Nominations Process

The deadline for nominations to elected offices is November 30, 2012.

For a list of diocesan committees seeking qualified candidates, see Offices for Election.

Candidates standing for office at Diocesan Convention must complete anti-racism training. No person shall be eligible for election to any office at Convention, nor shall any person elected by Districts, or appointed to serve on Diocesan Council or other Diocesan Standing Committees, Commissions or Boards accede to that office, unless that person shall have first completed or arranged for the completion of anti-racism training as approved by the Bishop after consultation with the Diocesan body responsible for overseeing anti-racism dialogues. – (Diocesan Canon 2.6)

Communicant in good standing:  All communicants of this Church who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying, and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are to be considered communicants in good standing.
(National Church Canons, I.17.3)

Rules of Order:
D.         Nomination of Candidates

1.         There will be a notice in the June Voice asking for recommendations to be sent to the Nominations Committee by November 30.  Recommendations may be made in the following ways:

(a.)       Any person eligible to run may recommend him or herself.

(b.)       Any person in the Diocese may recommend some one else who is eligible to run.

(c.)       Members of the Committee are strongly encouraged to present names of possible candidates from their own districts particularly, as well as suggestions from other areas of the Diocese.

The Nominations Committee will evaluate recommendations and present a report to the Secretary of Convention and Committee on Rules of Order and Elections by November 30th for distribution with the pre-convention mailing at the end of December.  Any nominees not accepted by the Nominations Committee shall be informed in writing by December 1st in order to allow for nomination through other methods.

2.         In addition to the slate presented by the Nominations Committee, additional nominations will be received in the following ways:

(a.)       Any five (5) deputies to Convention may nominate a candidate to any office.  Nominations post marked not later than December 15th will be included in the pre-convention mailing and publicized in the Voice along with the nominations received from the Nominations Committee.

(b.)       Late nominations will continue to be accepted until noon on the Friday of the week before the start of the Annual Convention.

E.         By the close of the opening session the Nominations Committee shall report to the Convention in the form of an official ballot the names listed by Contest.  The arrangement of such names received by January 18th shall be determined by lot in each order.  Names received through late nominations shall be added in order of receipt.  On the ballot in those contests which require candidates for more than one class, all candidates will be listed as a group by order and length of terms will be determined by ranking of the vote results.          

F.         Only official ballots may be used in elections, except when otherwise ordered by the Convention.  The number of vacancies to be filled shall be printed on each ballot.  Only valid ballots shall be counted in the whole number of votes cast.  An invalid ballot as to one election shall not invalidate an otherwise valid ballot in any other election.

G.        For all elections vote shall be by ballot, each deputy having one vote for each vacancy to be filled.  Those candidates receiving a majority of the valid ballots cast shall be elected.  If no candidate receives a majority of the valid ballots cast, subsequent ballots shall be taken until elected candidates shall have filled all vacant positions.  For General Convention Deputies only, election requires a concurrent majority in both orders.

H.         For all elections beginning with the third ballot, and for all succeeding ballots, the name of the candidate (or candidates) with the lowest number of total votes cast on the previous ballot will be withdrawn from consideration, such that the number of candidates remaining shall be equal to the number of vacancies plus two. (For example, if on the third ballot, seven candidates are standing for election and there are three vacancies to be filled, then the names of the two candidates with the lowest number of votes on the second ballot will be withdrawn from consideration by the Convention, leaving five candidates remaining for consideration on the third ballot.)  All candidates who were not elected as General Convention Deputies shall be eligible for consideration as alternate Deputies.