Nominations

[Guest ed lem]

Can a Board accept the names nominated by a committee for a ballot vote and then decide to add their own  names  to the ballot even thought the Nomination committee did not include them on the  current nomination--I know they can mount a write in vote or be nominated from the floor at the meeting but can they just add their names to the ballot

[Edgar Guest]

If you're referring to elections that will take place at a meeting of the general membership, the board has no role. The nominating committee submits its report (to the general membership) and then nominations from the floor are accepted. There is no need to actually pre-print names on a ballot; a blank piece of paper will do. In other words, there's no way to get a name pre-printed "on the ballot" other than to make a nomination.

 

If your board does have a role in the elections your bylaws (or other rules) are where to look for answers.

[Gary Novosielski]

The board can't tamper with the report of the nominating committee.  The nominating committee doesn't report to them, it reports to the membership.

 

(Your bylaws may vary.)

[Hieu H. Huynh]

The nominating committee report, like other committee reports, is a report that can contain only what has been agreed to by the committee by majority vote. After presentation of the nominating committee report, nominations from the floor can be made by individual members of the board (or committee) if they are a member of the assembly that is voting in the elections.

[Josh Martin]

Can a Board accept the names nominated by a committee for a ballot vote and then decide to add their own  names  to the ballot even thought the Nomination committee did not include them on the  current nomination--I know they can mount a write in vote or be nominated from the floor at the meeting but can they just add their names to the ballot

I don't think the board has any business "accepting" the names submitted by the nominating committee in the first place, let alone adding its own names to the report.

If your bylaws don't provide any procedure for anyone other than the nominating committee to submit nominations in advance, the board members will need to wait and make their nominations from the floor.

[Guest Ed Lemm]

Thank you for your answers and opinions on the question by Ed Lemm the Board has decided to accept our nomination and were enraged that some of the current board members were not included so rather than appoint themselves they have appointed another or an additional Nomination committee in hopes they will have their names submitted to the ballot --is this legal ???

[Hieu H. Huynh]

Members of the nominating committee may be removed by the same body that appointed them. How is your nominating committee normally selected?

[Edgar Guest]

. . .the Board has decided to accept our nomination . . .

Why is the board involved in the nominating process at all?

 

. . . they have appointed another or an additional Nomination committee in hopes they will have their names submitted to the ballot.

 

It's very likely that your organization has only one legitimate nominating committee.

[Gary Novosielski]

Thank you for your answers and opinions on the question by Ed Lemm the Board has decided to accept our nomination and were enraged that some of the current board members were not included so rather than appoint themselves they have appointed another or an additional Nomination committee in hopes they will have their names submitted to the ballot --is this legal ???

 

In most organizations the answer would be No, as the nominating committee does not report to the board, it reports to the membership.  Your board seems overly involved in the election process.  The optimum amount of involvement of the board in the nomination process is approximately None.

 

But if your bylaws say that the board appoints the nominating committee, then they can de-appoint them as well.  That would also suggest to me that it's time to change the bylaws.

[Josh Martin]

Thank you for your answers and opinions on the question by Ed Lemm the Board has decided to accept our nomination and were enraged that some of the current board members were not included so rather than appoint themselves they have appointed another or an additional Nomination committee in hopes they will have their names submitted to the ballot --is this legal ???

It is in order only if the board appointed the Nominating Committee in the first place. If it did, then it would seem that the tables are turned, and it is the members of the Nominating Committee who will need to make their recommendations from the floor.

Whether this is in order or not, however, I can't imagine the membership will look favorably on this behavior, so this may backfire on the board when it's time for the election.