PTA Elections FAQ
THE BASICS | NOMINATIONS THROUGH COMMITTEE | FLOOR NOMINATIONS | ELECTION PROCESS
THE BASICS
Who elects the candidates for Officer roles?
That depends on whether the role is for an expired term, or unexpired term. When a role is elected (or up for election) by general membership, it begins that role’s two-year term. If no person is elected to that role during the general membership election, or if that role becomes vacant at any time during the two year term, that vacancy is filled for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Once a role reaches the end of its two-year term, whether filled or vacant, that role is filled through general membership election.
Often, roles are designated in bylaws as “odd year” or “even year” roles, which indicates in which years that role should be elected by general membership. While Ashburton PTA bylaws do not include this specific designation, this is our current election cycle:
- Even Years: President, Treasurer
- Odd Years: Administrative VP, Secretary, VP of Membership, VP of Communications, VP of Programs
NOMINATIONS THROUGH COMMITTEE
May the president serve on the Nominating Committee?
No. The Nominating Committee is the only committee the bylaws excludes the President from membership. For all other committees, the president is ex-officio a member by virtue of the position. However, the President may not be a part of the Nominating Committee given the need to have autonomy from presidential influences on decisions.
May the Nominating Committee nominate the same person for more than one office
(different offices)?
Sometimes. There may be situations where the same person believes he or she may be a good fit for more than one office and the Nominating Committee may agree given all the credentials put forth by aspiring candidates. The Nominating Committee could vote to have the same person nominated for more than one office, however that person cannot be elected to both offices.
May the Nominating Committee nominate more than one person for the same office?
No. Our bylaws task the Nominating Committee with nominating one eligible candidate for each office to be filled.
Is the Board of Directors required to assemble a Nominating Committee to fill unexpired roles?
No, they are not required to. However, the Board of Directors may either assemble a Nominating Committee (or ask the existing Nominating Committee) to put candidates for unexpired roles through the nomination process.
Is the Nominating Committee required to submit a slate of candidates?
No. While this is the charge of the committee, should the Nominating Committee find a candidate unqualified, the committee cannot be forced to submit a nominee.
Are members of the Nominating Committee barred from becoming nominees for
office themselves?
No. Members of the Nominating Committee are not barred from becoming nominees for office themselves. To make such a requirement would mean, first, that service on the nominating committee carried a penalty by depriving its members of one of their privileges; and second, that appointment or election to the nominating committee could be used to prevent a member from becoming a nominee.
FLOOR NOMINATIONS
What does “running from the floor” mean?
In the traditional sense, running from the floor refers to any candidate who announces their candidacy at the time of the election. The PTA process can look a little different, depending on each unit’s operational capacity and procedures. This can include deadlines and self-nomination procedures, and it is up to the Nominating Committee to communicate a process and timeline to general membership when announcing the candidate slate.
Can anyone run from the floor?
Any active member in good standing is eligible to run from the floor.
Why is there a deadline to announce your intent to run from the floor?
When a person announces their candidacy from the floor on election night, they become a write-in candidate. While that is easy to execute in person using paper ballots, it poses a logistical challenge for meeting platforms whose voting ballots do not offer a write-in option. Our deadline of two days before the election ensures an equitable voting process for all floor candidates.
Is campaigning allowed?
No. As outlined by Free State PTA (our state governing body): Campaigning should be viewed as prohibited unless the Board of Directors establish guidelines for campaigning. This is the best practice to ensure fairness and equity of the process.
All candidates are provided this language (also from Free State PTA) during the nominations process:
Campaigning should be viewed as prohibited unless the Board of Directors establish guidelines for campaigning. This is the best practice to ensure fairness and equity of the process.
ELECTION PROCESS
Are elections required to be held in person?
No. The Board of Directors can choose to hold elections virtually or in-person, as long as the election follows the proper procedure for that setting.
Is a vote required for each open role?
That depends on the voting body, as well as the number of candidates, and is outlined in our bylaws:
- General Election: If there is more than one candidate up for election, the winner is elected by ballot and a majority vote shall elect. Our bylaws state that if there is only one nominee for an elected position in a general election, that nominee shall be declared elected.
- Board Election: Any vacancy for an unexpired term is filled by majority vote of the Board of Directors, regardless of the number of candidates.
How are votes validated?
That depends on the election setting.
- In-person voting: Paper ballots are given to each member in attendance. Ballots should include a member ID, name, or email address to be used to verify ballots. Ballots are placed in a ballot box, and are hand counted by tellers once voting closes.
- Virtual Voting: All members should be logged into the virtual meeting using a verified email address that is attached to an active membership. Ballots are provided virtually, and voting results are available immediately upon closing of the vote.
In all cases, our bylaws prohibit voting by proxy, mail-in (including email), and absentee voting.
