slate of candidates to be presented by a nominating committee

[Guest Jim McEown]

As president of a local Bonsai group I am try to clarify the statement as it stands in our By Laws.

9.1 At the first meeting in March on election years, the President shall appoint three PBS Active Members to serve as a Nominating Committee, whose purpose is to propose a slate of qualified candidates for the election of officers.

9.2 The Nominating Committee, at the first business meeting in April, shall present a slate of nominees to the Active Members of the PBS and nominations shall also be accepted from the floor.

The issue is the slate of nominees. Is this a slate of all nominees the Committee has decided that are appropriate for each office to be elected and the the membership will elect, or does it indicate that the Nominating Committee is to present one nominee for each office position then accept nominations from the floor and then have the membership elect from this combination of nominees?

Thanks for your comments in advance

[Chris Harrison]

It is up to you all to interpret your own bylaws (see RONR pp. 588-591 for some principles to help with that). However, RONR doesn't limit the nominating committee to presenting only one nominee per office.

[Guest Edgar]

Is this a slate of all nominees the Committee has decided that are appropriate for each office to be elected and the the membership will elect, or does it indicate that the Nominating Committee is to present one nominee for each office position then accept nominations from the floor and then have the membership elect from this combination of nominees?

The nominating committee will typically select just one candidate for each open office (though it isn't prohibited from selecting more than one). When it makes its report its role in the election process is finished. The floor is then open for additional nominations. Write-in votes (for those not nominated) are also permitted.

The selections of the nominating committee should not be thought of as a "slate" (even though your bylaws use that term). They are individual nominations for individual offices and have the same status as any nominations from the floor.