Am I eligibile to vote?
Any member whose dues were paid by November 30, 2009 , is eligible to vote in the 2010 board election.
Back in March of 2009, when the board defined the membership year as beginning and ending on Samhain, we discussed that this meant anyone who wanted to vote at Imbolc would therefore have to have been a member since Samhain (actually November 1) to be eligible. This made good sense to us, but that idea is not clearly stated anywhere in the bylaws or in any minutes. Also, the board has since approved a plan that allows for prorating of dues for members joining mid-year (it’s spelled out pretty clearly on the membership form). This leads naturally enough to the assumption that anyone whose dues are current should be eligible to vote, no matter how recently paid. However, the decision that “to vote, one must be a paid member by November 30” was made at the November 16, 2008 board meeting. This rule was in effect at last year’s board election, and since no decision made since then is explicitly in conflict with this rule, it is still in effect.
How many board members are we electing?
Each eligible member will mark one ballot, voting for up to seven board members. Those seven candidates who get the most votes when all ballots are counted will be seated to the new board.
So far, this is like past elections. But there are a few things to know about how our votes will be applied:
First, and this is new – we are phasing in staggered, two-year terms for board members starting with this election. Here’s how that will work: the 3 candidates who receive the most votes in the 2010 election will be seated to two-year terms, and the other 4 to one-year terms. Before next year, the board will need to decide how we will vote thereafter: either for 4 candidates or 3 candidates in alternating years, always for 2-year terms; or always for 4 candidates, 3 of whom will be elected to two-year terms, and 1 for one year (probably according to number of votes won by each).
Second, and this has also been in place since November 2008 – we are required to always have one of the Caretakers on the board. But we do have a new rule to ensure this: if a candidate who is a Caretaker does not get enough votes to be elected to the board, the candidate elected with the least votes will be replaced by the Caretaker candidate who came closest to having enough votes.
Finally, should there be a tie for the “number 7” position (yes, it’s happened), it will be decided by the consensus of the members of the standing board. (Naturally, if one of that board is one of the candidates tied for a position on the new board, s/he will abstain from that vote.)
What are the offices, and how are officers elected?
Officers will be nominated and elected by the board at their first meeting.
Technically, all board members are officers, but there are five offices with more specific duties, which are defined in our bylaws and by custom. Those include President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Caretaker Treasurer. The two remaining board members are properly called Directors.
We like to see that first meeting of the new board held on the Sunday immediately following the election, if possible. But to be fair, if all the new board members are not present, the only business that can be properly conducted would be to set a time for a first meeting!
What will election night look like?
The current board President will call a meeting to order and appoint three Inspectors of Election, as provided in our bylaws. Then the verification and counting of votes will begin.
You may bring a ballot you’ve printed from the files online with you, or pick up a printed ballot after ritual Saturday night, when the Secretary will have blank ballots and the ballot box available in the main room of the Community Center. After marking the ballot to indicate no more than seven candidates you want on the board, fold it to conceal your votes. Once your name is checked against the list of eligible voters and checked off (our Secretary will have that list, and it will be posted here ahead of time so the possibility of errors can be addressed), you will be allowed to put only one marked ballot in the box.
During balloting, the Custodian of Ballots (see below) will give all ballots that were delivered early (in their envelopes – see below) to the Secretary, who will check each envelope containing an early ballot against the list of eligible members. Any envelopes bearing names not on the list will be thrown out with their ballots. The first Inspector will remove the ballots from the envelopes bearing names of eligible members and place those ballots in the ballot box.
At 8 pm , the President will call the election meeting to order and call for any remaining ballots to be delivered, and balloting will be closed. The President will then appoint the three Inspectors of Election.
The first Inspector will verify the validity of the ballots, and the second and third will count the votes. The first Inspector will check all the ballots, throwing out any ballots with more than seven votes marked, and will hand each verified ballot on to the second Inspector. The second Inspector will make a tally of the votes on each ballot; the ballot then goes to the third Inspector, who will tally the votes again to verify the count.
The second and third Inspectors will do the tallying of votes on the dry-erase board in the main room of the Community Center. When all ballots have been counted, if there is a discrepancy in the Inspectors’ counts, all votes will be counted again by all three Inspectors until there is agreement.
The President will announce the names of each winning candidate, identifying the three new board members who will be serving two-year terms, and will then adjourn the meeting. The results of the vote will be written and signed by all three Inspectors, the President, and the Secretary; the Secretary will attach the written verification to the minutes.
What if I’m eligible to vote, but I can’t be there on election night?
Members can submit their ballots early by physically dropping them off at
Deeply Rooted; by mail; or by email.
A ballot will be posted to Deeply Rooted’s Yahoo Groups, and may be available at deeply-rooted.org as well. There will be a Word document and a PDF, and they will be posted to the Files page of the Yahoo groups – so you’ll have to go there to get it. We’ve tried posting ballots directly to the list, but it seems like the format never ends up right when we do that, and we can’t add attachments to list postings.
If you can get to DR before the election but can’t be there election night, leave your ballot, in a sealed envelope marked with your name and “Deeply Rooted – Elections,” on the altar (that table in front of the window) inside the Community Center. If possible, give it directly to Wade Mueller, this year’s Custodian of Ballots. You could also send it with a friend, but your signed envelope must be sealed and given to Wade.
If you’re mailing a ballot, just print out a ballot form, mark the candidates you wish to vote for, and DO NOT sign it. Then just pop it in an envelope, be sure to include your name on the return address, and mail it to:
Deeply Rooted – Elections
7021 Bungaloo Road
Athens, WI 54411
If you won’t be able to get your ballot to DR before the election and are uncomfortable with mailing it, you can email it to Wade on or before Wednesday, January 27, 2010 . You should be able to open the Word document, mark it right on your computer, and send it as an email attachment; just don’t save your marked copy to the Files page or send it to the group’s email list. Email you ballot only to Wade at
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-- he will make sure your identity isn’t indicated on the ballot and will put it in an envelope marked with your name and submit it on election night. If you just can’t get the ballot forms to work for you at all, email your list of choices to Wade and he can mark an actual ballot for you.
The reason for putting your ballot in a signed envelope? That allows our Secretary, who will not see the ballots themselves, to verify the eligibility of the member whose name appears on the envelope.
How do I make sure my vote is valid?
First, verify that your dues have been up-to-date since Nov 30, 2009.
Second, if you are mailing your ballot or dropping it off before election night, have your ballot in a sealed envelope marked with your name – one ballot per envelope, please! However you get your ballot in, DO NOT sign your name to the ballot itself.
Finally, you may vote for NO MORE THAN SEVEN candidates. Voting for fewer than seven candidates is not a problem. Write-in votes will not be counted.
Board Info
