Voting now open for 2024 RCVS Council and VN Council elections

The voting period for the 2024 elections for RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council has now opened and veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses have the opportunity to cast votes for their preferred candidates in their respective elections.

Voting emails were sent by Civica Election Services (CES), which runs the elections on behalf of the College, on Wednesday 13 March. Each email contains a secure link to the voting websites containing pre-filled codes which are unique to each individual veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse.

The Privy Council has agreed amendments to the RCVS Election Scheme meaning that, among other things, the RCVS can hold an online-only election this year rather than sending out paper ballots. The few veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses for whom the RCVS holds no unique email address will be sent a voting instructions letter by post.

For the RCVS Council election, there are 14 candidates standing this year and veterinary surgeons can now cast their votes for up to three of them by 5pm on Friday 26 April 2024. The candidates are:

• Professor David Barrett FRCVS
• Dr Sinéad Bennett MRCVS
• Dr Mark Bowen FRCVS
• Richard Brown MRCVS
• Paddy Gordon MRCVS
• Dr Gerard Henry MRCVS
• Dr Peter Higgins MRCVS
• Dr Zara Kennedy MRCVS
• Dr Thomas Lonsdale MRCVS
• Penelope Morgan MRCVS
• Dr Kate Richards MRCVS
• Dr Richard Sanderson MRCVS
• Sally Schroeder MRCVS
• Dr Lara Wilson MRCVS

The full biographies and statements for each candidate are available to read on the dedicated RCVS Council election page where each candidate has also answered two questions of their choice submitted by members of the profession.

The three candidates who receive the most votes will take up their four-year terms on RCVS Council at the Annual General Meeting on Friday 5 July 2024.

Veterinary nurses will also now have until 5pm on Friday 26 April to cast their votes for up to two of the three candidates standing in this year’s VN Council election. The candidates who are standing in this year’s election are:

• Susan Howarth RVN
• Stuart Bobby Miller RVN
• Kirsty Young RVN

The two candidates with the most votes will join VN Council for their three-year terms at the College’s AGM in July. The individual candidate profiles are available to view on the dedicated VN Council election webpage  where you can also read the candidates’ answers to two questions of their choice submitted by the profession.

As well as the initial voting email, CES will also send regular reminder emails to those veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who have not yet voted in their respective elections. Emails to RCVS Council voters will be sent from [email protected] while those for VN Council voters will be sent from [email protected]

Any veterinary surgeons or veterinary nurses who have not received their voting email should contact CES directly on [email protected] stating which election they are eligible to vote in.