Current and upcoming elections

​The BMA uses an online system for nominating and voting in committee, councils and conference elections, and at the ARM  (annual representative meeting).

The following committees are currently running elections:

• Northern Ireland consultant committee
• Welsh medical students committee
• Scotland SAS committee
• Wales SAS committee

Committees run elections at different times. For more information about elections to a particular committee, please visit their page:

• All committees

Half of the seats to ARM are allocated to BMA divisions. Elections are conducted via the BMA's online nomination and election system across all division areas in the UK. 

• Find out more about division elections

How to nominate yourself as a candidate

1. Sign in and access the elections system.
2. Select your election from the list of elections you can take part in.
3. Click the nominations tab.
4. Click view beside the election you wish to nominate in.
5. Click nominate for the relevant seats/posts.
6. Complete the nomination form.
7. Read the election guide and tick the declaration box to confirm eligibility criteria.
8. Provide your candidate statement.
9. If displayed, click choose/update candidate image to upload a photo.
10.  Add town/city of residence.
11.  Add town/city of work.
12.  If displayed, fill in additional nomination criteria.
13.  Click save nomination.

You can edit and withdraw your nomination after submitting it at any point until the nomination phase closes.

The system allows self-nomination only. Elections that require a proposer or seconder are being reviewed and may be rolled out in future.

If you are able to view an election but do not meet the eligibility criteria, you are not permitted to nominate. If you’re not sure if you meet the eligibility criteria, check the election guide on the elections system or contact the staff election lead.

The election will appear in the voting section once voting has opened. 

How to vote for candidates

1. Sign in and access the elections system.
2. Select your election from the list of elections you can take part in.
3. Click the voting tab.
4. Click view beside the election you wish to vote in.
5. Click vote now for the relevant seats/posts.
6. Submit your vote.
7. View candidate profiles.
8. Select candidates from the drop-down menu in order or preference.
9. Click vote now and select yes to confirm your vote.

Once your vote is submitted, it cannot be changed or withdrawn.

You do not have to vote for the full number of people listed on the voting page – you can vote for as many or as few as you wish.

Tips for using the system

• To log in, use your normal BMA email and password. If you have forgotten them, follow the ‘forgotten email/password’ links on the login page.
• If the election allows non-members to participate, you can contact us to to create a non-member online account.
• The system shows only the seats you are eligible to nominate and vote for, based on your membership details. If you are eligible to nominate/vote in an election but cannot see it listed, your membership details may be out of date. 
• Your name on the voting page is the name you gave for your BMA membership. You can change it in the ‘are you identified by any other name?’ field. This will be used only on the online elections system and will appear on the voting paper; it will not change your membership details.
• Not all elections will ask you to upload a photo or video. On those that do, we encourage candidates to do so as it will enhance your profile.
• The maximum size for a photo is 5MB. There is no video size restriction as you’re only required to paste the URL of the video from the site where it’s hosted (eg YouTube). Copy the URL from the address bar of your browser and paste it in the field.
• Unsure about our terminology? Download a list of acronyms commonly used in BMA elections.
• The memorandum of understanding outlines the election principles upheld at the BMA. You must consent to these principles in order to take part in BMA elections. 

Memorandum of understanding

Candidates are asked to declare that they have read the memorandum of understanding when submitting their nominations. For elected BMA representatives to work together effectively, these principles are important.

The BMA can only function with the contributions of members who seek election as representatives. Thank you for making the commitment to help represent your colleagues.

• When you are speaking to or communicating in the broadcast, print or social media as an elected BMA representative, or are identified as such, you must honestly represent the views of the BMA.
• When speaking in a personal capacity you should explicitly ask not to be identified as an elected BMA representative.
• Committee officers must coordinate media engagements with the press office.
• You must declare conflicts of interest to your committee chair or committee secretary as appropriate.
• You must uphold the confidentiality of your committee when requested. If in doubt, ask the committee chair.
• As a member of the medical profession and as an elected representative, you must behave in a professional manner at all times. Robust debate is sometimes essential in forming policy, but you must always treat patients, colleagues and staff with respect.
• In standing for election you agree to uphold these principles.

How votes are counted

The STV (single transferable vote) is a form of proportional representation where you rank the candidates. Candidates don’t need a majority of votes to be elected, just a known ‘quota’ or share of the votes, determined by the size of the electorate and the number of positions to be filled.

Each voter gets one vote, which can transfer from their first preference to their second preference. If your preferred candidate has no chance of being elected, or has enough votes already, your vote is transferred to another candidate in accordance with your instructions.

STV thus ensures that very few votes are wasted (ie cast for losing candidates or unnecessarily cast for the winner), unlike other systems – especially ‘first past the post’, where only a small number of votes actually contribute to the result.

It gives voters more choice than any other system, putting most power in the hands of voters. Most voters can identify a representative that they personally helped to elect, in turn increasing the representative’s accountability.

Results

The results are released once they have been verified, which varies for each election. The results are published on the online elections system and on the committee web page.

If you have nominated yourself in an election, you will receive an email when the results have been published.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the election process, eligibility or timings, please contact [email protected].