Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

May/June, 1996

Voting Rules Outlined
by Ted Johnson, Elections & Credentials Chair

1. CURRENT MEMBERSHIP FOR VOTING AND elections shall be determined by the last membership printout for the month preceeding the NADE National Conference. If the printout for the month is not available, the last printout from the recent month preceding the National Conference will be used.

2. Each Chapter or State shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each current member.

3. Discrepancies affecting a Chapter or States’ total number of voting members must be brought to the attention of the appropriate Regional Director. That Regional Director shall contact the Membership Director and advise the Election & Credentials Chair of the resolution before voting or balloting begins.

4. A Chapter or State may split votes in any whole number combination equal to the total votes authorized for that Chapter or State.

5. If a Chapter or State does not have any delegates present for balloting/voting, it can provide a written proxy to another delegate of their region. Upon presentation of the proxy to the Chair of the Election and Credentials Committee, the delegate may cast the votes of the absent Chapter or State. If no proxy is provided, the votes will be cast by the appropriate Regional Director. If a Regional Director is unable to attend the Delegate Assembly, he/she must furnish a written proxy to a region member allowing that member to cast the votes for any absent Chapter or State of the Region.

6. If more than one candidate is nominated for an office, election by secret ballot shall be held. If a candidate for office is unopposed, no balloting will be required and the presiding officer shall immediately declare the sole candidate elected by acclamation.

7. In balloting for National Officers, each Chapter or State shall vote separately. A member of the Election Committee will issue the proper number of ballots for each Chapter or State to the respective Regional Director.

8. Ballots will be counted by members of the Election and Credentials Committee or by NADE members appointed by the Elections and Credentials Chair. A member of the Elections and Credentials Committee, or an appointed NADE member, shall certify and report the results to the Delegate Assembly.

9. A candidate who wishes to have an observer at the counting of the ballots must submit the name of the observer in writing, to a member of the Elections and Credentials Committee, or an appointed NADE member, no later than one hour prior to the convening of the Delegate Assembly for the election. No observer shall in any way interfere with the counting of the ballots by the Committee members.

10. A majority vote is required to elect a candidate to office. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast in an election, a second election will be held. The candidates for the subsequent election shall be those two receiving the highest and the second highest number of votes in the initial election.

11. Only full members are eligible to serve as officers of the Association.

12. The Chairman of the Election and Credentials Committee shall provide Voting Rules for printing in the Advocate prior to the Annual Conference and have copies of these rules available for review by the members at the Delegate Assembly.