The results of the 2010 Student Union election have been announced but many are concerned about the low number of votes cast by students.

TJ Esubiyi was re-elected as Student Union president. Rhiannon Hiscocks hung onto her vice president activities post. 

All successful candidates stand to earn around £19,000 a year in their roles. In some cases however the contenders needed fewer than 200 votes to be elected into their post and only had one other person competing against them.

Abhinivesh Beechook, 21, a second year aeronautical engineering student, was elected as International students' officer. He said: “I am happy to have been elected but I am a bit disappointed by the turnout. Only 225 students voted for an international students' representative."

This year KU students were able to vote electronically via email. However, it appears that the system designed to make voting easier and encourage wider student participation has been marred by technological hitches, discouraging many from voting.

Galina Dhanoon who lost her race for the post of vice president for education said: “People were ringing me the last night before the elections saying 'how do you vote?' Or 'I'm having problems using the voting system.'

"That could be the difference between winning and losing.”

Jamie Pipkin, 18, first year history student was elected disability students officer. He said: “The turnout was pretty low and I think the election should have been better advertised.’’

Stefan Mattison, 19,  a second year Literature and film studies student, elected as VP for communication, said: ‘’I am very happy to have been elected. I am ecstatic.

"The turnout was pretty bad but I think it leads back to communication.

"During the three days campaign, people kept asking me 'What are you talking about?' We will definitely have to work on this for next year."

"The physical campaign came at the right time but we should start to inform about the elections at least two or three weeks before,” added Mr Mattison.

The SU election campaign was decided using the potentially more representative STV (single transferable vote). Each voter gets one vote, which can transfer from their first-preference candidate to their second-preference and so on, as necessary.

Candidates do not require a majority of votes to be elected, just a known 'quota', or share of the votes. This is determined by the size of the electorate and the number of positions to be filled.

Mark Horne, General Manager at KUSU said: "It is to be expected that there has been the odd teething problem. We still believe, as the majority of unions see a massive increase in year 2 of e-voting, that in the long run the benefits of e-voting (ease of use for voters, better access to manifestoes, convenience and the ability to vote if you are studying off campus) greatly outweigh the negatives.  

TJ Esubiyi was not available at announcement for comment.

Below are the successful candidates.

President - TJ Esubiyi

VP Communications - Stefan Mattison

VP Activities - Rhiannon Hiscocks

VP Education - Chris Dingle

Partner college officer - Vithiyatharan Lashanth

Women's officer – Zaima Khan

E&E officer - Daniela Eigner

International students’ officer -  Abhinivesh Beechook

LGBT - Katarzyna Kepa

Mature students officer – Sheila Leatherdale

Part-time students officer - Madiha Khan

Disabled students officer – Jamie Pipkin