The process for conducting elections differ with the two types of elections held in the local - Executive Officers and Local Office Reps. The elements are the same but the mechanics are different because of obvious geographic obstacles. The elements will be explained here and the mechanics of implementing those elements may be different when applied to each type election and therefore will be provided where needed.
Element: Election Committee
The Election committee has complete authority to conduct all aspects of the nominations and election. The President and Treasurer, have a constitutional responsibility to cooperate with the committee and cannot interfere or usurp the decisions of the committee.
Committee members must be neutral and refrain from nominating, supporting and endorsing candidates. A committee member can not be a candidate for office.
Each Election committee will select their chair. The Chair calls and conducts all meetings and assures minutes are kept along with all election records.
MECHANICS: Obviously, where office rep election committees consist of one member, meeting minutes will not exist.
Election Rules and Requirements
AFGE Election Manual http://http://www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Fuse=document&documentID=21&FileID=2395 This manual addresses conducting all elections within the Federation. All committee members are expected to read "AFGE Rules of Conduct for an Election" as set forth in Appendix A of the manual and the AFGE Constitution.
The committee should consider setting dates, times and place for both the nomination and election, consider what will encourage maximum participation. Members must be given a REASONABLE opportunity to nominate and elect candidates. When setting the calendar allow adequate time for each step of the process.
AFGE Rules require that notice of nomination shall be 10 calendar days in advance, elections 15 calendar days in advance. Election protest must be filed within 10 calendar days after the election results are announced.
Update Membership Information
The Treasurer will provide the committees with a current and updated list of members in good standing who are eligible to vote. All candidates will be allowed to inspect the list of members and addresses. Management members and confidential employees must be allowed to vote.
During the nomination and election process, if a member is found not to be in good standing, the Election Committee will provide the member an opportunity to submit payment of dues needed to bring them current.
MECHANICS: The Local's incumbent Treasurer will notify all election committee chairs of changes in membership throughout the election process. It will be the committee's charge to inform candidates of these changes.
Element: Election Correspondence
Nominations
The Nomination notice must be mailed/distributed 10 days prior to the postmark or nomination deadline.
A timely, dated, nomination notice may be issued to active and retired members via local publication, posting, personal email and/or mail. To be considered timely, the notice must give "timely notice reasonably calculated to inform all members of nominations and of the proper method for making nominations"
Notice will include offices for which nomination is sought, eligibility requirements, and term of office. The notice will also include the means by which nomination may be made and accepted. (i.e., All candidates are to be nominated and seconded by a member in good standing. Seconded self-nominations are acceptable.
The committee may provide more than one means for nomination by members.
Observers may be present for each step of the balloting and tallying process. Therefore the committee must inform all members of the opportunity to have observers present for the opening and tallying of nominations.
The committee will decide whether a nominator is a member in good standing and whether a particular candidate is eligible. The Election Committee will notify, in writing, any candidate found to be ineligible along with the reason for disqualification.
At the close of nominations declare unopposed candidates to be elected by acclamation.
MECHANICS: For Executive Officer elections, nominations may to be mailed, or e-mailed to the
committee's non-government election committee only email address as determined by the committee
For Local Office Rep elections, nominations may be emailed to the committee's non-government election committee only email address or placed in a sealed box that the committee member can see at all times.
Election Notice
The election notice and ballot must be mailed/distributed 15 days prior to the postmark or election deadline.
The timely, dated election notice can NOT be be delivered via government email.
See Attachment 5 of the AFGE Election Manual for model language for the Election Notice.
Element: The Election
Ballots
The election committee will determine how its lists the candidates positions on the ballot, as well as, the order in which candidates are listed. Candidates are to provide the correct spelling and preferred name to be shown on the ballot.
MECHANICS: Executive Officer Election-Voting instructions require that a "secret ballot" envelope be provided each member. This envelope will not contain any identifying information. Members will be instructed to seal and return the "secret ballot" and mail inside an envelope which clearly identifies the member. This will ensure secrecy and allow the committee to identify the member casting the vote, as a member in "good standing"
Local Rep Elections - In the rare instance a member cannot be present for the election, these members will be given the opportunity to submit an absentee ballot. The committee will inform the Treasurer of the need for an absentee ballot, the return address for the ballot and the date the ballot must be returned. The Treasurer will prepare and mail the absentee ballot containing the Election Notice, Ballot and Voting Instructions.
Candidates
The committee will meet with candidates to discuss election and campaign rules and to identify observers. Candidates must be members in good standing. That is, a member who's dues are current. Candidates must also be a member of AFGE (not the local) for one year immediately preceding the closing of the nomination process and not be a member of a labor organization not affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Members in management and confidential employees are not eligible to run for office even though they must be allowed to vote.
Candidates are not allowed to run for more than one Executive Board Office. A member can run for Office Representative and Executive Board Officer.
Candidates are not allowed to use any union or agency resources in campaigning for office, no matter how trivial.
The Election Committee will coordinate the distribution of Campaign Literature with nominated candidates. The local election committee, not the candidate, will use labels to mail out campaign literature. Candidates are to provide the committee with a copy of the campaign literature to be distributed, sufficient number of blank labels and the signed and stuffed envelopes containing their campaign literature in an amount sufficient for the distribution to all members.
Election
Ensure the election of all Officers and Local Representatives is by secret ballot and by majority vote.
Candidates are allowed to have observers during the opening of election ballots.
MECHANICS: No campaign literature can accompany election correspondence distributed by the election committee.
Do not discard any election correspondence or materials.
The Executive Officer Election Committee will turn all documents over to the newly elected Secretary.
The Local Rep Election Committee Chair will retain all materials and correspondence until the next election
Report
Report will include how nominations were made and accepted. Include number received before and after the deadline date.
All election correspondence will be made part of the official record and given to the Local's elected Secretary at the conclusion of the Election Committee's work
