Election Administration Manual for STRHA Elections for Table of Contents. General Information. Calendar. Candidates. Qualifications for Office

Transcription

1 Election Administration Manual for STRHA Elections for 2019 Table of Contents General Information Calendar Candidates Qualifications for Office Ballot Access Procedure Election Notices Ballots Procedures Electors Voter Eligibility Absentee Voting Election Officials Elections Administrator Post-Election Activities Certifying the Election Recounts Annex A B STRHA Election Procedures Nomination Form

2 CALENDAR OF ELECTION for 2019 Date October 1, 2018 November 12, 2018 November 15, 2018 November 15, 2018 December 1, 2018 December 1, 2018 December 15, 2018 December 31, 2018 January 15, 2019 Nomination Committee begins accepting candidate names for annual election Final day to submit candidate names to Nominating Committee Nomination Committee submits list of candidates to the STRHA President Final day for members to submit proposed amendments to the STRHA bylaws Voting Instructions sent to STRHA members Proposed amendments to bylaws mailed to membership Annual On-Line Voting Begins Annual On-Line Voting Ends Final Day to Challenge Official Election Results CANDIDATES All candidates must meet certain qualification requirements, and have proper nomination documents submitted in order to gain a spot on the ballot. The Nominating Committee serves as the filing office for STRHA annual elections. Therefore, the Nominating Committee will keep detailed records of candidate filings and correspondence. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE All candidates must meet the criteria established for the position for which he or she is seeking election. The criteria are established in Section 4 of the STRHA Election Procedures contained herein in Annex A. BALLOT ACCESS PROCEDURE Candidates are nominated to STRHA Officer and Director Positions through the filing of a nomination form with the Nominating Committee. The nomination guidelines are established in Section 2 of the STRHA Election Procedures contained herein in Annex A. Annex B contains a

3 sample Nomination Form. All nominations must be with the Nominating Committee by the deadlines given for the candidate s name to be on the ballot. Upon receipt of completed nomination forms, the Nominating Committee will review the filed papers to verify that the candidates meet the requirement of the position and understand the commitments of serving on the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee is responsible for receiving and retaining forms associated with the candidates until the election becomes official and final. Write-in candidate nomination will not be accepted past the deadline to ensure on-line voting can commence on the starting date. ELECTION NOTICES The STRHA Nominating Committee is responsible for publishing five basic election notices: 1. Type A Notice of Annual Election 2. Type B Notice of Election Procedures 3. Type C Notice of Proposed Bylaw Amendments 4. Type D Notice of Voting Instructions TYPE A NOTICE OF ANNUAL ELECTION The purpose of this notice is to inform STRHA members and potential candidates of the offices to be elected and inform them of the upcoming election. This notice must include the following information: 1. Date of the election 2. Board Positions to be elected 3. Name(s) of the current incumbent(s) 4. Length of the term(s) and expiration date(s) 5. Beginning date for accepting nomination forms 6. Deadline for filing nomination forms 7. Proper location or Address for filing nomination forms The Elections Administrator and/or Nominating Committee will publish this information as broadly as possible but no less than on the STRHA website and no later than 15 days before the annual election. TYPE B NOTICE OF ELECTION PROCEDURES The purpose of this notice is to inform STRHA members of the procedures established for annual elections for Officers, Affiliate Directors, and Bylaw Amendment Proposals. The

4 Elections Administrator and/or Nominating Committee will publish this information on the STRHA website no later than 15 days before the election. TYPE C NOTICE OF PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS The purpose of this notice is to inform STRHA members of proposed amendments to the bylaws which will be considered and voted on. No proxy votes are accepted. A simple majority vote of the members is needed to pass a bylaw amendment. The Elections Administrator and/or Nominating Committee will publish this information as broadly as possible but no less than by no later than 15 days before the annual election. TYPE D NOTICE OF VOTING INSTRUCTIONS The purpose of this notice is to inform STRHA members of the candidates for which they will vote as well as the voting instructions. The Elections Administrator will publish this information directly to the of record of an eligible STRHA member during the week before the election opens. BALLOTS The Nominating Committee is responsible for preparing the online voting process to be used in the annual election. PROCEDURES Certifying the Number of Members The STRHA Officer or Director responsible for maintaining the membership records is required to certify to the Nominating Committee the number of members in good standing and eligible to vote in the election no later than 30 days before the annual election. Determining Ballot Order of Candidate Names The order that candidates names appear on the ballot is determined by drawing of lots or some other random determination. Certifying Candidate Names When the Nominating Committee prepares the ballot, they will: 1. Carefully review and proofread each ballot proof before publishing to assure that: a. All board position titles are correct, spelled correctly, and in the correct order

5 b. All candidates names are spelled correctly and in the correct order ELECTORS The STRHA Officer or Director responsible for maintaining the membership records is required to certify to the Elections Administrator and Nominating Committee the number of members in good standing and eligible to vote in the election no later than 30 days before the annual election. The Elections Administrator is charged with the responsibility of maintaining records to track voting through the normal online election procedures. Voter Eligibility Each STRHA membership shall be entitled to one vote. The eligibility to vote is established in Article VII, Section 3 of the bylaws and further defined in Section 6 of the STRHA Election Procedures contained herein in Annex A. Election Officials Elections Administrator Before the annual election day, the Elections Administrator and Nominating Committee have made a number of preparations to ensure a smooth election. The Elections Administrator and/or Nominating Committee should have already made preparations for delivery of online ballots, posting of required notices, and a contingency plan for unforeseen incidents. During the election, the Elections Administrator serves as a resource for questions and troubleshooting. Role of the Elections Administrator The Elections Administrator has the duty to finalize the tally of each election and announce the results at the conclusion of the election. The role of the Election Administrator is further outlined in Section 3 of the STRHA Election Procedures contained herein in Annex A. Post-Election Activities The official results of the elections are not determined until the Nominating Committee has met and verified the vote. The election is not complete and no recount can be requested until the vote verification has been completed.

6 Upon completion of the validated tally, the STRHA official election results shall be immediately released via notice to all members and published in the STRHA website. Recounts A recount is the exclusive remedy to test the right of a candidate to hold a Board of Directors or Officer position based on the number of votes cast at an election. Any candidate voted for may request a recount of the position to which he or she was seeking election. Likewise, any elector who voted on a bylaw amendment may request a recount of that vote.