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ARTICLE X: ELECTIONS
Section 1. Nominating Committee.
Nominating Committee Chairperson. The Board of Directors shall elect a Nominating Committee chairperson from said Board to coordinate the election process. Such chairperson shall serve for one (1) year. Such choice may be renewed by the Board at its discretion.
Other Committee Members. The chairperson shall select at least two (2) other persons from different geographical areas.
General Guidelines.
No person serving on the Nominating Committee shall be nominated for office without first resigning from said committee.
Nominations for President-elect and Secretary/Treasurer should be chosen from different geographical areas.
No person then serving as an officer of the Association shall at the same time serve on the Nominating Committee.
Section 2. Election Method.
Procedures shall be followed according to date specified:
Call for Nomination. A minimum of one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the annual meeting, a nomination ballot indicating requirements and requesting nominations for the office of President-elect or Secretary/Treasurer shall be mailed to all active and associate members.
Included with this ballot will be a list of those who are eligible for nomination with their addresses and telephone numbers.Return of Nomination Papers. Interested, eligible candidates shall fill out a curriculum vitae sheet and return it to Association headquarters office within thirty (30) days of postmark on nomination papers mailing envelope.
Ballots to Nominating Committee. Each member of the Nominating Committee shall be given a copy of all nominations within fourteen (14) days of the closing date for nominations.
Nominating Committee to Choose Candidates. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of nomination ballots, Nominating Committee members will meet in person or by conference call to select the number of candidates to be included on the election ballot.
At least one (1) candidate but not more than three (3) candidates will be selected to run for each office of President, President-elect and Secretary/Treasurer.Selections sent to Association Headquarters. Within the same thirty (30) day time period, a ballot sheet listing the selections of the Nominating Committee will be sent to the headquarters office.
Mailing of Ballots to Active and Associate Membership. The headquarters office will mail ballots to appropriate members a minimum of fourteen (14) working days after their receipt or will post the ballots on the Association's voting web site for electronic voting by eligible members.
The headquarters office with review of the Nominating Chairperson is responsible to ensure that the ballot is correct and within the constraints of these bylaws before mailing or posting on the web site.Return of Completed Ballots to Headquarters Office.Paper ballots shall be returned to the headquarters office a minimum of twenty-one (21) working days of the postmark stamped on the mailing envelopes. Electronic voting must take place within twenty-one (21) working days of the date of posting on the Association's voting web site.
Ballots received or voted electronically after this date will not be included in the tabulation of election results.Ballots Stored at Headquarters. Completed paper ballots will remain unopened and secure at Association headquarters until opened and tabulated at the annual meeting.
Tabulation of Ballots. The chairperson of the Nominating Committee and two (2) Association members appointed by the President shall be responsible for tabulation of the election results. If voting has been completed electronically, the tally of any paper ballots submitted will be added to the results of the electronic vote.
Determination of Election Results. A simple majority (fifty percent [50%] plus one [1]) of all valid votes shall decide the results of the election.
Tabulation Summary. The Nominating Committee chairperson shall prepare a tabulation summary report of all votes cast. This report will be signed by the Nominating Committee chairperson and the two (2) members who participated in the tabulation process.
This tabulation summary will be maintained as a permanent record at the Association headquarters.Tie Votes. In the event of a tie in the election, each member of the current Board shall cast a vote to break the tie.
The President shall cast the deciding vote in the event of a second tie.Destruction of Ballots. After a vote of the membership, the paper election ballots will be destroyed by the chairperson of the Nominating Committee. The votes cast electronically will be permanently deleted.
Section 3. Officers Taking Office.
Officers will take office at the close of the annual meeting at which the election results were announced and shall serve for the amount of time specified in these bylaws.
