The RNA’s Election Standing Rules:

Standing Rules Summary

1. Require notice of candidacy no later than 1 meeting prior to election

2. Encourage candidate statements posted online and in-­person

3. Require notice of elections no later than 2 meetings prior to election

4. Establish standing elections committee to conduct outreach and oversee voting

5. Establish voting process with a sign­in sheet and pre­printed numbered ballots

6. Establish an automatic recount trigger

7. Clarify that officers can be elected at the elections meeting or subsequent meeting, and committee chairs, representatives, and liaisons are appointed at the next meeting after the election.

Standing Rules

1. Notice of Candidacy

a. Candidacy must be affirmed at any time during the election year, but no later than the RNA meeting prior to the annual election.

b.  Nominations can be made one of the following ways:

i. Nominating Committee

ii. Self­nomination via email to the Chair at richmond.pdx.chair@gmail.com

iii. Nomination from the floor of an RNA meeting

c. Intent to share a seat must be announced at time of candidacy

i. A maximum of 3 board positions can be shared

ii. Only one person of a shared seat can be seated and vote at any particular meeting

2. Candidate Statements

a. Candidates are encouraged but not required to provide a written statement of 300 words or less to be posted to the RNA website and listserv. In the Statement candidates should answer the following questions:

         i. Have you ever been to a neighborhood association meeting before? 

ii. Why do you want to run for the board and what issues interest you?

To be published online, statements must be provided to the RNA executive committee no later than 21 days prior to the election. The RNA website and listserv will note candidates who did not submit statements as “no statement submitted”. Statements will be published no later than 2 weeks prior to the election.

b. Candidates are encouraged but not required to make an oral statement of 3 minutes or less at an election meeting

3. Notice of Elections

a. Notice of seats up for election will be announced no later than 2 meetings prior to elections.

b. The date, time, place, and roster of candidates will be announced 1 meeting prior to elections.

c. The standing rules in place 2 meetings prior to elections will govern elections.

4. Elections Committee

a. At the Board’s discretion, it may establish an Elections Committee to oversee the election in any given year.

b. Any RNA member is eligible to join the elections committee, such that the committee consists of no less than 3 and no greater than 8 members.

c. The elections committee will appoint a chair and follow the same decision making processes used by the RNA Board of Directors.

d. The chair is responsible to give notice of meetings and to submit meeting minutes to the RNA secretary.

e. The elections committee is expected to fulfill the following functions:

i. Outreach and recruitment

ii. Confirm eligibility of candidates

iii. Disseminate elections information

iv. Assist with voting processes

v. Recommend changes to standing rules and bylaws relating to elections*

5. Voting process

a. Sign­in sheets will be completed in the presence of an election volunteer. Sign­in sheets will include:

i. Member’s name and Richmond address

ii. Email address or phone number (optional)

iii. Check box for “Consent to be a member.”

iv. Invalid sign­in names will have the associated votes discounted.

b. At the Board’s discretion, it may ask SEUL representatives to oversee the registration and voting process.

c. A ballot will be handed out only after election volunteer confirms that the registration form has been correctly completed. Or, if ballots are emailed out or are downloaded from the RNA website, then the ballot will not be accepted unless the voter is registered, either on a sign-in sheet or on the ballot itself if the ballot lists the name, email and address of the person.

d. Ballots will be numbered to correspond to sign­in sheets

e. All candidate names will be pre­printed on the ballot

f. Write-in names are not allowed and write in votes will be discounted

g. Members will be instructed to choose a maximum number of candidates to fill open seats, defined as “Board Members at Large” (e.g. if 7 seats are open, members can select a maximum of 7 candidates)

h. Candidates in the current election are excluded from participating in registration, ballot counting, or any other election management tasks.

i. At the Board’s discretion, it may request SEUL representatives to count ballots and report the results to the RNA Chair with the number of rotes for each candidate.  SEUL shall retain ballots for at least 60 days and, if requested in that timeframe, will return ballots to the RNA Chair.

j. If SEUL is not counting ballots, then RNA Board Members not up for reelection will count ballots.  The RNA shall retain ballots for at least 60 days.

6. Recounts

a. In cases where the difference in votes is 2 or fewer, the ballots will be recounted by a different person on the Elections Committee. If SEUL has been chosen to count ballots for the election, then SEUL will conduct the recount.   

7. Officers and Committee Chairs

a. The offices of Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer will be elected following election of a board of directors as specified in the RNA bylaws, at the Election meeting or next meeting.

b. Chairs of standing committees, the RNA Representative to SEUL, and other RNA Liaisons/Representatives are appointed by the RNA board of directors at the meeting following the Board Election.