciding who to vote for.
Students will also always have the option to vote R.O.N (Re-Open Nominations) if you choose not to elect any of the candidates running.
What is R.O.N?
You might have noticed that there’s a candidate called R.O.N for every single position in the election.
Are you wondering who or what R.O.N is?
RON isn’t a person, it’s an acronym, and it stands for Re-Open Nominations.
Re-Open Nominations (R.O.N) is an option on your ballot that gives you additional choice in elections
If you vote to Re-Open Nominations, you’re telling us that you don’t think the candidate running for a position is right for the role, and that we should restart the nominations process to find better candidates.
If a position receives a majority Re-Open Nominations vote, nominations will be re-opened for that position.
New candidates, and those that previously ran, will have the opportunity to run for the position again!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a question about the MISU Elections? Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions:
Elections FAQ's
Do I need to know everything about MISU to run for election?
An understanding of MISU and our aims and objectives is preferred but not essential.
Full training for each of the Officers is provided.We just require you to enjoy being part of a dynamic environment and have a commitment to and passion for advocating and representing the MIC student body.
Do I need to have any qualifications or experience?
Officers are required to have excellent verbal and written communication skills and familiarity with GDPR, Microsoft Office including Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel.
Training is provided for each role based on the requirements of the role, for example chairing meetings, minute-taking, public speaking and leading teams.
The MISU staff are also on hand to provide training, support, and guidance.
Do I have to choose between being an officer or continuing my studies?
The Part-Time Advocacy Officer Roles can be held while you complete your studies however the President Role will be a full-time employee of MISU and so this cannot be held whilst completing your studies.
Detailed responsibilities of the roles are set out in Schedule 8 of the MISU Constitution.
How do I get people to vote for me?
If you decide to run for an Advocacy Officer Team Role, you have the exciting opportunity to create your Candidate’s Statement and election campaign (and no we don't mean knocking on people's doors), this is a social media and on-campus campaign only.
Rally your friends to come up with your campaign idea. It is important to let other students (especially in other courses and on other campuses) know that you are running for a position in the elections.
Make use of the campus, and social media to spread your Candidate’s Statement to tell other students what you will do for them if they elect you.
How do I return my documents?
Details to be announced at a later date.
I'm thinking of running for an Advocacy Officer Team Role. Do I need to know anything?
If you are thinking of running for an Advocacy Officer Team Role, please take note of the following:
The President is a full-time role. On commencing their term of office, the successful candidate will become a full-time employee of MISU and on commencement of employment, the successful candidate must meet all legal requirements to allow them to work full-time in Ireland for the full duration of their contract of employment. In the event that they fail to continue to meet these requirements during the course of the duration of the contract then the Officer shall be liable to relinquish the post.
The Advocacy Officers are paid part-time positions and the successful respective candidates will become part-time employees of MISU and at the time of their election, they must meet all legal requirements to allow them to fulfil the hours of work as outlined in Schedule 8 of the MISU Constitution for the full duration of their contract of employment. In the event that they fail to continue to meet these requirements during the course of the duration of the contract then the Officer shall be liable to relinquish the post.
What can I expect from working with MISU?
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A rewarding experience where you will gain and develop knowledge and skills that will put you steps ahead on your career path. A big win for your CV and future employers!
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Opportunity to make a difference; you will be at the heart of decisions about the student experience in MIC
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Ongoing training and support