Voting opens in the 2020 RCVS and VN Councils elections

Last week voting commenced in the 2020 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council and Veterinary Nurses Council elections, with veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who are eligible to vote in their respective elections being able to do so online or by paper ballot.

There are 13 candidates standing in this year’s VN Council elections, including two existing VN Council members eligible for re-election and 11 candidates not currently on Council. They are:

• Samantha Anderson
• Jessica Beckett
• Kirsten Cavill
• Rebecca Clark
• Dorothy (Dot) Creighton
• Lindsey Dodd
• Emma Foreman
• Racheal Marshall
• Megan Oakey
• Susannah Phillips
• Matthew Rendle
• Claire Roberts
• Cathy Woodlands
   

There are eight veterinary surgeons standing in this year’s RCVS Council election, including three existing Council members eligible for re-election and five candidates not currently on Council. They are:

• John Davies
• Dr Melissa Donald
• Dr Tom Lonsdale
• Professor Stephen May
• Dr Kate Richards
• Peter Robinson
• Dr Richard Stephenson
• Dr Kit Sturgess

Ballot papers and candidates’ details for both elections have been posted to all veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses eligible to vote. Furthermore, emails containing links to the secure election voting sites unique to each member of the electorate have also been sent by Civica Election Services (formerly Electoral Reform Services) which runs the election on behalf of the College. All votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 24 April 2020.

This year we invited all candidates in both elections to produce a video in which they answered up to two questions submitted directly to the RCVS from members of the electorate. The videos received so far have been published on the RCVS website at the RCVS Council election webpage and the VN Council election webpage  and  as well as on the RCVS YouTube channel. The lists of the collated questions submitted by members of the professions have also been published on the vetvote20 and vnvote20 webpages.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer, said: “With all that is happening currently, we are glad to say that we have been able to continue with business as usual as far as the RCVS and VN Councils elections are concerned, albeit with some minor delays on publishing the candidate videos.

“It is very encouraging that, after a two-year absence, the VN Council elections have come back stronger with a field of 13 candidates, and we hope that this will translate into increased turnout. Likewise with the RCVS Council election, we hope that the year-on-year trend for increased turnout will continue.”

Those who are eligible to vote in the RCVS Council election but have not received either an email or ballot paper should contact Luke Bishop, RCVS Media Manager, on [email protected]. Voters in the VN Council election should contact Annette Amato, Deputy Head of Veterinary Nursing, on [email protected]