Serving on your school's student council gives you a say in student activities and a voice with the school administration. It also looks good on college applications. However, to make it onto the student council, you'll first need to give a speech and gather votes from the other students.
How to Write an Election Speech
Use these suggestions to help you craft a speech they'll never forget. It's important that you make sure your speech suits your school and position.
Open With a Humorous Story
Many of you probably know me best for tripping over my feet and falling face first off the stage during prom. Once I got over that embarrassment, I decided I could face you here today.
What I've Done Already
From the first day I arrived at Sample High School, I knew I wanted to become more involved. From serving on the school newspaper as the Features Editor to helping plan prom last year, I consistently spend time in leadership roles and try to make this school an even better place than it already is.
Many of you probably know me from my work with Key Club and the volunteer time I've spent at Sunnyvale Nursing Home and cleaning up our community park.
Running for the Role of _______
It probably won't surprise you that I have decided to run for student council for the role of ___________. As student council _________ (role), I will strive to continue to make improvements in the school for every student here at Sample High.
I Understand and Can Do the Job
The student council works side-by-side with the student body and the administration to ensure student events throughout the year are successful. As _______, I will ensure that you have a memorable year.
Please Vote for Me
Today, I am asking for your vote for _______. Should you elect me, I will listen to your concerns and work hard for you. Thank you.
Class or School President Speech Examples
If you're running for the highest role in your class or school, your speech really needs to stand out.
Make the Opening Stand Out
Hello, my name is John Doe and I'm a junior. I'm not the type of student who will lead a senior prank or skip class with you, but that probably isn't what you want in a class president anyway. What I do offer is steadfastness, hard work and the ability to work with others even during difficult circumstances while still keeping a sense of humor.
Last year, when the cafeteria stopped serving the salad bar, I was able to get it reinstated by starting a petition, having many of you sign it and taking it to Principal Smith. Because we worked together, we were able to bring the salad bar back, and now it's better than ever.
My Credentials
During the last three years at Sample High School, I've been involved in many activities. I've played basketball, spent a short time in the school band, worked on various committees and helped tutor students after school. Last year, I was adopted into the National Honor Society and started an after school club for airplane enthusiasts that meets once a week.
What I'll Do for You
As your student council president, I vow to end all homework. Just kidding. I can't do that, but what I can do is be your voice with the school administration and work to make this the best year Sample High has ever had. I will introduce ideas for events, such as a weekly sock hop after high school basketball games and we'll work together to help the community through volunteer work and showing them just how dedicated the students at Williams are.
Ask for the Vote
I would appreciate your vote for president. If elected, I will continue to fight for the things that are important to students, no matter how big or small they might be. Let's work together to make our stamp on this community and on the world.
Vice President Speech Sample
A vice presidential speech needs to be highly effective to gain student confidence.
Greeting
Instead of starting with my name and what I'm running for, at which point you'll tune me out and start looking at the smudge on your left shoe, I am going to tell you my favorite memory so far from high school. My first day at Sample High School, I had no idea how to get to my classes. This school is big, and I was lost.
On top of that, I was rushing around trying to find my class and tripped and fell flat on the floor in front of the cutest guy I'd ever seen. Not only was he nice enough to help me up, but several other students rushed to help me, got me to my classroom and made me feel better about how goofy I was.
That was the moment I fell in love with Sample High School. We all help each other and you don't find that just anywhere.
Why I'm VP Material
One of the reasons I'm running for Vice President for the student council is because I want to give back to the high school I love so much. I want to be that friendly face for new students coming in and a defender for students already here.
During the last two years, I've prepared myself to serve as Vice President by taking on extra work organizing a fan club for our football players to cheer them on when they play at home and make sure our school is represented in the stands at every away game. I've spent time as an office aid, learning about the everyday running of the school and silently taking notes on what we as students can do to improve things and how we can work with the administration.
What I'll Do as Vice President
As your Vice President, I will stand beside your president, offering support and stepping in when she is not able to be here or asks for some extra help. I'll sit on the student council and get actively involved in planning prom, graduation and homecoming. I will always be here to listen to your concerns or to help you off the floor should you fall flat on your face like I did.
Ask for Their Vote
I am asking for your vote for VP of the student council. I love this school, I want to be helpful and I want us all to build memories we'll remember and treasure forever. Now, if I can just get off this stage without falling on my face, I'll be in good shape.
Secretary Election Speech Sample
In your secretary speech, explain why you are perfect for the role.
Opening
Today, I want to tell you something about me that you might not know. From the time I was five years old, I've been taking guitar lessons. I don't play in a band and I don't take music classes at school, but every night when I get home, I pick up my Fender and I relieve any stress from the day by playing a few of my favorite classic rock songs.
Why You Should Elect Me
Learning to play a musical instrument takes a lot of time and stubbornness. There are times when I just wanted to quit because my fingers were raw from trying to learn a new chord or that song just didn't sound right. However, I stuck with it until I overcame the challenge and that is exactly what I'll do as your secretary. If there is an issue that needs to be solved, I won't quit until we figure out a solution. I will bring your concerns to the other council members and like learning a new chord, I will stick with that concern until we figure it out.
Ask for the Vote
I would like your vote for secretary of the student council. You never know, I may even bring my guitar to a student council meeting or two and just set it by my side as a reminder of why we need to work hard to achieve worthwhile things.
Treasurer Election Speech Example
A class treasurer needs to show his or her trustworthiness and math abilities during the speech.
Beginning of Speech
Hello fellow students and staff,
I don't like to brag, but I'm really good at math. I know, all of you who are really good at English hate me right now. However, if it makes you feel any better, English is really hard.
The student council treasurer is in charge of keeping track of money and numbers, so this role is a perfect fit for me and I've decided to run for the position.
What I've Done
I've been a member of Jackson High's Mathletes for the last two years. In case you're not familiar with this group, we are a group of students who love math and go out and compete in events. We've won state twice in the last three years.
I also am a member of the orchestra. We perform throughout the school year and at school basketball games.
Ask for the Vote
The student council treasurer has to be good at math to keep track of all those numbers. Vote for me and I'll make sure our numbers add up. I'll also have fun doing it because I'm just crazy enough to love numbers.
Pulling From Different Candidacy Speeches
Another thing you can do is to pull the elements you most like from a number of different speeches. Perhaps you like the opening of one speech and the ending of another, for example. Below are some additional sample speeches to add to the selection of speeches above.
- Funny Intro for Student Council Speeches helps you begin your speech on a light note.
- Funny Speech Examples for Kids helps you inject some humor into your speaking.
- Student Council Speech for Treasurer offers an example of a treasurer speech.
Below is an example of a funny student council speech. The young lady, Daisy Thomas, doesn't mind poking fun at her school or herself, but it's all good-natured and you can tell she cares about her school. It's a short speech but follows the format of who she is, what she's running for, what she believes in, what she will do for the school and asking for her fellow students' votes.
Making Your Student Council Speech Stand Out
While there are certain traits and promises the student body expects from every candidate's speech, they want to choose one person who stands out from the crowd. Even if you are running for a smaller position such as a PR officer or sergeant-at-arms, you may need to make a great speech as well in order to get elected. Make your speech the most memorable one in the room with these tricks and tips.
- Grab a thesaurus and look for synonyms of common words used to describe the position you're running for. When all the other secretarial candidates talk about their attention to detail, you can use words like meticulous or assiduous to sound different.
- Include visuals like props, a themed outfit, or specific hand gestures to give your speech a multidimensional feel.
- Choose a speech theme to structure your presentation like a specific social media platform, a historical event, or a particular sport. Look for a theme that relates well to your desired position.
- Invent a catchphrase that captures the spirit of your speech to keep the student body talking about it all the way to the polls.
- Tailor a famous speech to make your points by changing a few choice words and keeping the most famous lines intact.
- Add sound effects, song lyrics, or music to give the speech more life.
- Keep your speech short and to the point and be honest about why you'd like the position regardless of whether it's a big or smaller role.
- For smaller roles, such as sergeant-at-arms, auditors, or public relations, hone in on what qualifications you have and use vivid examples to keep your audience interested.
Delivering the Speech
Once you've prepared your speech, practicing a few times alone and in front of an audience can help you get ready to deliver your speech with confidence. Whether your speech is lighthearted and funny, or serious and to the point, there are a few things to keep in mind. During your speech:
- Make eye contact with those you are speaking to and don't focus too heavily on one person.
- If you make a mistake, keep going. No one knows what your speech is supposed to sound like.
- Practice some deep breathing exercises or mindfulness beforehand to calm nerves.
- Visualize yourself doing your speech well the morning of it.
- Remember to take deep breaths throughout your speech and speak a bit slower than you normally would as nerves can cause you to speak more rapidly.
Student Council Speech Jokes
Infusing a bit of humor into your speech can help you better connect with your audience, while making your speech really stand out. You can try using silly jokes, sarcasm, or inside jokes that only those who attend your school would get. You can think about:
- Saying in a serious tone, "Settle in, I've got about three hours worth of material to get through."
- After your speech saying, "Okay, now for my speech."
- Using a teacher or principle as a funny example such as, "I'm as passionate about organization as (insert teacher) and as energetic as (insert teacher) after he/she's finished his/her coffee.
- Saying, "I care about this position as much as (teacher) cares about (insert book, movie, or learning principle that teacher speaks about a lot).
- Saying, "I was really nervous to give this speech so I've been practicing a lot in front of my (insert pet) and he/she said it could use some work, so I guess I'll just give this my best shot."
- Using self-deprecating humor by saying, "My annoying need to be organized and scheduled would make me a great fit for this position."
Make Your Election Speech Memorable
Whether you use one of the samples listed here or write an entirely new speech, be sure to put a personal touch on the speech. By focusing on what makes you unique, your passions and your skills, you will show confidence in front of your classmates and let them see a side of you they may not have seen before. Whether you win or lose the election, you can hold your head high and know you gave the speech your best.
