Election Rules

Ventana Chapter Election Rules and Procedures.

Every year the Ventana Chapter conducts an election for both the Chapter and Group Executive Committees. These committees discuss conservation issues and concerns and establish policies and programs for the chapter and group, in accordance with Sierra Club guidelines.

I. Nominating Committees consist of not fewer than 3 members, appointed each year by ExComs in spring, and whose term expires on Dec. 31. Their membership is published in the August Ventana.

Duties: Select nominees and report names to Chapter ExCom by September 15. NomComs shall nominate at least 2 more candidates than the number of ExCom members to be elected; all must have given their consent to the nomination.

Deliberation of the NomCom may be open or closed at NomCom discretion; no committee members may be nominated. Names of nominees shall be posted on the Chapter website and published in the Ventana.

II. Petition Candidates: the name of any chapter or group member proposed in writing by 25 members (75 members for the Group) and who gives consent shall also be included on the ballot. The petition must be postmarked or delivered to the Election Chair by specified date. etition cadidates may circulate nominating petitions that shall be in a form prepared by the Secretary and made available to petition candidates at the Chapter/Group offices. The form shall provide for names, signature, and addresses of signers and dates of signature. The Secretary shall verify the membership of signers to determine if a sufficient number appear on the petition. A candidate statement in the form prescribed by the Election Chair shall accompany the petition when it is submitted to the Secretary.

Candidate Statements: the Election Chair shall provide to all candidates a standard format for statements, specifying the length, organization, and content. All candidates shall submit statements which conform to these specifications; material may be edited for accuracy, suitability, and length, and is confidential until published. Statements/photos not received by the specified deadline may not be included in the mailing to members.

III. Balloting Committee: This committee of not less then 3 members is appointed by ExCom. No candidate may serve on this committee. Balloting Committee shall prepare for mailing a brief description of the election procedure, the candidates' statements, and ballots with return envelopes. Separate ballots, accompanied by the candidates' statements, shall be mailed to each member. The return envelope shall bear a distinctive return address so as to insure prompt receipt by the Secretary, who shall hold the ballots unopened until the election closes, and then give them to the Balloting Committee for opening, validation, and counting of ballots. The counting process shall be subject to observers, one appointed by each candidate. Balloting Committee shall notify candidates of the time and place for opening and counting of the ballots. If the winning candidates' margin of victory is 10 votes or fewer, the ballots shall be counted again. Before counting ballots, Balloting Committee shall check names off a master list of Chapter members, unless computer printed labels are part of the ballot.

Election Results: shall be reported to the Secretary, who shall report to the candidates and the ExComs. Within 5 days the Balloting Committee shall submit a written report of the election results to the ExCom. The election is not deemed complete until the report is received. The ballots shall be held for one month following opening and counting, after which they may be destroyed by direction of ExCom, if no objection to the election has been made.

ExCom shall establish a formal objection procedure, which shall be initiated within 30 days of the submission of the formal report of Balloting Committee to ExCom. The ballots shall not be destroyed before the end of that 30 day period, or before any formal objection has been processed, including the time during which the election is protested to the national Sierra Club.

IV. Election campaigning:

Campaigning for chapter/group office is permitted; however, no campaign statements other than those submitted to and approved by the Election Chair, and no campaign advertisements, shall appear in the Ventana or any other Sierra Club publication. After publication of names of candidates, no article by or about a candidate may appear in the Ventana unless it pertains to the ordinary performance of the duties of the candidate as a member of the Sierra Club. Each candidate shall have an equal opportunity to respond to published or circulated campaign statements of other candidates and shall be given an equal opportunity to address Sierra Club meetings concerning their candidacy. No candidate may spend more than $100 for campaign expenses, regardless of source. The Chapter membership mailing list shall be made available to candidates for the purpose of sending campaign material. Campaign material shall be identified by source, and copies shall be sent to the NomCom and to all candidates in time to permit timely responses. Sierra Club entities shall not endorse candidates, but any member may endorse and speak for a candidate as an individual, as distinguished from a chapter/group official. Editors of the Ventana are not permitted to endorse a candidate. Candidates may not sign arguments accompanying ballot issues such as bylaw changes. Candidates may address such issues in their candidate statements.

V. Amendments to Election Rules:

Any amendments may be considered and made each year, by May, by ExCom. The rules, as they may have been amended, shall by published each year on the Chapter Website.

VI. Election Timetable:

ExCom shall adopt this annually setting out the dates for all procedures specified in the by-laws and these rules. The timetable shall be published on the website.

Election Timetable

2009 Ventana Chapter Timeline

This timeline is based on the Sierra Club's guidelines for chapter and group elections of members to Executive Committees.

Chapter and Group Election Timetable

July: Chapter and group ExComs each approve names for nominating committees.

July-August-September: Nominating Committees consider chapter/group members for Executive Committees.

September: Rules and Timeline for Chapter and Group Elections published on the Chapter website.

September 15: Deadline for receipt of names for consideration by the NomCom.

October 1: Chapter and Group NomComs submit names of candidates to Chapter and Group ExComs.

November 25: Deadline for receiving candidate petitions.

Early December: Production of eligible voter list.

December 3: Appointment of the Election Committee.

December 16: Mailing dates for ballots inside The Ventana.

December 30: Deadline for postmark on returned ballots.

January 4: Counting of ballots. Candidates wishing to attend the counting of the ballots should contact the Elections Chair for the time and place.

January 8: Election Committee Chair reports election results to Chapter ExCom.

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