Election Vacancies

[Guest Brian Santee]

Nominations for the Executive board have been posted. The two candidates for President have turned down the nominations. We know have no one running for the position. What is next? Does the Executive Board vote someone in? Does it go to a write-in candidate? (Assuming they qualify).

[hmtcastle]

Nominations for the Executive board have been posted. The two candidates for President have turned down the nominations. We know have no one running for the position. What is next? Does the Executive Board vote someone in? Does it go to a write-in candidate? (Assuming they qualify).

Hold the election anyway. If no one (who is eligible and willing to serve) is elected in the first round, vote again. And again, as often as necessary. Any mid-term vacancy-filling authority the board might have would not apply in an incomplete election.

[Robert B Fish]

Nominations for the Executive board have been posted. The two candidates for President have turned down the nominations. We know have no one running for the position. What is next? Does the Executive Board vote someone in? Does it go to a write-in candidate? (Assuming they qualify).

If you cannot get someone to run for president, you might consider disbanding the organization. I'm serious. No organizaiton lasts forever and if no one is willing to do the work and provide the leadership, well ...

However, you could get someone to run and nominate him/her from the floor or even write in his name when voting.

However, failure to elect someone ereates an 9incomplete election, not a vacancy that can be filled by your board.

Finally, if the terms of office for your officers is "...and until their sucessors are elected." then the current president stays in office.

-Bob

[Guest Brian Santee]

Hold the election anyway. If no one (who is eligible and willing to serve) is elected in the first round, vote again. And again, as often as necessary. Any mid-term vacancy-filling authority the board might have would not apply in an incomplete election.

[David A Foulkes]

Finally, if the terms of office for your officers is "...and until their sucessors are elected." then the current president stays in office.

Or... "or until their successors are elected" also works in this regard.

[Rob Elsman]

Or... "or until their successors are elected" also works in this regard.

Whichever is the case, the election scheduled in the bylaws is not to be abandoned.

[David A Foulkes]

This situation taken to its extreme seems to offer two most likely options.

1. Someone finally says "Okay, fine, I'll do it" and the election (assuming proper vote threshold being met) is over, though perhaps not with the best candidate in office, but oh well.

2. The voting goes on and on and on and on and on and on and...... well, you know.

So, in option 2, at what point, and through what legitimate parliamentary procedure, can the membership say "enough!" and call it quits? I'm guessing the best (or at least) one approach would be to create an adjourned meeting, say several weeks out, so that some finagling could take place among the ranks to convince a member to accept the nomination.

Anything else?

[Rob Elsman]

This situation taken to its extreme seems to offer two most likely options.

1. Someone finally says "Okay, fine, I'll do it" and the election (assuming proper vote threshold being met) is over, though perhaps not with the best candidate in office, but oh well.

2. The voting goes on and on and on and on and on and on and...... well, you know.

So, in option 2, at what point, and through what legitimate parliamentary procedure, can the membership say "enough!" and call it quits? I'm guessing the best (or at least) one approach would be to create an adjourned meeting, say several weeks out, so that some finagling could take place among the ranks to convince a member to accept the nomination.

Anything else?

So, in option 2, at what point, and through what legitimate parliamentary procedure, can the membership say "enough!" and call it quits?

At no point. The assembly is obligated to observe all that is to be observed in the bylaws.

[Josh Martin]

So, in option 2, at what point, and through what legitimate parliamentary procedure, can the membership say "enough!" and call it quits?

There is no legitimate procedure to "call it quits" for an election. If the Bylaws say, "there shall be a President," the assembly cannot decide not to elect one. The assembly may, however, delay the decision to a later date.

I'm guessing the best (or at least) one approach would be to create an adjourned meeting, say several weeks out, so that some finagling could take place among the ranks to convince a member to accept the nomination.

Anything else?

If the assembly's desire is to delay the election, with the hope of working to find a candidate in the meantime, the best option is indeed to create an adjourned meeting and postpone the election to that meeting. It is also acceptable, but less recommended, to postpone the election to the next regular meeting if it is within a quarterly interval. That's pretty much it.