The election process to determine the members of the Board of Directors is established in the Constitution of O.G.R.E.s. The election cycle is structured so as to take up the least amount of time from members and to allow for any member to campaign.
Election Time line at a Glance
- Prior to July 31st
- Election supervisors chosen and campaigning venue created
- June 1st - June 14th 11
- 59 PM
- Hopeful candidates make their statement of intent
- June 15th - July 15th 11
- 59 PM
- Candidates may campaign
- July 16th - July 31st 11
- 59 PM
- Membership votes on candidates
- August 1st - August 31st 11
- 59 PM
- As soon as votes are tallied, the winners will be announced
- October 1st - October 31st 11
- 59 PM
- Winning candidates campaign and vote for which of them becomes the new Director
- November 1st - November 30th 11
- 59 PM
- The outgoing Board will be made aware of the incoming Director
Understanding the Board
Terms of Office
To understand the election cycle, a member must understand the terms of office and how exact officer positions are filled. Every member of the Board of Directors sits for three calendar years unless otherwise removed (whether voluntary or involuntary). This term begins on the first of January the calendar year immediately following an election, and lasts until December 31st of the third full calendar year of officership. For example, if a member is elected to the board during an election in 2009, that member takes office on January 1st, 2010 and retains the position until December 31st, 2013.
Specific Positions
Any member may, and is actually encouraged, to campaign on a platform for a specific position which they feel qualified for. The only positions of the Board of Directors that can not be campaigned for are related to that of Director, a position which is chosen by the incoming board members from amongst themselves. The director will then have the full privilege and authority to select from the incoming board their Vice Director.
The following positions may be campaigned for:
- Chairperson of any of the active Committees
- Director of Communications
- Editor-in-Chief
- Supreme Dungeon Master
- Treasurer
- Webmaster
Election Process
Prior to Election
Before the election process begins, the current Board of Directors will begin preparing for the supervision of the upcoming election cycle. If the incumbent Director of Communications and Supreme Dungeon Master are not planning to run for reelection, they are by default given the task of supervising the election process; a process that includes creating the public forum or place, typically online, where members may cast votes and candidates may announce and promote their running and answer questions from members (much of which can be done right here on OgreLair.org). In the event that one (or both) of these individuals are running, the Board will vote two others into this role who are not affiliated with the election.
The supervisors of the election must create a place for candidates to announce their intent. This place, most likely a page here on OgreLair.org, will be sent to all Chapter Coordinators and other appropriate member venues so as to be ready for hopeful candidates. This must be done no later than July 31st of the election year, so will typically happen at the 2nd quarterly Board of Directors meeting said year.
Candidate Nominations
As established in the Constitution, any hopeful candidate for the board may nominate him/herself or can be nominated by another member in good standing. In order to meet the simple requirements for the board, they must have been in good standing for at least two calendar years (need not be consecutive) and be at least 21 years of age. The nominator will place a statement of intent on the candidate announcement location created by the election supervisors, and if the nominator is not the same person as the candidate, then the candidate must accept. If a specific position is being aimed for, this should be stated clearly there. Once this is done, the member is considered an official candidate for the Board of Directors, and will be added to the official ballot.
This is done between June 1st and June 14th at 11:59 PM. The candidate may make a statement of intent, but may not yet campaign. Campaigning early may result in disqualification from the election by the incumbent Board of Directors.
Campaigning
Beginning on June 15th, and lasting until the end of the day on July 15th, established candidates may officially campaign for the election. This means they may talk to members about their plans if elected, goals, and other general election items.
Voting
From July 16th until the end of the month, all active members may cast their votes for the election. Each member receives ten (10) votes. These votes may be made in writing to their respective Chapter Coordinator, who can then electronically forward the information to the election supervisors, or online at OgreLair.org.
After Election
Winning the Election
The winners are the ten members with the most votes, which are announced by the election supervisors as soon as the tallying is completed - but no later than the end of August. If a member was campaigning for a specific position, and no other candidate was, he or she automatically wins that role as well. If two or more members were campaigning for a specific position, the candidate with the most general votes wins the title.
Winners vote for new Director
During the month of October, any winning candidate may campaign to other winning candidates to become the incoming Director (additionally, any unfilled positions may also be campaigned within the incoming board at this time). In order for a potential Director to be considered an official runner for the title, that person must have the backing of at least one other Board member. The incoming Board must discuss the best time to hold the final vote before the end of the month, and the votes must be sent to the election supervisor no later than October 31st.
In the case of ties, the current Board of Directors may elect to hold a run-off for the title of Director with the Primary Officers voting. If all else fails, the incumbent and outgoing Board of Directors, minus any members who will remain on the board as a result of the election, will make the final decision and are expected to choose the best candidate for the position.
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