Anybody can stand to be chancellor of Oxford University providing they obtain nominations from 50 members of convocation. That is, former students who obtained a degree (other than an honorary degree), or existing or former members of congregation - the university's legislative body, comprising of 3,600 academic and administrative staff.
Other than the written consent of the candidate, there are no formal requirements. The chancellor does not need to be British, a graduate of Oxford, or even a graduate.
Elections take place at Convocation House in term-time over two days, one of which must be a Saturday. All members of convocation are entitled to vote but must do so in person. Their names will be checked off against a register of all university members. The date of the election is to be decided by the 26-member university council, the main policy-making body.
In 1987 of the 40,000 university members eligible to vote; 8,300 did so, the highest recorded. Lord (then plain Roy) Jenkins, the proportional representation enthusiast, won on a first-past-the-post ballot with 3,249 votes, beating Lord Blake's 2,674, Sir (then Mr) Edward Heath's 2,348 and Solihull GP Mark Payne's 38.
The present size of the electorate is officially unknown. Prior to a change made to the university statute in October 2002, the only Oxford graduates eligible to vote were those who had made the effort to pick up their MAs, obtainable through the university seven years- strictly, 21 terms - after they began their studies, on payment of a £10 fee.
Go to the next item in Oxford's Carry on Chancellor romp.
Click for related items: A Tough Act to Follow by Donald Macleod, 7/1; Position Vacant by Rodrigo Davies, 8/1; Clinton the Wrong Man for Oxford by Catherine Bennett, 9/1; Students back Clinton by Rodrigo Davies, 16/1; Clinton fights shy by Will Woodward and Sarah Hall, 17/1; Open to First Woman? by Rodrigo Davies, 17/1; Chancellorship election rules (plus links for nomination forms etc.) OU Gazette, 23/1; Oxford race wide open The Times Higher (Education Supplement), 31/1.