With campaigning for the Cambridge Student Union elections in full swing, the candidates are employing a wide variety of tactics to try to secure votes.

Election turnout in previous years has been low – averaging 18.7% over the past 5 years. Many of the candidates are looking to remedy this, focusing on raising awareness of the election and gaining as much visibility as possible.

Over the past week, a wide variety of frames associated with various candidates have appeared on Facebook profile pictures. These range from the #SwipeWright catchphrase of Henry Wright’s campaign for SU president – a play on ‘swiping right’ on the dating app Tinder necessary to start a conversation – to the colourful frame of Wright’s competitor, Ben Margolis.

By filling up Facebook timelines with frames endorsing various candidates, campaigns hope to remind friends and fellow college members to vote.

Videos are another popular method of engaging with potential voters. Last year this particular tactic reached new heights with Edward Parker Humphreys’ recreation of the opening sequence to Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’ and Shadab Ahmed’s rendition of an access-themed version of Niall Horan’s ‘Slow Hands’.

This year has not seen a comparable level of cinematography so far, but Henry Wright has released a (non-musical) video featuring two sceptical students trying to decide between several candidates for SU President.

Having rejected two (imaginary) alternatives, Wright pops up with his promise to “run the new Union differently”. At the time of writing, the video has 1,200 views and 45 reactions – a potentially key margin in the competitive presidential race.

This also follows the endorsements by the Cambridge University Labour Club (CULC), the Cambridge University Liberal Association (CULA), and Cambridge Zero Carbon.

CULC announced that they would support Margolis for President and Chloe Newbold for Women’s Officer. CULA offered endorsements to Freddie Poser for University Councillor and Henry Wright for President.

CULC also backed Poser over Jess O’Brien - in a seven to six vote – in what is seen as a surprising move given Poser’s involvement with the Liberal Democrats, and O’Brien’s affiliation with the Labour Party.

Attempts to get out the vote also often rely on Facebook events. With 310 marked as interested or going on his own event at the time of publishing, Matt Alderton is leading the way in this regard among candidates for Undergrad President.

Several candidates have even resorted to memes to attempt to get students to engage with the election.

Chloe Newbold, who is running for Women’s Officer, posted a joke endorsement from Bernie Sanders. A post from Alderton depicts a Soviet-style man, identified as Alderton, smashing a chain labeled ‘CUSU’ with the caption highlighting his campaign’s pledge to give “power back to JCRs” and “smash establishment hegemony”.

Margolis’ campaign has set up its own meme page, Margolis Memes for Presidential Teens. Margolis supporters can also use a branded Instagram filter featuring the cap he has worn throughout campaigning – perhaps an attempt to mimic Parker Humphreys’ distinctive jacket from last year.

An important part of any campaign are also endorsements, and candidates have been keen to publicise these on social media all week.

Margolis has been active in this regard, using his Facebook page to publicise endorsements from high-profile college figures, such as Selwyn’s JCR President, to Girton’s Women’s Officer for 2019-20, Rachel Parry. Each endorsement comes with an extended explanation. Schönle, for example, explains that he welcomes Margolis’ “commitment to improving mental health at Cambridge”.

Meanwhile, Wright included an endorsement from Jacob Smith, Trinity Hall JCR President, who said that Wright is “pushing for real change in the way CamSU works, to make sure it’s a union that all students can feel part of, and engage with.”

And with only one day left for voting, candidates are turning to any means possible online to give them an edge. Readers scrolling through Facebook may have noticed sponsored ads run by Rusty Smith, another candidate for Undergraduate President.