How to vote in Council elections

The CSP Council is made up of 12 CSP members, and this year there are six of these seats up for election. The nomination process closes on 17 May, after this it will be up to you to decide who you want to help shape the future of the CSP and the physiotherapy profession.

1 The Council nominees...

All candidates who have nominated themselves for election have been independently canvassing for support from the CSP membership. They have submitted an online application, provided six CSP member proposers to support their nomination and an election address to demonstrate why they are the right person to represent the physiotherapy profession as a CSP Council member.

Civica Election Services Limited are the independent scrutineers of the 2021 Council election, as is a legal requirement for Trade Union ballots
 

2 Look out for your election pack that will arrive in the post… 

From Monday 7 June, an election pack will be posted to all CSP members, which will include:

• an elections booklet containing the names of all the candidates with their election address - the statement they want to share as to why they have the attributes and abilities to work on behalf of the members and profession
• a ballot paper containing a list of all the candidates and instructions for voting
• a pre-paid return envelope for posting your vote* 

Postal voting will be open for three weeks, from 7 to 29 June 2021, during which time each candidate’s election addresses will also be available on the CSP website.

*It is a legal requirement for unions to conduct their elections through postal ballots, this is why the voting cannot be done using an online process.

3 Completing your voting forms… 

The CSP Council is elected by a postal ballot of all members held under a Single Transferable Vote (STV). The ballot paper will list the names of all the candidates. Members vote by putting a ‘1’ next to the name of their favoured candidate, a ‘2’ next to the name of their next favoured candidate and so on. You stop allocating preferences when you cannot decide between the candidates – you do not need to vote for them all.

STV is a representative and inclusive voting system that puts choice in the hands of the voters.

You must return your postal vote by Tuesday 29 June. 

4 When casting your votes….

It is so important that our Council is made up of a diverse range of members from different backgrounds and specialisms so that it is reflective of its members, is able to stay informed and responsive, and encourages debate and better decision making.

Diversity includes different backgrounds, life experiences, career paths and diversity of thought. Members can bring invaluable experience and perspectives from all walks of life and Council benefits from having members with limited previous governance experience as well as those that have a lot.

5 Don’t waste your vote…

By voting for your preferred candidates you support the members who will best represent the views of the whole profession, influence the issues you care about and the direction of the physiotherapy profession. “…if you’re not planning to stand for election, but want to see our profession go from strength-to-strength, think about how you use your vote”, Karen Middleton, CSP chief executive.