When to Run a General Body Election in Your Society

When should your society run a General Body Election?

Annual term expiry (most common)

At each AGM when the managing committee's term ends typically every 1–3 years per bye-laws. Schedule the election to conclude before or during the AGM.

Mid-term vacancy

When a committee member resigns or is disqualified, run a by-election for that post only.

First election on Plinth

Migrating from manual records? Run your next scheduled election on Plinth to establish a digital baseline.

After a disputed prior election

If the last election was challenged, re-running on Plinth with full audit trail rebuilds member trust.

Pair with AGM resolutions: Run formal polls for budget and by-laws alongside your committee election on Plinth. Society polls support ranked-choice; GBE uses plurality only.

Before you start: Confirm term-limit rules, dues eligibility if billing is live, and assign a neutral Election Officer where possible.