Governance | Membership | Education | Planning | ASHRM Support | Samples
Handbook => Governance => Elections
Elections Basics
Election planning should be done well in advance of any election taking place. The different stages, along with strict timeframes, should be according to the chapter bylaws election rules and regulations.
This section will provide samples of different materials your chapter may choose to prepare prior to any election process beginning. There are samples from local chapters and from ASHRM.
Online Elections
For chapters interested in holding online elections, there are several factors to consider.
Cost
There are a range of Internet sites that conduct online elections. At the high end are stand-alone elections applications that only do elections; costs for these can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars a year. A more cost-effective option for chapters are free or low-cost survey tools. Pricing is usually dependent on number of respondents.
Security
Is voting properly restricted to qualified voters only? Are voters only able to vote once? Essentially, you get what you pay for. A stand-alone elections application can offer higher security than an online survey tool. But you should at least be able to get password protection for your election site. Be sure that whatever outlet you select is in keeping with the elections rules and procedures outlined in your chapter bylaws.
Access
Are elections going to be online only? How will you provide a voting option for members who may not have Internet access or may not be able to successfully use the voting site you select? Who will handle problems and troubleshooting? In some cases, societies may obligated by their bylaws to provide paper ballots or to guarantee access to voting to all qualified members. It is best to make provisions for a paper or back-up option when hosting online elections.
Candidate materials
In addition to the ballot, many chapters supply candidate bios or statements, along with other election materials. Be sure that whatever tool you select allows you to present the relevant or mandated elections materials to your voters, or that you make plans to make those materials available to voters by mail or chapter web site or other outlet.
For more information
ASHRM has used the following sites and can answer questions you may have about these options in particular:
Survey Monkey - online survey tool
VoteNet - elections application site
If your chapter has used an online election tool or survey site and would like to recommend it to others, please e-mail ASHRM.
Chapter Materials
Ballot 1
Ballot 2
Call for Nominations
Conflict of Interest Form
Elections Letter
Elections Timeline
Nominations Reminder
Leadership Position Descriptions
Committee Descriptions
ASHRM Materials
Ballot
Call for Nominations
Conflict of Interest Form
Election Rules and Procedures
Leadership Position Descriptions
Nomination Letter
Nominee Biography Form
Nominee Checklist
Nomination Procedures
Nominee Professional Objectives
Professional References Form
