Members of the
Senate elect the Chancellor and the High Steward, two of the most senior roles in the University of Cambridge. Most alumni are members of the Senate.
Eligibility to vote
You can vote in votes of the Senate if:
- you have received a qualifying degree from the University of Cambridge at a Congregation (whether you received it in person or in absence), OR
- you are on the current Roll of the Regent House
The following are qualifying degrees: Master of Arts or any other Master’s degree (eg LLM, MPhil), any Doctorate (eg PhD, EdD), or the Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree.
If you hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University but you have not been admitted to the Master of Arts degree (MA), please contact your College about getting your MA.
Elections and other votes you can take part in
Members of the Senate can vote in:
Ways of voting
You can vote:
- in person in Cambridge, usually in the Senate-House, OR
- online, if you have registered to vote online in advance
Registering to vote online
- register to vote online (you will not then be able to vote in person)
- register to nominate someone for election, or support a nomination
- check that you are registered to vote online or make/support a nomination (all members of the Regent House are automatically registered)
- update your personal details (for example, change your name or email address)
We will ask you for the following information when registering:
- contact information, including a current email address we can use to contact you about Senate votes
- the degree(s) you hold that qualify you for membership of the Senate (see 'Eligibility to vote' above)
- the year you matriculated at the University (normally the year you started your studies)
- the year you had your (first) degree conferred at a Congregation (whether in person or in absence)
What will happen if you register
You will receive an email confirming receipt of your completed form showing the responses you have provided. Once we have checked your details against University and College records, we will be in touch again by email either to ask for more information or to confirm your registration.
If we have confirmed your registration, you will receive information by email about any upcoming votes. If you have registered to vote online, you will also receive information about how you can vote online. You will not be able to vote in person in Cambridge unless you use the form to change your voting method.
What will happen if you don’t register to vote online
You will be able to vote in person in Cambridge. You will need to provide information on your eligibility to vote when you visit the Senate-House to cast your vote (see 'Registering to vote online' above for the information we will need). We will not expect you to provide evidence of your qualifications, eg degree certificates.
How to find out about a vote
If voting is planned, we will publish information about the timetable for voting, including the deadline for registration as an online voter, on this page and in the
Reporter. Those already registered for online voting will receive an email providing this information.