University elections 2026 results announced
The results of the 2026 University elections are in. Who will represent us on the participation organs?
This year, it was possible to vote for the staff and student sections of the University Council and for the student section of all Faculty Councils. In addition, staff at Archaeology and FSW were able to elect representatives for their Faculty Council. The SOZ department (Student and Educational Affairs) was able to vote for the Service Council.
Candidates for the Faculty Council of Archaeology and LUMC, as well as for the Service Councils of the Executive Office and ICLON, were appointed directly, as the number of candidates was equal to or fewer than the number of seats.
Below, we share the results of the elections for the University Council. You can view all results on the website, including the names of the elected candidates. The elected candidates will take their seats at the start of the new academic year.
Results for the staff section of the University Council
Leidse Academische Gemeenschap and FNV Universiteit Leiden each receive three seats in the staff section. Universitair Belang and PhDoc each receive one seat.
Results for the student section of the University Council
Both the Party for Beta and Medical Students (PBMS) and the combined list of the Democratic Student Party (DSP) and Student Collective (SC) receive two seats. All other parties receive one seat each. These are the Liberale Studentenpartij (LPS), Ondernemende Studenten Leiden (ONS), Partij Tegen de Student and Leiden & The Hague Coalition of Students (LTHCS). For the last two parties, this is the first time they have entered the University Council.
The one-person party Vote Gabe! did not receive enough votes to gain a seat on the University Council. The Vrijmoedige Studentenpartij, which gained one seat last year, did not participate in this year’s elections.
Total number of votes
In total, 4,211 students cast their vote, resulting in a turnout of 12.5%. This was slightly lower than last year’s 13.7%. Among staff, 33.7% voted digitally, amounting to 2,096 people. This is slightly lower than in the previous staff elections in 2024, when 37.6% of staff voted.
Knowledge mechanism
During the announcement of the election results, Rector Magnificus Sarah de Rijcke thanked everyone who had stood as a candidate and everyone who voted. 'I see participation as a kind of knowledge mechanism. The councils at faculty and university level bring in perspectives that would otherwise remain unseen. Although some issues are so prominent that you will of course encounter them in other ways, many matters are still brought to the table through participation. It is a very influential role. The university also learns about itself thanks to the councils, and their input enables it to perform better.'