h4. Table of Contents
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h2. Elections Chair Overview
*Selection and Qualifications:*
* An Elections Committee is appointed by action of the Executive Board, not later than January. The Committee includes the Chair of the [Nominations Committee|Chapter Manual - VI. Advisory Council - Nominations] and two additional members, one of whom is designated Chair (See [Article X, Section 1 of the Chapter Bylaws|Chapter Bylaws]).
* Must be a member of the Chapter.
*Term:* The Committee is disbanded following the announcement of the results of the Chapter election at the chapter's Annual Business Meeting. In the event of a contested election, the committee may be requested to assist the Chapter in resolving the contest, or at the President's discretion, a new committee may be appointed with the first body asked to retire thereby avoiding any appearance of bias or impropriety.
*Committee:* Elections Committee
h2. Roles and Responsibilities
h3. Procedures
*Please read the procedures for the* *[*Nominations Committee*|Chapter Manual - VI. Advisory Council - Nominations]* *for additional information and details.*
The election must be completed 60 days prior to the annual (December) meeting.
Elections Committee prepares electronic and paper ballots, using text provided by the Nominations Committee. The ballot should direct voting members to send their completed ballots directly to the Elections Committee chair. Nominations Committee should coordinate on this before completing the ballot text. Closing date for receipt of ballots is noon of the day after the election date prescribed by the Nominations Committee. The return address printed on the ballots shall be the same address as that to which voters send their ballots, so that bounced ballots can be handled expeditiously. The Elections Chair should make a good faith effort to correct and re-send bounced ballots.
Several times after the ballots are mailed and before the election closes, the Elections Committee chair should post a message to the Chapter discussion list, reminding members to vote. Contact information should be given, so that members who did not receive a ballot may request one.
Ballots are brought to a meeting of the Elections Committee, the place having been specified by the Chairperson.
Ballots shall be checked for:
* compliance with requirement that names and addresses appear only on the outside of the mailing;
* membership status of voters (Ballots sent by the Nominations Committee should have been addressed only to members in good standing, nevertheless membership records must be available for verification.);
* accurate marking (Ballots that are improperly marked, too many candidates selected, etc., will disqualify the ballot for that office only).
Ballots not in order will be disqualified.
Ballots may be tabulated by a division of labor: One person opening envelopes, another reading the vote, another recording; or ballots may be opened and tabulated on a list of candidates, one person reading and one recording, another overseeing the procedure.
Compare the tabulations to ensure accuracy. The Chair records the total number of ballots, the number disqualified, and the vote for each office, according to candidates and in alphabetical order. Unless otherwise required by the bylaws, a simple majority vote shall prevail and/or decide all issues.
The Chair, or other designated Elections Committee member, notifies candidates individually whether they were elected or not. This notice should be made immediately after the ballots are counted, and before any publication of the election results appears.
h3. Duties
# The Chair shall specify a time and place to receive the ballots from the Corresponding Secretary after the closing date for receipt of the ballots, as prescribed by the Nominations Committee.
# The Committee shall meet and check ballots for:
a. Names and addresses only on the outside of the mailing.
b. Membership status of the voters. Only members in good standing may vote.
c. Accuracy. Ballots that are improperly marked, too many candidates selected, etc., will disqualify the ballot for that office only. Ballots not in order will be disqualified.
# Tabulating and recording the ballots:
a. Ballots may be tabulated by a division of labor: One person opening envelopes, another reading the vote, another recording; or ballots may be opened and tabulated on a list of candidates, one person reading and one recording, another overseeing the procedure.
b. Compare the tabulations to ensure accuracy.
c. The Chair records the total number of ballots, the number disqualified, and the vote for each office, according to the candidates and in alphabetical order.
d. Unless otherwise required by the bylaws, a simple majority vote shall prevail and/or decide all issues.
e. Tabulations must be completed between the date of the election specified by the Nominations Committee and the date if the Chapter's Annual Business Meeting.
f. The Chair of the Committee shall announce election results at the Chapter's Annual Business Meeting.
# The Chair or other designated Elections Committee member, notifies candidates individually whether they were elected of not. This notice shall be made immediately after the ballots are counted, and before any publication of the election results appears.
h3. Meetings
A meeting is held to acquaint committee members with procedure. One or possibly two meetings may be held for the tabulation of votes.
The Elections Chair should be present at any meeting of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council in which Chapter Elections will be discussed, or in which the Elections Chair has requested a place on the agenda.
h3. Records
# Copies of the election results and the report of the Elections Committee will be forwarded to the Chapter President (which shall become the Archives copy).
# A copy of the Election results is also provided to the editor of Chapter Notes, but should not be published in an issue that would appear before the Annual Business Meeting.
# Records of office will be deposited with the Chapter Archivist at the conclusion of the Committee's business, but the ballots should be destroyed immediately after the Annual Business Meeting.
h3. Files for the Next Elections Chair
* [Nominations/Elections Schedule|Chapter Manual - IV. Governance Calendar#Nominations/Elections Schedule]
h3. Reports
* The Chair of the Committee must be present at the Chapter's [Annual Business Meeting|Chapter Manual - IV. Governance Calendar#Annual Business Meeting] to report the election results.
* Submits a written annual report to the Chapter President not later than November 5 of each year. This report is incorporated into the President's report that is submitted to SLA Headquarters, with highlights appearing in the December Chapter Notes.
* Completed files, working papers, and correspondence of any specific year shall be transferred to the Chapter Archivist for review, selection and storage.
h3. Expenses
Requests for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenditures may be submitted to the Treasurer, and should be accompanied by receipts if available and brief statements concerning the nature of the expenditures. Unplanned expenses over $100 needs to be approved by the Treasurer and the President's approval.
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h2. Elections Chair Overview
*Selection and Qualifications:*
* An Elections Committee is appointed by action of the Executive Board, not later than January. The Committee includes the Chair of the [Nominations Committee|Chapter Manual - VI. Advisory Council - Nominations] and two additional members, one of whom is designated Chair (See [Article X, Section 1 of the Chapter Bylaws|Chapter Bylaws]).
* Must be a member of the Chapter.
*Term:* The Committee is disbanded following the announcement of the results of the Chapter election at the chapter's Annual Business Meeting. In the event of a contested election, the committee may be requested to assist the Chapter in resolving the contest, or at the President's discretion, a new committee may be appointed with the first body asked to retire thereby avoiding any appearance of bias or impropriety.
*Committee:* Elections Committee
h2. Roles and Responsibilities
h3. Procedures
*Please read the procedures for the* *[*Nominations Committee*|Chapter Manual - VI. Advisory Council - Nominations]* *for additional information and details.*
The election must be completed 60 days prior to the annual (December) meeting.
Elections Committee prepares electronic and paper ballots, using text provided by the Nominations Committee. The ballot should direct voting members to send their completed ballots directly to the Elections Committee chair. Nominations Committee should coordinate on this before completing the ballot text. Closing date for receipt of ballots is noon of the day after the election date prescribed by the Nominations Committee. The return address printed on the ballots shall be the same address as that to which voters send their ballots, so that bounced ballots can be handled expeditiously. The Elections Chair should make a good faith effort to correct and re-send bounced ballots.
Several times after the ballots are mailed and before the election closes, the Elections Committee chair should post a message to the Chapter discussion list, reminding members to vote. Contact information should be given, so that members who did not receive a ballot may request one.
Ballots are brought to a meeting of the Elections Committee, the place having been specified by the Chairperson.
Ballots shall be checked for:
* compliance with requirement that names and addresses appear only on the outside of the mailing;
* membership status of voters (Ballots sent by the Nominations Committee should have been addressed only to members in good standing, nevertheless membership records must be available for verification.);
* accurate marking (Ballots that are improperly marked, too many candidates selected, etc., will disqualify the ballot for that office only).
Ballots not in order will be disqualified.
Ballots may be tabulated by a division of labor: One person opening envelopes, another reading the vote, another recording; or ballots may be opened and tabulated on a list of candidates, one person reading and one recording, another overseeing the procedure.
Compare the tabulations to ensure accuracy. The Chair records the total number of ballots, the number disqualified, and the vote for each office, according to candidates and in alphabetical order. Unless otherwise required by the bylaws, a simple majority vote shall prevail and/or decide all issues.
The Chair, or other designated Elections Committee member, notifies candidates individually whether they were elected or not. This notice should be made immediately after the ballots are counted, and before any publication of the election results appears.
h3. Duties
# The Chair shall specify a time and place to receive the ballots from the Corresponding Secretary after the closing date for receipt of the ballots, as prescribed by the Nominations Committee.
# The Committee shall meet and check ballots for:
a. Names and addresses only on the outside of the mailing.
b. Membership status of the voters. Only members in good standing may vote.
c. Accuracy. Ballots that are improperly marked, too many candidates selected, etc., will disqualify the ballot for that office only. Ballots not in order will be disqualified.
# Tabulating and recording the ballots:
a. Ballots may be tabulated by a division of labor: One person opening envelopes, another reading the vote, another recording; or ballots may be opened and tabulated on a list of candidates, one person reading and one recording, another overseeing the procedure.
b. Compare the tabulations to ensure accuracy.
c. The Chair records the total number of ballots, the number disqualified, and the vote for each office, according to the candidates and in alphabetical order.
d. Unless otherwise required by the bylaws, a simple majority vote shall prevail and/or decide all issues.
e. Tabulations must be completed between the date of the election specified by the Nominations Committee and the date if the Chapter's Annual Business Meeting.
f. The Chair of the Committee shall announce election results at the Chapter's Annual Business Meeting.
# The Chair or other designated Elections Committee member, notifies candidates individually whether they were elected of not. This notice shall be made immediately after the ballots are counted, and before any publication of the election results appears.
h3. Meetings
A meeting is held to acquaint committee members with procedure. One or possibly two meetings may be held for the tabulation of votes.
The Elections Chair should be present at any meeting of the Chapter Executive Board and Advisory Council in which Chapter Elections will be discussed, or in which the Elections Chair has requested a place on the agenda.
h3. Records
# Copies of the election results and the report of the Elections Committee will be forwarded to the Chapter President (which shall become the Archives copy).
# A copy of the Election results is also provided to the editor of Chapter Notes, but should not be published in an issue that would appear before the Annual Business Meeting.
# Records of office will be deposited with the Chapter Archivist at the conclusion of the Committee's business, but the ballots should be destroyed immediately after the Annual Business Meeting.
h3. Files for the Next Elections Chair
* [Nominations/Elections Schedule|Chapter Manual - IV. Governance Calendar#Nominations/Elections Schedule]
h3. Reports
* The Chair of the Committee must be present at the Chapter's [Annual Business Meeting|Chapter Manual - IV. Governance Calendar#Annual Business Meeting] to report the election results.
* Submits a written annual report to the Chapter President not later than November 5 of each year. This report is incorporated into the President's report that is submitted to SLA Headquarters, with highlights appearing in the December Chapter Notes.
* Completed files, working papers, and correspondence of any specific year shall be transferred to the Chapter Archivist for review, selection and storage.
h3. Expenses
Requests for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenditures may be submitted to the Treasurer, and should be accompanied by receipts if available and brief statements concerning the nature of the expenditures. Unplanned expenses over $100 needs to be approved by the Treasurer and the President's approval.