Nominations shall be closed at the (second month) chapter meeting. In the event the number of nominees equals or is less than the number of authorized Conference delegate positions, the nominees shall be declared elected and no balloting shall be required.
When there are more nominees for Conference delegate than there are available positions, balloting shall be conducted at the worksites. Election shall be by secret ballot vote. At least one (1) worksite organizer (WSO) or designee shall be appointed as teller to conduct the voting at each designated worksite, which shall begin and end on the same day. In the event a worksite has no worksite organizer (WSO) or member(s) willing and able to oversee balloting at their worksite, members of that worksite may vote at the (third month) chapter meeting.
The Elections Committee shall have the responsibility for the conduct of the election. No nominated candidate shall be appointed to the Elections Committee.
The Elections Committee will notify the members at each worksite at least five (5) working days prior to the balloting date of the location of their balloting site, the specific date and time(s) during which balloting will take place and the name of the WSO or designee conducting the worksite balloting. Balloting times shall be established in such a manner as to accommodate the various employee work schedules. The Elections Committee will prepare and distribute ballots, ballot boxes/receptacles, eligibility lists and a list of all worksite tellers with contact information to the WSO or designee. The WSO or designee is responsible for maintaining the custody of the ballots and ballot box/receptacle. Completed ballots are to be brought to the (third month) chapter meeting by the WSO, designee or a member of the Elections Committee.
The worksite teller shall verify OSEA membership in good standing and members shall sign or initial for receipt of their ballot on the eligibility list provided by the Elections Committee members. Only members in good standing shall be permitted to vote.
Should the name of a bargaining unit employee be missing from the eligibility list, the worksite teller shall contact the chair of the Elections Committee who shall verify membership status with the State Association. Upon verification of membership status, the employee's name shall be added to the eligibility list and the employee shall be allowed to vote. If membership status cannot be verified, the employee shall be allowed to cast a ballot, which shall be sealed in an envelope and held by the Elections Committee pending verification. Should the ballot not affect the outcome of the vote, it shall remain in the sealed envelope and held on file with the tabulated ballots.
If an employee is on temporary assignment at a worksite other than their regular worksite, the worksite teller shall contact the worksite teller at the employee's regular worksite, verify the employee's membership status and, if a member, the employee's name shall be added to the eligibility list and shall be allowed to vote. The worksite teller at the employee's regular worksite shall note the employee had voted at the other worksite on their eligibility list.
Voted ballots shall be deposited into a closed and secure ballot box/receptacle which shall be kept in a secure location by the worksite teller. Ballots shall not be signed, initialed or numbered in any manner as to reveal the identity of the member voting.
The Elections Committee will validate and tabulate all ballots at the (third month) chapter meeting. The total number of ballots issued and returned shall be verified against the eligibility list for each individual worksite prior to combining all returned ballots for the final count of all votes. If there is a discrepancy, the ballots for that worksite shall be held by the Elections Committee to determine if the ballots cast will affect the outcome of the vote. The chair of the Elections Committee will notify the membership of the results of the balloting at said meeting.
It shall require a plurality of votes cast for delegate positions to be considered duly elected. Absentee and proxy votes shall not be allowed. In the event of a tie vote, election shall be determined by lot.
Members not elected as delegates shall be designated as alternates and ranked in descending order based on the number of votes received. Alternates will be called upon to fill vacant delegate positions based on their ranking.
All ballots, tally sheets, notices, eligibility lists and other election materials shall be kept on file for at least one (1) year after the election.
All delegate election requirements and procedures shall be in accordance with OSEA Board Policy.
(Centralized worksite balloting)
Section 3. Elections
Nominations shall be closed at the (second month) chapter meeting. In the event the number of nominees equals or is less than the number of authorized Conference delegate positions, the nominees shall be declared elected and no balloting shall be required.
When there are more nominees for Conference delegate than there are available positions, balloting shall be conducted at a centralized worksite as determined by the Executive Board. Election shall be by secret ballot vote. The Elections Committee shall have the responsibility for the conduct of the election. No nominated candidate shall be appointed to the Elections Committee.
The Elections Committee will notify the members at least five (5) working days prior to the balloting date of the location of the balloting site and the specific date(s) and time(s) during which balloting will take place. Balloting times shall be established in such a manner as to accommodate the various employee work schedules.
The Elections Committee shall verify OSEA membership in good standing and members shall sign or initial for receipt of their ballot on the eligibility list.
Should the name of a bargaining unit employee be missing from the eligibility list, the chair of the Elections Committee shall verify membership status with the State Association. Upon verification of membership status, the employee's name shall be added to the eligibility list and the employee shall be allowed to vote. If membership status cannot be verified, the employee shall be allowed to cast a ballot, which shall be sealed in an envelope and held by the Elections Committee pending verification. Should the ballot not affect the outcome of the vote, it shall remain in the sealed envelope and held on file with the tabulated ballots.
Voted ballots shall be deposited into a closed and secure ballot box/receptacle. Ballots shall not be signed, initialed or numbered in any manner as to reveal the identity of the member voting.
The Elections Committee will validate and tabulate all ballots at the conclusion of balloting. The chair of the Elections Committee will notify the membership of the results of the balloting.
It shall require a plurality of votes cast for delegate positions to be considered duly elected. Absentee and proxy votes shall not be allowed. In the event of a tie vote, election shall be determined by lot.
Members not elected as delegates shall be designated as alternates and ranked in descending order based on the number of votes received. Alternates will be called upon to fill vacant delegate positions based on their ranking.
All ballots, tally sheets, notices, eligibility lists and other election materials shall be kept on file for at least one (1) year after the election.
All delegate election requirements and procedures shall be in accordance with OSEA Board Policy.
(Mail balloting)
Section 3. Elections
Nominations shall be closed at the (second month) chapter meeting. In the event the number of nominees equals or is less than the number of Conference delegate positions, the nominees shall be declared elected and no balloting shall be required.
When there are more nominees for Conference delegate than there are available positions, balloting shall be conducted by mail. Election shall be by secret ballot vote. The Elections Committee shall have the responsibility for the conduct of the election. No nominated candidate shall be appointed to the Elections Committee.
The Elections Committee will prepare the election notice and ballots, including instructions for their completion and return, and mail them to each member in good standing at their last known home address at least fifteen (15) days before the last day on which the ballots must be returned in order to be counted.
Mail balloting shall be the same as the "Oregon vote by mail" system with a secrecy envelope (required) and a postage-paid return envelope, signed by the member for verification purposes only. Ballots shall not be signed, initialed or numbered in any manner as to reveal the identity of the member voting.
The chapter shall arrange for a special post office box/mailbox where ballots shall be returned. After the ballot submission deadline has been reached, the chair of the Elections Committee and at least one (1) additional member of the committee shall retrieve the ballots from the post office box/mailbox.
Alternative: With prior approval of the Director of Field Operations, ballots may also be sent to either the OSEA State Office or to the chapter's assigned field office. After the ballot submission deadline has been reached, the chair of the Elections Committee and at least one (1) additional member of the committee shall retrieve the ballots from the field office/OSEA State Office.
All costs associated with the mail balloting shall be the sole responsibility of the chapter.
The Elections Committee will validate and tabulate all ballots. The signature on the return envelope will be checked against the list of eligible voters. The voter will be checked off the list as having voted. The return envelopes are then opened and the secrecy envelopes removed and set aside until all return envelopes have been opened. Secrecy envelopes will then be opened with ballots being placed in a receptacle until all secrecy envelopes have been opened. Ballots will then be removed from the receptacle and counted. The chair of the Elections Committee will notify the membership of the results of the balloting.
It shall require a plurality of votes cast for delegate positions to be considered duly elected. Proxy votes shall not be allowed. In the event of a tie vote, election shall be determined by lot.
Members not elected as delegates shall be designated as alternates and ranked in descending order based on the number of votes received. Alternates will be called upon to fill vacant delegate positions based on their ranking.
All ballots, tally sheets, notices, eligibility lists, return envelopes and other election materials shall be kept on file for at least one (1) year after the election.
All delegate election requirements and procedures shall be in accordance with OSEA Board Policy.
(Remote electronic balloting)
State Association-run election process
Section 3. Nomination to Office
Nominations to fill Conference delegate positions shall be accepted from the floor at the (first month) and (second month) chapter meetings. Only members in good standing may nominate candidates.
Not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the (first month) chapter meeting, a notice of the pending nominations and election shall be sent to each member in good standing. The notice shall include the time(s), date(s) and location(s) for nominations and all other procedural instructions relating to the conduct of the nominations and election. The notice shall advise the members that balloting will occur by remote electronic vote and that any member who does not have access to work email or the means of accessing the remote electronic ballot system may request a paper ballot from the Elections Committee chair at least ten (10) business days prior to commencement of the vote. The Elections Committee chair will forward the request to the OSEA state office/field office.
Section 4. Elections
Nominations shall be closed at the (second month) chapter meeting. In the event the number of nominees equals or is less than the number of authorized Conference delegate positions, the nominees shall be declared elected and no balloting shall be required.
When there are more nominees for Conference delegate positions than there are available positions, balloting shall be conducted by remote electronic vote utilizing an OSEA-approved electronic voting platform. Utilizing a non-OSEA-approved electronic voting program/platform will invalidate the election. Election shall be by secret ballot vote. The electronic voting platform provider, working in conjunction with the OSEA state office/field office shall have the responsibility for the conduct of the election voting. The Elections Committee shall have the responsibility for oversight of the voting process. No nominated candidate shall be appointed to the chapter Elections Committee.
The Executive Board shall designate an officer(s) who is not a candidate in the upcoming election to coordinate with the Elections Committee chair and the OSEA state office/field office regarding any procedural matters involving the election (i.e., determination of voting times, verification of system functionality, identifying and resolving discrepancies and/or ballot rejections, etc.). The OSEA state office/field office, Elections Committee and officer designee(s) shall work within the operational procedures of the electronic voting platform provider.
The OSEA state office/field office shall submit the electronic voting request form to the electronic voting platform provider at least seven (7) business days prior to the vote date with any special instructions and documents in the provider's requested format attached, along with any requests received for paper ballots. Included in the special instructions shall be the number of delegate positions the chapter needs to fill. The OSEA state office/field office shall generate and upload the eligibility list into the voting system to ensure the link to the electronic ballot goes only to members in good standing at their work emails.
At the conclusion of the vote, the OSEA state office/field office shall retrieve the results and email them to the chapter president, Elections Committee chair and assigned field representative. The Elections Committee chair will notify the membership of the results of the balloting.
It shall require a plurality of votes cast for delegate positions to be considered duly elected. Proxy votes shall not be allowed. In the event of a tie vote, election shall be determined by lot.
Members not elected as delegates shall be designated as alternates and ranked in descending order based on the number of votes received. Alternates will be called upon to fill vacant delegate positions based on their ranking.
All notices, eligibility lists, request forms, reports and other election materials shall be kept on file for at least one (1) year after the election.
All Conference delegate election requirements and procedures shall be in accordance with OSEA Board Policy.
Chapter-run election process
Section 3. Nomination to Office
Nominations to fill Conference delegate positions shall be accepted from the floor at the (first month) and (second month) chapter meetings. Only members in good standing may nominate candidates.
Not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the (first month) chapter meeting, a notice of the pending nominations and election shall be sent to each member in good standing. The notice shall include the time(s), date(s) and location(s) for nominations and all other procedural instructions relating to the conduct of the nominations and election. The notice shall advise the members that balloting will occur by remote electronic vote and that any member who does not have access to work email or the means of accessing the remote electronic ballot system may request a paper ballot from the Elections Committee chair at least ten (10) business days prior to commencement of the vote.
Section 4. Elections
Nominations shall be closed at the (second month) chapter meeting. In the event the number of nominees equals or is less than the number of authorized Conference delegate positions, the nominees shall be declared elected and no balloting shall be required.
When there are more nominees for Conference delegate positions than there are available positions, balloting shall be conducted by remote electronic vote utilizing an OSEA-approved electronic voting platform. Utilizing a non-OSEA-approved electronic voting program/platform will invalidate the election. Election shall be by secret ballot vote. The electronic voting platform provider, working in conjunction with the Elections Committee, shall have the responsibility for the conduct of the election voting. No nominated candidate shall be appointed to the Elections Committee.
The Executive Board shall designate an officer(s) who is not a candidate in the upcoming election to coordinate with the Elections Committee chair regarding any procedural matters involving the election (i.e., determination of voting times, verification of system functionality, identifying and resolving discrepancies and/or ballot rejections, etc.). The Elections Committee chair and officer designee(s) shall work within the operational procedures of the electronic voting platform provider.
The Elections Committee chair shall submit the electronic voting request form to the electronic voting platform provider at least seven (7) business days prior to the vote date with any special instructions and documents in the provider's requested format attached, along with any requests received for paper ballots. Included in the special instructions shall be the number of delegate positions the chapter needs to fill. The OSEA state office/field office shall generate and provide the chapter with the eligibility list which shall be uploaded by the Elections Committee chair into the voting system to ensure the link to the electronic ballot goes only to members in good standing at their work emails.
At the conclusion of the vote, the Elections Committee chair shall retrieve the results and email them to the chapter president. The Elections Committee chair will notify the membership of the results of the balloting.
All costs associated with the electronic balloting shall be the sole responsibility of the chapter.
It shall require a plurality of votes cast for delegate positions to be considered duly elected. Proxy votes shall not be allowed. In the event of a tie vote, election shall be determined by lot.
Members not elected as delegates shall be designated as alternates and ranked in descending order based on the number of votes received. Alternates will be called upon to fill vacant delegate positions based on their ranking.
All notices, eligibility lists, request forms, reports and other election materials shall be kept on file for at least one (1) year after the election.
All Conference delegate election requirements and procedures shall be in accordance with OSEA Board Policy.
(Write-in candidates)
Section 3. Elections
Nominations shall be closed at the (second month) chapter meeting. Balloting shall occur for all delegate positions even if the number of nominees equals or is less than the number of Conference delegate positions. Write-in candidates shall be allowed. (Include the balloting procedures for voting at a chapter meeting, voting at worksites, voting at a centralized worksite, voting by mail ballot or voting by remote electronic ballot.)