I belong to a small non-profit organization. Problem we are seeing each year is a vote for the officers to run the organization and upon balloting day, someone comes out of the woodwork with a carefully planned, unbeknownst to the board of directors, attempt to gain access to the treasurer's position. These people amass a lot of members who don't normally show for meetings, but show up the day of the election and write in a candidate that no one knows much about. We consider this very dangerous. To merely allow actions like this is problematic. We have considered eliminating write in votes under the auspices that nominations are made at a general meeting of the membership and if you desire to run for a board office position you should declare it at that time. To try and gain access by stealth and skullduggery seems unfair, and unruly. We believe if you really want to be on the board you should step forward and be nominated, or have someone nominate you or hand in your letter specifying your intentions to run for a position. We have also tried to alleviate this by designing qualifications for board members. In other words, you have to be qualified to run. While this seems prohibitive, it may prevent someone who just joined, that no one really knows anything about, and who also knows nothing of accounting from seizing the treasury position. We read all too often of thefts, missing funds, and properties allocated without boards even knowing the thefts are occurring before it is too late. How can we go about removing the write in votes? Some members claim you can't because it is un-American, or against Roberts rules of order. Some believe if we write it into the by laws it can be accomplished. Help, answers?