ELECTIONS
Section Chief Election
BIOS
Section 1.2 - Section Chief
There shall be two Section Chiefs, one from each Section, who shall be elected by the Voting Members for a two-year term. Election for Northern Section chief shall be on even numbered years, and elections for the Southern Section Chief shall be on odd numbered years. The Section Chiefs shall perform such duties as shall be given by the Region Director. The Section Chiefs shall have a vote in all Region and Eastern Division matters as provided by these By-Laws and the Eastern Division By-Laws. The Section Chiefs shall hold no other elective office in NSPS.
Section 1.3 - Alternate Region Director
The Section Chief with the longest time served in the current position shall also serve as Alternate Region Director, unless that Section Chief abdicates to the other Section Chief. The Alternate Region Director shall have the power granted by the Eastern Division By-Laws including the power to serve as Region Director in the absence of Region Director.
Election Committee members:
Lee Jones, Chair
Looking for additional members to serve on the election committee
ARTICLE I
CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES OF THE NORTHERN VERMONT REGION-2010
Amendment, June 22
The Election Committee shall be responsible for conducting the voting for Regional Director and Section Chiefs and such other matters that may require input from the Voting Members. The election shall conform with the requirements of the Eastern Division By-Laws for Regional Director, Sections 5.2 and 5.3.
Within 14 days of selection of the Election Committee the names and contact information for the Committee shall be posted on the Region Web page along with a call for candidates and other election notices.
Nominations for Regional Director and/or Section Chief shall be submitted in writing to the Election Committee at least 60 days prior to the first balloting. Nominations shall include the nominees name, biography and position statement.
Prior to balloting the Committee shall receive nominations for Region Director and/or Section Chief, and determine the eligibility of the candidates. At least 45 days prior to the first balloting, the committee shall send the eligible nominees names, biographies and position statements to the Patrol Directors, and post the information on the Region Web page. Patrol Directors should include the nomination information in their annual letter to their membership regarding refresher. Upon receiving the rosters from National, the Regional Director shall make copies of all rosters containing names of voting members of the region. Upon receiving the Professional Division rosters from National, but no later than 45 days prior to the first balloting, the Patrol Directors or Patrol Representatives from Jay Peak, Smugglers Notch and Sugarbush will make a copy of their Professional Division roster and send it to the Regional Director to be included in the Voter Checklist. This compiled list shall comprise the Master Voter Checklist.
On the day of balloting the Election Committee representative shall:
- Post the nominees names, biographies and position statements at the polling place prior to opening of balloting.
- Supervise the voting.
- Ensure that each voter is on the Voter Checklist, and that their name is checked off when they place their ballot in the ballot box.
- Secure the ballots. This may be done by having a secure ballot box, sealed with a witness, for each refresher. At the conclusion of that days polling, an additional seal shall be placed over the slot used to insert ballots, the Field Voter Checklist shall be affixed to the outside of the ballot box, and the box returned to a safe holding place identified by the committee to await counting.
(This may be as simple as a cardboard box, secured with shipping tape, with a slot cut for the insertion of ballots. A seal could be a single unbroken piece of shipping tape around the box with the signatures of the Election Committee on it. Prior to each polling meeting a copy of the Master Voter Checklist could be made this becomes the Field Voter Checklist. The names of the voters checked off on the Field Voter Checklist in a color other than black. Then when the ballot box and Field Voter Checklist are returned to the Election Committee the names checked on the Field Voter Checklist transferred to the Master Voter Checklist and the Field Voter Checklist affixed to the ballot box for later use in determining the number of ballots that should be in that box. This will prevent someone who as previously voted from voting again because the Field Voter Checklist will have checked all people who have previously voted. It also provides a record of who cast ballots in each box should a ballot box be declared void and a revote becomes necessary)
Within 14 days of the last polling the Committee shall count the ballots, the total number of ballots shall be within +/- 5% of the number of names checked off on the Field Voter Checklist, per polling station, or the polling at that station shall be declared void, the ballots destroyed, and the results shall not be distributed. A re-vote shall be conducted within 30 days of the date the discrepancy is first detected. The Election Committee shall break ties using an impartial method, which they have previously established, and send the names of the candidates prevailing by a plurality to the Region Director, the Executive Committee, and have the results posted to the regional web site.
The Election Committee shall make available absentee ballots for voting members who can show good cause for not being able to attend any refresher in the Region prior to the last polling meeting. After voting the member shall place the filled out ballot inside a plain envelope, seal the envelope, and mark the envelope “Ballot”. That envelope shall be sealed inside a second envelope. The outer envelope shall be addressed to the Election Committee, have placed on it the name, return address, and patrol name of the voting member, and be marked “Election Ballot”. Upon receiving the returned ballot, the Election Committee shall mark off the voting members name on the voting checklist, open the outer envelope and place the sealed inner envelope in a ballot box to be counted with the other ballots. Absentee ballots shall be postmarked no later than 7 days after the last polling meeting.
Ballots shall be retained for 60 days from the time of counting, in case there is call for a re-count. After 60 days the election shall be certified as final and the ballots may be disposed of. The certified results sent to Chair of the Division Nomination and Election Committee.