Elections procedures 2022

ADOPTED: 9/22/1995
REVISED: 09/13/1996
REVISED: 10/20/2000
REVISED: 11/16/2001
REVISED: 12/15/2017
REVISED: 06/22/2019
REVISED: 01/10/2021

REVISED:11/30/2021

POLISH HOME ASSOCIATION

Election Procedures

for the preparation and conduct of elections for Officers and Trustees of the Polish Home Association (PHA) in Seattle, WA for 2022 only.

I.  Meeting Preparations:

  1. The preparation of elections and election proceedings of the Election Meeting are the responsibility of the Election Commission appointed by the President of PHA.
  2. The Election Commission is composed of up to 5 (five) but not less than 3 (three) individuals, with the Chairperson appointed by the PHA President.
  3. In 2022, due to the restrictions related COVID pandemic, in the addition to the in-person election process   Members will be able to vote by mail. All members in good standing as of December 31st, 2020 (12/31/2020) will receive voting ballots by mail.
  4. The mail-in voting ballots had to be mailed to Election Commission postmarked by January 22, 2022, or earlier to be counted.
  5. The January special Quarterly Meeting (also known as PHA Annual Meeting) is prepared by the retiring PHA Officers and will be held as in person and virtual ZOOM meeting broadcast to all PHA members. The PHA President serves as Chairperson for this meeting and as usual will report on the PHA affairs to the members.
  6. This year only, the Election Meeting will be conducted by meeting of Election Commission members who will meet at the PHA in Seattle, on   January 29th, 2022, to count mail-in ballots. The in-person ballots submitted during the January election meeting will be counted during the meeting. The Election Committee will tabulate the in person and mail in ballots and certify the election results during the Election Meeting.
  7. The voting ballots for the election of PHA Officers and Trustees for 2022 will be of a distinctive color and individually numbered by the Election Commission.
  8. Each voting ballot will be mailed in an envelope containing a return envelope and a ballot envelope. Ballot envelopes and ballots will be designed to protect voter identity.
  9. Return envelopes will be used to verify member eligibility. If member eligibility was confirmed, the ballot envelope will be accepted.
  10. The election pamphlet and voting ballot will be mailed to all eligible PHA voters no later than January 5th in the year of the Election Meeting. A proxy form will not be mailed this year.
  11. Members of the Election Commission will count ballot envelopes received via mail and in person during the meeting to determine the quorum. If the quorum was reached, they will remove ballots from envelopes, verify ballot validity (serial number and distinctive color) and proceed to count votes.
  12. The PHA Officers will be absolved from its responsibilities on January 30th, 2022before the elections results for new PHA Officers are announced.
  13. Results of the elections will be announced by the Election Commission on January 30th, 2022, and posted promptly on PHA Website.

II. Voting Eligibility:

  1. All members of PHA are eligible to vote or become candidates for election who have paid membership dues no later than December 31st of the year prior to the Election Meeting and have been members of PHA no later than July 1st of the year prior to the Election Meeting. “Paid Membership Dues” means that money (cash or check) has been deposited with the PHA treasury no later than December 31st of the year prior to the Election Meeting year. The list of voting eligible members is closed December 31st of the year prior to the Election Meeting.
  2. Voting proxies will not be issued this year as all members will be given mail-in voting ballots.
  3. Payment of PHA membership dues will not be accepted between January 1st and the Election Meeting.

III.  PHA Elected Officer and Trustee Positions:

Positions to be elected at the annual Election Meeting:

A. Board of Trustees – composed of 15 individuals.

  1. Chairperson of Board of Trustees is selected from and by the elected Trustees.
  2. Audit Committee – composed of 3 (three) Trustees.
  3. Chairperson of Audit Committee is elected from and by the Audit Committee.

B. PHA President

C. PHA Vice Presidents

  1. Senior VP,
  2. VP Of Administration
  3. Financial Planning VP,
  4. Cultural VP,
  5. Entertainment VP,
  6. Maintenance & Remodeling VP,
  7. Information Technology (IT) VP,
  8. Communications and Membership VP
  9. and (if necessary) Special Affairs VP.

D. Treasurer

E. Secretaries

  1. Correspondence Secretary
  2. Recording Secretary.

IV. Selection of candidates for Officers and Trustees:

  1. The Board of Trustees is obligated, fulfilling its role as the overseers of the Polish Home Association, to undertake a search for candidates for the position of President and the Board of Trustees recommending him/her and them to the membership.  The recommendation should be presented to the membership in the Election Newsletter and at the Election Meeting.
  2. The candidates for President shall search for and recommend such candidates for the PHA Officers positions as theirs recommended slate of candidates.
  3. The above points (points #1 and #2) do not change the fundamental principle that every member has the right to become a candidate for any office of the PHA, including President.
  4. Any eligible PHA member interested in becoming candidate for PHA elected positions are required to submit in writing to the Election Committee, in the exact form in which the candidate wishes the information to be presented to the voters at large, his/her interest for a specific position by December 15, 2021. The Election Committee shall present the candidates written information, without any changes to the content, in the election pamphlet.
    1. Only individuals who submit their candidacy for an elected position in accordance with the above nomination procedures shall be considered to be valid candidates for PHA Officers and Trustees positions.
    2. As per Art. 6; Sec. 42. b – Candidates for President must receive 50%+1 to win, Candidates for other offices receiving the most votes win.

This revision of Election Procedures has been written in English only. The English text is the only official version and will be used for all interpretations of procedures.

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