Board Nomination and Voting Procedure

• The election procedure is based on our existing Statutes & Bylaws and will be carried out before the Conference & GA.
• This nomination and voting procedure has been ratified by the GA of 2003, and amended by the Independent Election Committee in 2014 in order to include “electronic voting”.
• The Election is conducted by the Independent Election Committee, appointed by the Board.
• All individual members of the Association are entitled to be a candidate in the election. Nominations are invited in the Newsletter, by e-mailing members and on the WAPCEPC website.
• Voting papers and instructions are sent out by the Independent Election Committee to Organizational members
• Information about electronic voting procedures are sent out by the Independent Election Committee to Individual members
• All Individual and Organizational members who have paid their dues for the year of the election by the 15^th May will receive the voting papers and instructions.
• Each Individual paid-up member will have one set of electronic votes and Organizations will have the number of voting sheets described in the Bylaws.
• Those 9 candidates who receive the highest numbers of votes will be duly elected (if they received a vote of at least 33% of those who sent their votes, Individual and Oganizational members taken separately – see below).

Voting procedure and instructions

Members are allowed to vote for a maximum of 9 out of all candidates, but they can vote for less; if they vote for more, all their votes are invalid.

The votes of Organization and Individual members are counted separately. Those candidates who have received at least 33% of the votes caste, in both separate groups of members (Individual and Organizational) are listed separately. Those (a maximum of 9) with the highest average rank (on the basis of their ranks in both lists) are elected.

In the case where not enough members are elected, the GA can add up to 9 members. People who were nominees for the mailed ballot can stand as candidates again if they wish. Again, to be elected candidates need at least 33% of the Individual and Organizational votes at the GA (including proxy votes).

The results of the ballot will be sent to the Board before June 15 and given at the General Assembly.

The newly elected Board will take up its duties at the end of the Assembly. Upon their election, the successful candidates will choose the following posts from among their number:

• Chair of the Association
• Treasurer of the Association
• Secretary of the Board

Election results will be notified to the membership in the WAPCEPC Newsletter.

Votes of Organizational members

Each Organizational member receives a voting pack containing 2 sheets (bearing the logo of WAPCEPC), one containing the names of the candidates and a box in which to place a mark to vote, but this sheet will not show the Organizational member’s name. The second part will show only the Organizational Member’s name and contact details. These two voting parts will be the only ballot papers. They should be sent back simultaneously as two e-mail attachments. The  Independent Election Committee will separate the two parts before counting the votes.

Votes of Individual members

Individual members will be required to logon to the website and navigate to the voting section. There they will be able to click beside the names of the candidates they wish to vote for. Only one vote per candidate and a maximum of 9 votes. The website “Sign in” will ensure that each member can only vote in the voting section once.

Confidentiality

The Committee will maintain confidentiality. They give to the Board the number of votes for each candidate, but never reveal how members voted.

To guarantee the anonymity still further, the Independent Election Committee will separate the two parts of organizational votes before counting them. Both parts of sheets should be preserved for six months after the Conference & GA (in case of a challenge against the results).  The Independent Election Committee will also ensure that an auditable record of the electronic voting is also preserved for 6 months.