President Elections
Nominations open 1 June, closing date 9 August
This page contains everything you need to know about elections for the College’s President and how you can get involved by standing for election or voting.
There are two routes to stand for election as President:
Route 1 - Nomination by Council
The nominating meeting of Council is on 12 July, at this meeting the Council will agree on a maximum of three candidates to nominate for the position of President. Candidates will be proposed and seconded at this meeting and will have to provide their written consent to stand for election.
Forms to complete
If you are proposed as a candidate by Council, you will need to complete and submit the following documents by Friday 9 August.
- Two supporting statements, one no more than 500 words which will appear on the ballot paper, a second no more than 250 words which will be published in RCPsych Insight at the end of September
- Good standing form
These forms are available in the following nomination pack for Council nominees (doc).
Route 2 - Nomination by other members
The second route to stand for President is to submit a nomination that is supported in writing by twelve Members or Specialist Associates who are not members of the Council. Members can only support one nominee for President.
Forms to complete
If you want to stand under route two described above, you will need to complete and submit the following documents by Friday 9 August.
- Nomination form signed by twelve Members or Specialist Associates (who are not Council members)
- Two supporting statements, one no more than 500 words which will appear on the ballot paper, a second no more than 250 words which will be published in RCPsych Insight at the end of September
- Good standing form
These forms are available in the following nomination pack (doc).
| 1 June 2019 | Nominations open |
| 9 August | Closing date for submission of nomination documents |
| 15 August | Candidates filmed for website at Prescot Street |
| September | Announcement of candidates standing for election |
| Article in RCPsych Insight profiling candidates | |
| 3 October | Hustings event at Prescot Street (evening event) |
| November | Online Q&As |
| 11 December | Voting opens |
| 8 January 2020 | Voting closes |
| 9 January | Results declared |
Under the new canvassing code for the Presidential election, Council agreed that candidates will be able to communicate with members about their candidacy through:
- A hustings event at Prescot Street
- A short video on the College site
- A feature in RCPsych Insight
- Their social media accounts
- An online Q&A
- Their personal websites
- A short statement published on the website, and
- Emails and phone calls to members.
Can I support more than one nomination for President?
No, you can only support one nomination.
Can I be supported by a member of Council as part of the 12 supporting signatures?
No, Council members can nominate members at the nominating meeting of Council on 12 July but otherwise can't support a nomination for President.
Are there any dates I should keep free as part of the election process?
Yes, we will be filming candidates for the website on 15 August at the College's office in London. We will also be holding a hustings event on Thursday 3 October in the evening at the College's office in London.
Can I discuss my candidacy on my social media or website?
Yes, please see our new canvassing code (PDF) for further information.
When will voting take place?
The voting period is from 11 Dec 2019 - 8 Jan 2020. We will announce the results on 9 January.
2017
Professor Wendy Burn elected President
Total number of votes cast: 4,595
Voter turnout: 33.1%
2014
Professor Sir Simon Wessely elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,012
Voter turnout: 23.0%
2011
Professor Dame Sue Bailey elected President
Total number of votes cast: 3,286
Voter turnout: 26.6%
All Members, Fellows and Specialist Associates are able to vote in Presidential elections.
If you are eligible to vote (please check eligibility section above), you will automatically be included in the electorate. The email address that you have registered with us as your default will be given to the Electoral Reform Services who will send you an email with a link to the voting site. Each link is unique so can’t be shared with others and the voting site can’t be found through a search engine. If you are having issues with your ballot email or you are eligible but have not received the email, please contact elections@rcpsych.ac.uk.