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Voting opens for 2025 RCVS and VN elections
This year's council elections are online-only.
Members can cast their votes until Friday, 25 April.

Voting has officially opened for this year’s RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council elections.

Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses now have until 5pm on Friday, 25 April 2025 to vote online in their respective elections.

Emails were sent to those eligible to vote on Wednesday, 12 March by Civica Election Systems, which is running the elections on RCVS’ behalf. Veterinary surgeons will have received an email from vetvote@cesvotes.com, while veterinary nurses will have received their voting email from vnvote@cesvotes.com.

The email contains a secure link to the voting website, which contains a pre-filled code unique to each voting veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse.

This year’s election is online-only, after the Privy Council approved amendments to the RCVS Election Scheme. Veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurses who have not got a registered email address with RCVS will be sent their voting instructions by post.

Those who do not receive a voting email should contact support@cesvotes.com and state which election they believe they are eligible to vote in.

There are a record 20 candidates standing in the RCVS Council election, with four spaces available on the council. Veterinary surgeons can vote for up to four candidates, with the candidates with the most votes earning a four-year term on the council.

The candidates are: Louise Allum, Sam Bescoby, Andrew Clemence, Tshidi Gardiner, Reginald Godwin, Paddy Gordon, Danielle Greenberg, Gerard Henry, Richard Hillman, Benjamin Kennedy, Tom Lonsdale, Darren Partridge, Martin Peaty, Alison Price, Peter Robinson, Jennifer Simmons, Sadie Spencer, Mary Thomas, William Wilkinson and Lara Wilson.

Each candidate has shared a full biography and statement on the RCVS Election website. They also each answered a question of their choice submitted by members of the profession.

There are three candidates standing in the VN Council elections, with two spaces available on the council. Veterinary nurses can vote for up to two candidates, with the candidates with the most votes earning a three-year term on the council.

The candidates are: Bethan Pinhey, Hannah Welsman and Lauren Whittaker. Their profiles are available on the VN Council election webpage, as well as their answers to their selected questions.

All of the successful candidates in each election will join their respective councils at RCVS’ Annual General Meeting in July.

Image © Shutterstock

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