REFERENDUM

What is a Referendum? 

A Referendum is a direct vote of the students on a key decision or policy of the Union. All students can vote and choose 'Yes' or 'No' and then the TU Dublin SU must follow this decision.

What types of Referendum are there?

Here is what the TU Dublin SU Constitution (2023) states:

Constitutional Referendum 

This is Referendum to admend/change parts of the Constitution or to change the whole thing. This process is outlined in Article 14 & 15 below:

Article 14 Amendments to the Constitution - Excluding the Schedules

14.1. Any provision of this Constitution may be amended, whether by way of variation, addition, or repeal in a manner provided for by this article.

14.2. Article 14.1 may be activated by way of a petition moved by any one of the following:

a. not less than two percent of the membership of the Union.

b. 25% of the membership of the Student Council.

c. the Executive following a majority vote.

d. the recommendation of the Electoral Commission.

Such a petition which includes the proposed amendments must be presented to the Student Council where it must receive the support of fifty percent plus one of the total membership of the Council.

14.3. Following acceptance of the petition by the Student Council, the Chairperson shall seek legal advice to consider implications of the proposed amendment and report back within a period set by the Council.

14.4. The Council, having considered the legal advice, shall decide whether the proposed amendments shall be progressed to referendum by way of a vote, where it must receive the support of 50% plus one of the total membership of the Council.

14.5. The Clerk to the Council shall forward the duly passed petition to the Electoral Commission to be submitted to referendum for the decision of the membership, in accordance with such terms, as the Electoral Commission shall so decide and the provisions of this Constitution. A referendum shall take place no later than three calendar months from the decision of the Council to amend the Constitution. 

14.6. Every petition, which is submitted by referendum to a decision of the membership shall be held to have been approved by the members, if upon having been submitted, a majority of the votes cast at the referendum shall have been cast in favour of the proposal, providing that the voter turnout is not less than ten percent of the total membership of the Union.

Article 15 Amendments to Schedules to the Constitution

The constitution states that Schedules (supporting detail to articles) of the Constitution may be amended by the Student Council. However, every schedule change made by the Student Council must be brought to the attention of the members and there is provision for a referendum if:

"Where 10% of the membership objecting in writing to the petition within 28 days it will then be put to the membership by referendum in the same manner as a provided for in Articles 14.6 and 14.7, otherwise the amendment, as adopted by the Council, shall stand."

Impeachment Referendum

17.2 Impeachment of Officers

17.2.1. A member of the Union Executive may be impeached and removed from office in accordance with this Article 17.2, following a petition, endorsed by Council, and an impeachment vote in accordance with the following provisions.

17.2.2 To commence the impeachment process a petition to impeach the relevant member of the Union Executive must be signed by 200 members for campus specific roles and 400 or more members for overall roles. The reasoning for impeachment must be clearly stated when aiming to commence an impeachment process.

17.2.3 Upon obtaining the requisite number of signatures the petition shall be presented to the Independent Chairperson of Council, who shall convene a meeting of Council to discuss the petition within one week of receipt of same.

17.2.4 Council shall consider whether or not to endorse the petition and the member of the Union Executive the subject of the petition shall be given the opportunity to speak against Council endorsing the petition. The person (or one of their number if more than one) who presented the petition to the Independent Chairperson of Council shall also be given the opportunity to speak at that meeting of Council.

17.2.5 If less than two-thirds of the members of Council vote to endorse the petition then the petition shall be dismissed, and the process terminated.

17.2.6 If two-thirds or more of the members of Council vote to endorse the petition then the Electoral Commission shall be notified forthwith by the Independent Chairperson of Council and the Electoral Commission shall convene an impeachment referendum for the constituency from which the member of the Union Executive the subject of the petition has been elected. The impeachment referendum shall occur no earlier than three weeks and no later than six weeks from the date of the Council meeting which endorsed the petition.

17.2.7 If a simple majority of members voting in the impeachment referendum vote in favour of impeachment then the member of the Union Executive the subject of the petition shall be deemed to have been impeached and their position vacated from the moment that the result of the impeachment referendum has been declared.

17.2.8 If a simple majority of members voting in the impeachment referendum do not vote in favour of impeachment then the member of the Union Executive the subject of the petition shall continue in office.