What information should a student council election newsletter include?

The newsletter should cover the positions open for election, who is eligible to run, the steps to become a candidate (petition signatures, teacher recommendations, application forms), the campaign period dates, what campaigning is permitted and what is not, the voting date and process, and when results will be announced. Families who want to support a candidate need to understand the timeline and boundaries before encouraging their student to run.

How should schools communicate campaign rules to student and family audiences?

State the rules specifically: which types of campaign materials are permitted and where they can be posted, whether campaigning during school hours is allowed, social media policy during the campaign period, and the consequences for campaign violations. Vague rules lead to complaints from candidates whose opponents interpreted the rules differently. A clear ruleset communicated in writing at the start of the campaign gives the election administration a document to refer to when disputes arise.

What is the right way to describe what student council does in the election newsletter?

Be specific about what student council actually influences at your school. Do they plan events? Advise on school policy? Manage a budget? Represent student concerns to administration? A generic description like 'student council represents the student body' tells families nothing actionable. A description like 'student council plans homecoming, manages the community service day, and brings student concerns to the monthly administrative meeting' gives students a real picture of what they are running for.

How can families support students running for student council without crossing lines?

Families can help students practice their speeches, assist with approved campaign materials like posters at home, and encourage their student to be authentic in their candidate statement. What families should not do: campaign on behalf of their student on school grounds, contact other families directly to solicit votes, or contact school staff to advocate for their student's election. The election newsletter is the right place to name these boundaries before they become issues.

How does Daystage help schools manage student council election communication?

Daystage lets administrators send the initial election announcement to the entire school community, then schedule follow-up newsletters at key points in the process: the candidate filing deadline, the campaign kickoff, the day before voting, and the results announcement. Each send can go to the full community or to specific grade-level groups for class officer elections that differ by grade. You can write the full sequence before the campaign begins and schedule each newsletter to send at the right time.

School Newsletter

Student council elections give students an early experience with democratic processes, public speaking, and civic responsibility. The communication around the election shapes whether students take it seriously and whether families understand how to support a candidate without overstepping. A well-structured election newsletter sets the whole process up for success.

This guide covers how to structure the election announcement, communicate campaign rules clearly, describe what student council actually does, and guide families on appropriate support.

Opening with what student council does

Before announcing the election, tell families what they are electing students to do. This section is often skipped, which results in students running for council without knowing what the role involves and families who do not understand why it matters.

Name the specific functions of student council at your school. What events do they plan? What decisions do they advise on? What does the meeting schedule look like? How does student council interact with school administration? A concrete description creates context that makes the election feel meaningful rather than ceremonial.

Positions open for election

List each position separately with a brief description of the role. President and vice president carry different responsibilities than class secretary or treasurer. A student who wants to organize events may be well-suited for one role but not another. Giving families enough information to help their student identify the right position reduces both mismatched candidacies and post-election disappointment.

For schools with class-specific officers, clarify which positions are open to which grade levels and whether there are any cross-class positions.

How to become a candidate

Walk through the candidate filing process step by step. Typical requirements include a petition with a minimum number of student signatures, a teacher or faculty recommendation, a short candidate statement or application, and sometimes a minimum GPA requirement. Give the deadline for completing the candidacy process and where to submit materials.

If there is an informational meeting for interested candidates, include the date and location. Students who attend a candidate briefing session make fewer process errors during the campaign than those who piece together the rules from the newsletter alone.

Campaign rules

Campaign rules need to be specific enough to resolve disputes when they arise. General rules like "campaign respectfully" are not enforceable. Specific rules like "posters may only be placed in designated bulletin board areas, and all posters must be approved by the student council advisor before posting" are.

Cover these areas in the rules section:

Where campaign materials may be posted
Types of materials permitted (printed posters, digital slides, none in classrooms)
Social media policy: what is permitted, what requires approval, what is prohibited
Whether speeches or presentations to other classes are allowed
Prohibited campaign behaviors, including negative campaigning
Consequences for rule violations and who enforces them

The election timeline

Publish the full timeline in the newsletter so families can follow the process:

Candidate filing opens and closes
Campaign period begins
Candidate speeches or presentations (date and format)
Voting date and method (in-person ballots, online voting platform)
Results announcement
New council orientation or transition date

How families can support a candidate appropriately

Families want to help. Tell them how. Helping a student practice their speech at home is appropriate and encouraged. Helping design a poster for home printing is fine if the school permits self-printed materials. Reaching out to other parents to solicit votes, showing up on school grounds to campaign, or contacting teachers on behalf of a candidate crosses lines that families may not realize exist if you do not name them.

A brief, direct note about what family involvement looks like, framed supportively rather than as a warning, prevents most problems before they start.

The results announcement

Plan the results communication in advance. Students who ran and did not win deserve a respectful and gracious acknowledgment in the results newsletter. Thank every candidate by name for participating. Acknowledge the courage it takes to run publicly for a position. Name the winners and their roles, and describe what the incoming council plans to work on.

A results newsletter that only announces winners without acknowledging candidates who did not win teaches students something about how the school values participation. Make it a newsletter that every candidate and family can receive with dignity.

School Newsletter: Student Council Election Announcement