Park Slope Food Coop

Standardized Election Procedures

1. This procedure applies to any election held at the General Meeting or the Annual Meeting where no other method is specified.
2. It will be preferred that candidates declare their candidacy by written note to the office before the close of shopping on the Monday prior to the GM that the election is scheduled.
3. Candidates are encouraged to have a 300-word statement that will be printed in the Gazette, posted on the Coop Community Board, and 75 copies printed for the GM. The Chair Committee hopes all candidates will complete all these steps so that those voting can be fully informed.
4. Where the election is for a newly created committee, it will ideally be scheduled for the second GM following creation of the committee. The GM, which creates the committee, can specify that the elections be held sooner, if urgent, or it may be held the same evening if sufficient candidates are available. To achieve the goal of sufficient time for all Coop members to become aware of its existence, the new committee could be publicized by an article assigned to a Gazette reporter, and by informational flyers posted by the office committee. The GM can set any other deadlines at the time of committee formation. Normal Gazette deadlines will apply.
5. Layout, size, and frequency of the printing of the statements in the Gazette will be up to the discretion of the individual editors, but it is strongly suggested that the Gazette Editorial Committee draft a standardized layout and the necessary internal policies to ensure fairness for all.
6. In order for an election to be held, the proposal approved by the GM must include the number of candidates necessary to hold the election.
7. Ballots will be preprinted with blanks to allow last-minute, at-the-GM candidates.
8. How votes are tabulated:
   1. All Coop members participating in the GM will be eligible to cast one vote for each candidate.
   2. Members may vote: yes, no, or abstain.
   Where the number of candidates for elected positions does not exceed the number of available openings: To be elected, each candidate must receive more yes votes than no votes regardless of whether a minimum number of candidates is needed in order for a committee to begin work. Where the number of candidates for elected positions exceeds the number of available openings:
   First, each candidate must receive more yes votes than no to be considered in the running for the election.
   Second, all those candidates receiving more yes than no votes will then have their number of yes votes counted. The individuals getting the highest number of yes votes will fill the number of slots up to the number of openings.
9. For committees having staggered rotating terms (e.g., two members for a three-year term, two members for a two-year term, and two members for a one-year term), those with highest number of yes votes will get the longer terms.
10. At the GM where elections will be held, this process will be followed: each candidate will be asked to make a verbal statement up to one minute (timed by secretary). This will be followed by up to three minutes of questions (per candidate) from audience (timed by secretary). The chair and secretary will make every effort to keep the questions and answers moving along. Candidates will be required to be present at the GM from the beginning of the warm-up period, so members may ask them individual questions. Candidates need not speak, but that minute will be added to the time to question that candidate.
11. Ballots will be distributed just prior to the candidates? question and answer session. Voters must remain through entire question and answer session and the collection of the ballots to have their vote included. Ballots will be personally collected by the secretary alone to ensure the receipt of only one ballot per member present. There will be no voting by proxy, or absentee ballots.
12. Chair Committee members will take the ballots from secretary and count results and return ballots to secretary.