Student election
Students elect a new representative on the University Council each year for a two-year term. Find out more information about the election process.
Two student members of the University Council are elected by their fellow students. The student representatives serve overlapping two-year terms, which means that there is an election every year.
Declaration of result
The result of the 2026 student election that closed at 5 pm on 14 August 2026 is:
CandidateVotes received
HUGHES, Shannon1,731
APITI, Tomina435
JOE, Arie240
ZAKARIA, Pangeran137
EVANS-LAO, Kaleb75
GALLICHAN-PEARCE, Destin74
PAIKEA WENTWORTH, Hayze69
SHEGOG, Bryce53
INFORMAL0
BLANK7
I therefore declare Shannon Hughes to be the successful candidate in this year’s student election. Shannon will be appointed by Council to a two-year term from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028 at its meeting to be held on 14 September 2026.
The voter return was 13.85%, being 2,821 votes cast from 20,370 eligible electors.
Dated at Wellington this 14th day of August 2026.
Caroline Ward
Returning Officer—Victoria University of Wellington
Election procedure
The election has been conducted in accordance with the Council Membership Statute (PDF) and the Council Elections Procedure (PDF).
To find out more
For more information, contact the Returning Officer.
Caroline Ward
Secretary to Council
Vice-Chancellor's Office