Nominations, Campaigning, Balloting, and Conducting a Regional Election

Article III. Section Three, of the National Audubon Society By-Laws states, "the Board shall include no fewer than one Director representing each region of the National Audubon Society, who shall have been nominated by either chapters or members of the Society in the region each represents, through procedures approved by the Board ... The names of the regionally nominated Directors shall be placed upon the official slate of nominees of the National Audubon Society for election at the Annual Meeting of Members..."

Nomination Procedures

• All chapters in a Chapter Election Region where an election is to occur shall be sent in September by the Chapter Services Office a letter and information about the election and nomination process and a schedule of deadlines for the election.
  
• Each chapter in good standing on the July 1st preceding the election cycle in a National Audubon Chapter Election Region has the opportunity to nominate one National Audubon member to run via the chapter nomination process.
  
• The member must live in the Chapter Election Region where the election is occurring.
  
• The specific nomination process for each chapter is to be determined by that chapter. The process must be open with notice to chapter members at least 30 days prior to the selection of the nominee. All nominations must be received by the Chapter Services Office by January 31, 2001.
  
  

Campaigning Procedures

• Campaigning by nominees may take place between February 1 and June 30, 2001.
  
• The Chapter Services Office will provide each candidate in the regional election, for campaign purposes, one set of mailing labels containing the name and address of each chapter president in the region, and another set of mailing labels containing the name and address of each chapter newsletter editor in the region. One set of chapter president mailing labels will also be sent to any chapter which nominates a candidate for the regional election.
  
• Each nominee, chapter and council has the opportunity to take whatever campaign steps it deems appropriate to promote the election process.
  
  
  

Chapter Voting Procedures

• The Chapter Regional Election process uses a weighted vote system that provides each chapter with a specific number of ballots. The number of ballots assigned to any given chapter is based on the total National Audubon Membership size of the chapter as of June 30 preceding the election as validated by the Membership Department of National Audubon Society. Chapters with up to 500 members will receive 1 ballot; from 501 to 1000 members, 2 ballots; from 1001 to 1700 members, 3 ballots; 1701 to 2500 members, 4 ballots; and over 2500 members, 5 ballots. A chapter may choose to cast all of its ballots for one candidate or split its vote among the candidates.
  
• Each chapter is responsible for developing and carrying out its election in a fair and appropriate fashion. Whether the election is by membership vote, action of the Directors, or otherwise, the chapter should provide reasonable notice of all aspects of the election process to the members.
  
• Notice of the election could be provided in newsletters, correspondence or memos to members, posted on bulletin boards in places where Audubon activities are normally announced, and/or by announcements at regular chapter meetings. These notices should inform the chapter members of the nominees and their biographies. The date, time and place where the actual chapter voting will take place should always be included.
  
• Ballots will be mailed to the chapter presidents on or about April 1. Chapters are eligible to submit their votes to the Chapter Services Office upon receipt of ballots. The results of the chapter election must be certified by the chapter and received by the Chapter Services Office by June 30. Chapters must return the Election Certification Form provided by the Chapter Services Office in the envelope along with the ballots allotted to the chapter. Chapter elections will be certified with two signatures, one of the chapter president and one of another chapter officer.
  
• Ballots and Election Certification Forms postmarked after June 30 will not be counted.
  
• Chapters are strongly encouraged to return their ballots to the Chapter Services Office using certified mail with "return receipt requested."
  
• The Chapter Services Office will maintain a site for this election on the National Audubon Web Page at http://www.audubon.org/nas/regional/ The site will contain information on the candidates, a reminder of the key dates and a listing of chapters that have returned their ballots.
  
  

Ballot Counting Procedures

• All ballots will be held unopened by the Chapter Services Office until the ballot counting meeting is convened at a predetermined time and place that has been announced to the chapters with the distribution of the ballots. Usually this meeting will be in the Chapter Services Office.
  
• The counting is open to any Audubon member. The official ballot counting team should consist of not less than two chapter representatives from a state or states not having candidates and, where possible and feasible, from more than one chapter. The ballot counting team will open, count and tally the chapter ballots. The candidate receiving the most votes, and at least 40% of the total votes cast, will be declared the regional nominee. The ballot counting team will then certify in writing, to the chairperson of the Nominating Committee for the NAS Board of Directors, the name of the winning regional nominee, whose name will be placed on the slate of nominees to the Board that is voted upon at the Annual Meeting of Members in December. The new nominee will be able to participate in that Board meeting. All ballots will be secured and retained by the Chapter Services Office until after the Annual Meeting.
  
• The Chapter Services Office will announce promptly in writing the results of the election including the number of votes received by each candidate, to all candidates and to the president, or acting president, and newsletter editor of each chapter in the Chapter Election Region. The name of the candidate for whom a chapter voted will not be released by National Audubon but each chapter is to inform its members of the chapter's choice by an appropriate means as determined by its Board of Directors. All nominees will be called immediately after the ballots are counted.
  
• In the event of a tie among the candidates receiving the most votes, or in the event that no candidate receives at least 40% of the votes, the Chapter Services Office will promptly make arrangements to conduct a runoff between the two top candidates. Runoff ballots will be sent to all chapters in the Chapter Election Region.
  
• Chapters with disqualified ballots will receive a prompt letter from the Director of Chapter Development explaining the fact of the disqualification and the reason why the chapter's vote was disqualified.
  
• Any other questions on the election process should be directed to Lynn Tennefoss, Director of Chapter Development, National Audubon Society, Building 30, Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59801. Telephone/Fax (800) 542-2672. Email: ltennefoss@audubon.org