All You Need to Know About Elections and Voting Procedures
Learn about different types of elections, obligations for local and regional elections, election dos and don'ts, what constitutes a valid ballot, and the importance of voter transparency and integrity in the election process.
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ELECTIONS TRAINING IEA REGION 12 JULY 2020
TYPES OF ELECTIONS Local Elections Local President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Regional Council Representative, Building Representatives, etc. Region Elections IEA Representative Assembly Delegates and Ethnic Minority Representative Delegates go to Rosemont each spring to make decisions on the direction IEA will take the following year Delegates elect the IEA President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer and NEA Directors NEA Representative Assembly Delegates and Ethnic Minority Representative Delegates to do a designated city each summer to make decision on the direction NEA will take the following year Delegates elect the NEA president, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer Region Officers Region Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Ethnic Minority Representative, Early Career Representative
ELECTION MUSTS Every local is required to hold an election for IEA delegates, Region Officers Every local must hold a Local Officer election according to their local bylaws Hold the election on the date announced Get a signature for each vote cast. You must have a printed list of the members so you know who can vote. Have them sign next to their name. It is helpful to break the list up by building If a local election, count and tally your building s votes the day of the election Return the election materials to the election chair by the date indicated on the election instruction or sooner. For region-wide elections, these must be returned to the Rushville IEA Office Initial ALL ballots counted Verify that the number of ballots match the number of signatures Immediately communicate any concerns about your building s tally wit your elections chair
ELECTION MUST NOTS No candidate can be involved in the running or tallying of an election. (They can be involved in elections that they are not part of) Leave the election materials unattended (for example in the teacher s lounge) Take a voice vote or electronic vote
WHAT IS A VALID BALLOT? Ballots are valid when the intention is clear As long as the number of ballots is less than the number of signatures, there is NO problem If the number of ballots is GREATER than the number of signatures, notify your election chair after you have completed your tally
LOCAL ELECTIONS Notice of an election should be given at least 15 days in advance Every member must be given a reasonable opportunity to nominate someone or be nominated for an elected position Email nominations can be done at the local level If the number of candidates equals the number of positions available, candidates may be declared elected , provided that no write-ins are permitted Make sure you have a clear, detailed procedure in place for conducting and election and follow those procedures Follow your local bylaws
REGION ELECTION TIMELINE (ALL DATES ARE PENDING REGIONAL COUNCIL APPROVAL) Nomination forms will be sent out on October 19 for IEA-RA and February 1 for the NEA-RA and any Region 12 Elections Nominations will be open for approximately 3 work weeks. IEA nomination deadline is November 6. NEA nomination deadline is February 23 After nominations close, ballots will be printed and mailed out to members at least 21 days before the posted election date IEA-RA Delegate election will be December 2 NEA-RA Delegate elections will be March 23 Region 12 tries to hold all elections on Wednesdays ALL elections MUST be completed on the posted election date After election is completed, all ballots must be returned to the IEA Region 12 office within 7 days of the election date. IEA-RA ballot deadline is December 9 by 5:00 p.m.. NEA-RA ballot deadline is March 29 by 5:00 p.m. The Region Elections Committee will tally the votes at 5:01pm on the specified deadline to return ballots to the Rushville office. Election results will be publicized by the region in the weekly News You Can Use sent out to Local Presidents and the Region 12 Monthly Newsletter sent to all members. All winners of the election will be notified by the Region Chair
REGION VOTING IN YOUR BUILDING Ballots for your entire local will be mailed to the HOME ADDRESS of your local President In your envelope each member should find: Ballots for each of the elections being conducted (Fall: IEA-RA delegates, Spring: NEA-RA delegates, possibly Region Officers) Ballot envelopes for each building This is ONLY for the completed ballots, once completed Self-addressed return envelope that should be returned to the Region 12 Elections Committee PO Box Instruction sheets for completing the election for each building Ballot information sheet for each building (Tally Sheet) Short biography for each candidate
REGION VOTING IN YOUR BUILDING The President (or designated elections chair) will need to have a printed list of the members so you know who can vote. Have them sign next to their name. It is helpful to break the list up by building to make it easier to know how many ballots are needed in each building and to ensure all members have had the opportunity to vote The President (or designated elections chair) will need to separate the ballots and voting materials to distribute to each building Deliver the election materials to each building in their local before the day of the election. These should be given to the Building Representative or whoever is conducting the election in that building Presidents should remind the Building Representatives about conducting the elections a day or two before the election is to be held Presidents should check in on each Building Representative the day of the election to make sure the election is being held in each building
REGION VOTING IN YOUR BUILDING Building Representatives should either visit each of the members on their roster or let each member know of a time and place in which they can cast their vote. They need to make sure every member on their roster is given the opportunity to vote The Building Representative should initial each ballot before they give it to the member Make sure each member signs the roster next to their name when they cast their vote Have the member place their completed ballot into the ballot envelope to ensure secrecy After all ballots are cast, the Building Representative should fill out the election Tally sheet, attach it to the sealed ballot envelope (preferably with Scotch tape). Then return the ballot envelope to the local President After gathering all the completed ballots and ballot envelopes, the President should place them all in the return envelope that is enclosed in the elections packet and return them to the IEA Region 12 Office by sending them to to Illinois Education Association NEA Region 12 Elections Committee, PO Box 223, Rushville, IL 62681 or bringing them into the Region 12 Office in Rushville and placing them in the BALLOT BOX. YOU MAY NOT GIVE THE BALLOTS TO ANY IEA STAFF MEMBER
ABSENTEE VOTING Every member has the right to vote in every local and region election Provisions should be made for absentee voting Absentee voting is for members who will not be at a voting site on the date and time of the election, but should not be used as a convenience Absentee ballots can be cast before the posted election date BUT IT CANNOT BE DONE AFTER Absentee ballots may be requested by any member who believes they will not be in the building at the time the election A double envelope process or other process should be used to ensure and maintain secrecy
INDIVIDUAL VOTING INSTRUCTIONS In your envelope each member should find: Ballot for each of the elections being conducted (Fall: IEA-RA delegates, Spring: NEA-RA delegates, possibly Region Officers) Secret ballot envelope This is ONLY for the completed ballot, once it is completed Signature sheet this must be signed by the member and returned in the self-addressed return envelope to the Post Office Box Self-addressed return envelope that should be returned to the Region 12 Elections Committee PO Box Instruction sheet for completing the ballot Short biography for each candidate
INDIVIDUAL VOTING INSTRUCTIONS Each member should: Complete the enclosed ballot and then place in in the envelope labeled ELECTION BALLOT ONLY and seal the envelope Place the sealed ELECTION BALLOT ONLY envelope along with the completed SIGNATURE SHEET with the name of the IEA member voting in the provided self-addressed return envelope Mail this envelope to Illinois Education Association NEA Region 12 Elections Committee, PO Box 223, Rushville, IL 62681 by the date specified in the election instructions Presidents should: Let members know that ballots are being sent out so they can watch for them at their HOME ADDRESSES Remind members to vote and return their ballots to the Rushville Office PO Box during the voting period
