DBIO Procedures Manual - Nominations and Elections Committee

Qualifications: The Nominations and Elections Committee is appointed by the Division Executive Board no later than early March prior to the annual business meeting. This committee shall be composed of at least three members, none of whom shall be a member of the Executive Board, and only one of whom shall be a member of the previous Nominations and Elections Committee. As much as possible, committee members should be from different types of libraries and regions. Committee members must be members, associate members, or retired members of the Association, as well as members of the Biomedical and Life Sciences Division.

Appointment: The term of appointment is two years, renewable once.

1. The Committee should consider, select, and contact potential nominees according to the attached timetable. Candidates should be contacted until two people agree to run for each office to be contested.
2. The Committee shall obtain the written acceptance of each nominee prior to the submission of its report.
3. The Committee should also request biographical data from the nominee in standard format, such as a resume, so this information can be consolidated for the election with minimum revision or modification. Alternatively, each candidate can be asked to submit a biographical statement of not more than 150 words for inclusion in voting material.
4. The report of the Nominations and Elections Committee, i.e. the prepared slates, shall be published in the Fall issue of Biofeedback, or otherwise sent to Division members. Further nominations, accompanied by written acceptance by the nominee, may be entered by petition of twenty Division members and shall be filed with the Nominations and Elections Committee at least 120 days before the annual business meeting.
5. The Committee coordinates with editor of Biofeedback to ensure that the qualifications of the candidates appear in Biofeedback before the election.
6. Election shall be by printed ballot sent to each member at least 90 days before the annual business meeting. Address labels from the Association should be requested from the Secretary or the Division Chair at least three weeks prior to the ballot mailing.
7. Recent ballot mailings have included:
• Printed ballot with election deadline noted
• Brief resumes of all candidates
• Pre-addressed envelope for mailing ballot (postage to be provided by voter)
8. The Committee sorts and counts the ballots in a convenient manner. The candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for any office shall be elected. The count is verified by the Committee Chair and another SLA member. In the event of a tie, election shall be by majority vote of the members present at the Division annual business meeting. The ballots are held until the annual business meeting and then are destroyed after that meeting.
9. The Committee informs the Division Chair and the candidates within a few days of the ballot deadline of the winners, the total number of ballots mailed out, and the total number of valid ballots received. To be valid, ballots must be postmarked on or before the deadline stated on the ballot. Voting for two candidates for any one office invalidates the ballot vote only for that office.
10. Special elections, should the need arise, should be conducted in accordance with Article IX, Section 5 of the Division Bylaws.
11. The Committee Char will review the appropriate sections of the Procedures Manual in February and submit corrections, revisions, etc. to the Director for inclusion in the next edition.
12. By deadline determined each year (typically August), the Committee Chair shall submit an estimated budget to the Treasurer.

Reports: The Committee Chair prepares an annual report of activities of the Nominations and Elections Committee and submits it to the Division Chair. A copy of the annual report is also sent to the Division Secretary.

Records: Outgoing officers and committee chairs shall send the files which they used during their tenure to their successors at the end of their terms of office, along with their copy of the Procedures Manual. All files they received the year earlier (from predecessor) should be reviewed as to the usefulness for archival retention (see information on retention in the Archivist section). Files include, but are not limited to, important correspondence, fax, e-mail, and summaries of verbal communications deemed important to the business of the Division. The officers and committee chairs may keep copies of any relevant materials but original materials should be transmitted to the DBIO Archivist on the regular schedule.

The original ballots are destroyed by the Committee Chair after the annual conference.

Expenses: The Division will provide funding for expenses including postage and telephone calls if not borne by the incumbent's organization. Other expenses will be approved by the Division's Executive Board. Expenses incurred for organization business will be paid in accordance with SLA guidelines. All expenses must be submitted with a Committee Expenses Form or a Travel Voucher form and be accompanied by the original receipts for reimbursement. Direct payment of bills can be made if the bill is accompanied by a Committee Expenses Form or a Check Request and Payment Approval Form. Advances for expenses, such as printing and postage, may be obtained from the Division Treasurer. Requests for advances should be made in writing and include an estimate for each item to be funded. A final report of expenses for reimbursement shall be filed with the Treasurer on or before the annual business meeting.