Article 7: Election of Officers

Section 1: Composition

The nomination and election of Association officers shall be held once every two (2) years. Nominations for officers shall take place at a membership meeting no later than November. An active member in good standing must second all nominations.

An active member in good standing who is otherwise eligible to run for office shall become a bona fide candidate only upon his nomination for office and acceptance of the nomination.

No member shall be nominated, or be a candidate for more than one (1) office at the same time. No officer-elect shall be a candidate for any other office. Candidates for office must accept nominations at the time when made either in person, or if absent, in writing.

Election of officers shall take place at a meeting of the membership during the month of December. At least fifteen (15) days thereto, the membership shall be given notice of the date, time, and purpose of said meeting.

Installation of newly elected officers shall take place in January at a location designated by the incoming President.

Section 2: Election Procedures

Each active member in good standing and present at said election meeting shall be entitled to one (1) vote. Voting shall be by secret ballet. All officers shall be elected by a majority of votes cast for that office. In the event one (1) candidate does not receive a majority of votes there shall be a runoff election between the two (2) candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first balloting. The ballots shall be placed in a sealed container before tabulation. It shall be the duty of the incumbent Executive Board to provide safeguards for the honest and fair conduct of such election. The presiding member of the incumbent Executive Board shall count the votes cast and the results shall be published. The Secretary shall preserve the ballots and all other records pertaining to the election for a period of not less than three (3) months.

No funds of the association shall be expended on behalf of the candidacy of any candidate for office. Association funds may, however, be utilized for notices, factual statements of issues not involving candidates, and other expenses necessarily incurred in the holding of elections.

The Association and/or its officers shall be under a duty to comply with all reasonable request of any candidate to distribute any campaign literature by mail or otherwise at the candidates expense. This duty does not grant the release of names and addresses or any other personal information of the members of this Association.

Every bona fide candidate for office shall have the right, once within thirty (30) days prior to the bi-annual election, to inspect (but not maintain) a list containing the names and addresses of all active members of the Association in good standing, which list shall be maintained by the Secretary.