Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

May/June 2000

Elections And Credentials
by Ruth Trent, Chair

Voting Rules

I. ELECTIONS

A. Current membership is:

1. Used to determine the number of votes each Chapter or State is entitled to cast one vote for each current member; and
2. Determined by the most current membership printout issued prior to the National Conference.

B. Disagreements with the membership printout:

1. Shall be resolved between the Membership Committee Chair and the appropriate Regional Director.
2. Shall be reported to the Election and Credentials Chair before voting begins.
3. Which are not raised and resolved prior to voting shall be resolved by application of voting rule I.A2.

C. Proxies must be presented to the Chair of the Elections and Credentials Committee before voting begins and:
1. For the Chapter or State with no delegates, written proxy will allow another delegate from the same region to cast the votes. 2. For the Chapter or State with no delegates and no written proxy, the appropriate Regional Director may cast the votes.
3. A Regional Director unable to attend the delegate assembly must furnish written proxy to a region member allowing that person to cast the votes of any absent Chapter or State of the region.

D. Contested elections shall:
1. Be resolved by majority vote in secret ballot:
(a) Each state or chapter shall vote separately;
(b) A member of the Election and Credentials Committee shall issue the proper number of ballots to the Regional Directors. (c) Each state or chapter may split their authorized votes in any whole number combination.
(d) Members of the Elections and Credentials Committee, or NADE members appointed by the Elections and Credentials Committee Chair, shall count the ballots and report the results to the Delegate Assembly.

2. Be repeated as a runoff election between the two candidates with the highest votes in the event that one candidate does not receive a majority of the votes.
3. Allow an observer at the request of any candidate provided:
(a) The name of the observer is submitted in writing to a member of the Elections and Credentials Committee.
(b) The request is made no later than one hour prior to the convening of the Delegate Assembly for the election.
(c) The observer in no way interferes with the counting of the ballots.

II. CREDENTIALS

A. To be eligible to serve as an officer of NADE, the candidate must be a current member of NADE, registered as a full member.

B. The Chair of the Election and Credentials Committee shall verify membership with the Chair of the Membership Committee prior to the election.