THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION OF THE
NATIONAL BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
2014 Regional Convention Election Rules and Procedures Packet February 19-23, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS RULES AND PROCEDURES POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR ELECTION............................................................................................................ 3 CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 3 CAMPAIGNING................................................................................................................................................................. 6 ENFORCEMENT OF ELECTION RULES AND PROCEDURES.........................................................................8 ELECTION SPEECHES................................................................................................................................................... 9 DELEGATE VOTING PROCEDURES......................................................................................................................... 9 BALLOT COUNT.............................................................................................................................................................. 9 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2014-2015 RMBLSA ELECTED OFFICIALS...............................................10 INSPECTION OF BALLOTS....................................................................................................................................... 10 ELECTIONS PROCEDURE CALENDAR................................................................................................................. 10 APPOINTED POSITION INFORMATION SESSION.......................................................................................... 10 REGIONAL OFFICER APPLICATION FORMS (submitted online) REGIONAL OFFICER CANDIDATE CHECKLIST............................................................................................... 12 REGIONAL OFFICER APPLICATION..................................................................................................................... 13 REGIONAL OFFICER FINANCIAL OBLIGATION FORM.................................................................................14 REGIONAL OFFICER CANDIDATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PLEDGE FORM..............................15 REGIONAL OFFICER CHAPTER ENDORSEMENT FORM.............................................................................16
RULES AND PROCEDURES I.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR ELECTION Any member of a 2013-2014 active NBLSA chapter 1 may run for office. The following RMBLSA positions are eligible for election: •
Regional Chair
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Regional Vice Chair
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Regional Secretary
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Regional Treasurer
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Regional Director of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition
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Regional Director of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition
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Regional Director of Community Service
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Regional Director of Programming
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Regional Attorney General
To learn more about the duties of each elected positions, please refer to the RMBLSA Constitution and Bylaws or reach out to the person currently occupying the position. II.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS Any RMBLSA member who completes the documentation and requirements of the pre-certification phase and the final certification phase will qualify as a candidate for the RMBLSA Executive Board, which is comprised of the above-listed elected positions and appointed officers. A. PRE-CERTIFICATION Each member must declare his/her intent to run for a Regional position by completing the documents listed below. Items (i)-(iii) will be included in the convention packet
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An active chapter is a chapter that has paid membership dues and has uploaded a membership roster to the NBLSA Membership database. In order to be considered a
member of a chapter, your name must be included in the chapter’s membership roster.
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distributed to all RMBLSA delegates. All of the forms and information below must be emailed to RMBLSA.parliamentarian@nblsa.org as one PDF document in the following order: Statement of Intent with photograph in top left corner (one 8.5x11 page) (limit 1000
(i)
words); (ii)
One 8.5x11 page resume, including NBLSA positions held (local, regional, or national);
(iii)
One peer or professional/academic reference letter (one 8.5x11 page);
(iv)
Completed Application;
(v)
Signed statement of understanding of financial obligation for office;
(vi)
Signed acknowledgement of the duties and obligations associated with the office sought; (Interested party may apply for only one position and must plan to enroll at his/her institution for the complete ensuing academic year); and
(vii) Form signed by the president of the local RMBLSA chapter in which you are a member, certifying your good standing with the chapter and endorsing you as a candidate. (If you are president of your local chapter, your form must be signed by the vice president of your chapter. You may not sign the form for your own candidacy.) All materials must be submitted online as one PDF document no later than 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, February 16, 2014. Nominations from the Floor Members who do not submit the required materials by the deadline •
Any registered delegate may nominate an active member at the Regional Convention for a Regional officer position if there are no candidates running for that position at the opening of the Regional Convention.
•
The officer presiding over plenary will determine the exact time when such nominations would be appropriate.
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To make the nomination, the chapter’s delegate need only rise and state “I nominate _________________ for the position of ______________.” No second is required. Chapters are only permitted to nominate one person for each officer position. 2
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In the event that a candidate is nominated from the floor, the candidate must meet requirements (i), (ii) and (iv)-(vi) set forth above in the pre-certification requirements within 24 hours of accepting nomination.
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All candidates who are nominated from the floor and elected must submit the document requested under (vii) of the pre-certification requirements to the Regional Elections Committee, RMBLSA.parliamentarian@nblsa.org, by Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. CST to avoid forfeiting position.
B.
FINAL CERTIFICATION All candidates must meet the following criteria to run for and be elected to office: •
Campaign Fund Limit o All candidates must submit a detailed accounting for all expenditures associated with their candidacy for a RMBLSA Regional office. o No candidate for the office of Regional Chair shall expend more than $500 total, excluding travel expenses. o Candidates for all other positions shall not expend more than $250, excluding travel expenses. o In-kind donations will be counted toward the budget limit at their fair market value. o In the event that a candidate is under budget, he/she may expend additional monies up to the budget limit during the Regional Convention and must submit final receipts before the election speeches.
Running for more than one RMBLSA office •
No candidate may run for more than one Regional office simultaneously.
•
No individual who has been elected to a Regional position will be permitted to campaign for a National executive position.
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Post-Election Meeting Any candidate who wins election to a RMBLSA Regional Office is REQUIRED to attend the Transitional Meeting on Sunday, February 23, 2014, at 10:00 am. This meeting is mandatory so please make your travel arrangements accordingly. Important Considerations •
Serving on the RMBLSA Regional Executive Board is a significant commitment that requires a substantial amount of extracurricular work. Please take this into consideration when determining whether you will run for office.
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Travel expenses are not reimbursed or paid for by RMBLSA, therefore, you should consider your financial resources before running for a position. The estimated cost of travel for RMBLSA Chair is roughly $4,000.
III.
CAMPAIGNING Demeanor Prior to Commencement of Convention Campaign Meeting •
Candidates ARE permitted to verbally announce their intent to run for office prior to the Regional Convention with any NBLSA member in any region.
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Only the candidate may endorse himself/herself prior to the Regional Convention.
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Chapters are prohibited from making endorsements prior to the Regional Convention.
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No candidate for RMBLSA Regional Office shall disseminate printed material in connection with his/her campaign prior to Wednesday, February 19, 2014.
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After a Candidate has received notification from the 2013-14 Election Committee that his/her application has been accepted, he/she may use Myspace, Facebook, You-Tube, Twitter, a blog, website, or any other electronic method to advertise his/her candidacy. 4
Campaign Material •
If the candidate incurs any cost related to the use electronic media, these expenses must be included in his/her budget.
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Candidates may not use any Regional or National listserv and may not post any campaign material to the NBLSA, RMBLSA or local chapter Facebook group or other NBLSA social networking pages.
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Candidates may not use pictures of them with any Regional or National executive board members as a part of their campaign materials.
Candidate Endorsement •
Local chapters may not publicly endorse a candidate prior to the Regional Convention. Local chapters may endorse candidates after the commencement of the Regional Convention on Wednesday, February 19, 2014.
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Chapters endorsing a candidate are permitted to hold a chapter-specific reception at the Regional Convention, but this expenditure will count toward the candidate’s campaign fund limit.
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Current National and Regional Board members are prohibited from endorsing any candidate for Regional office at any time prior to or during convention. This includes posting any pictures of themselves and candidates up for election on any of their social or professional websites.
Demeanor after Commencement of Official Campaigning •
Candidates are permitted to wear and distribute campaign materials (flyers, buttons, etc.) to attendees at the Regional Convention. 5
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No campaigning may occur inside of plenary. As such, no delegate is allowed to wear or prominently display any campaign materials within 30 feet of or inside of the room where plenary sessions will be held.
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No candidate shall engage in an unfair campaign practice including, but not limited to, infraction or contempt of any campaign rule: libeling or slandering another candidate and/or maliciously disrupting another campaign.
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Each candidate is responsible for activity that another undertakes on his/her behalf, as if the candidate is undertaking the activity himself/herself, unless the candidate sincerely and affirmatively discourages such activity.
Termination of Campaigning •
All campaign materials and solicitation of votes must be taken down and cease ONE HOUR prior to the beginning of the Candidate’s Speeches on Saturday, February 22, 2014.
IV.
ENFORCEMENT OF ELECTIONS RULES PROCEDURES •
Any RMBLSA member may file a complaint with any Elections Committee member for violation of elections rules and procedures by sending an email to RMBLSA.parliamentarian@nblsa.org.
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The Elections Committee will investigate violations of these rules. If any violation is found to have merit, then the offending candidate will be disqualified immediately. The rules will be enforced in an effort to achieve adherence to the goals and principles of RMBLSA.
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Any decisions made by the Elections Committee that result in the disqualification of a candidate are appealable to the current Regional Vice Chair.
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The Elections Committee reserves the right to amend or add to the election procedures at any time before or during the Regional Convention notwithstanding those specific procedures set out in the Regional Constitution and Bylaws.
V.
ELECTION SPEECHES
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All candidates must prepare a speech to be given during plenary session on Saturday, February 22, 2014.
VI.
DELEGATE VOTING PROCEDURES Chapters in attendance •
Any active chapter with a registered delegate for the Regional Convention who attends at least seventy-five (75) percent of the plenary sessions during the 2014 Regional Convention is entitled to participate in the election of 2014-2014 RMBLSA Regional Officers.
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All delegates will receive their chapter ballot and all relevant proxy ballots prior to the commencement of candidate speeches.
VII. BALLOT COUNT •
The election of officers will be determined by a secret ballot voting method.
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The candidate who receives the largest percentage of votes for the position will be declared the winner of the position.
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If a candidate is unopposed, he/she must receive a majority of the votes in order to be declared the winner of the position.
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2013-2014 RMBLSA ELECTED OFFICIALS
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All candidates who have won offices sought will be announced during the 2014 RMBLSA Regional Awards Banquet to be held on Saturday, February 22, 2014 in Austin, Texas.
IX.
INSPECTION OF BALLOTS •
A candidate has a right to inspect all of the physical ballots submitted for the position to which he/she was a candidate, before the close of the Regional Convention.
X.
ELECTIONS PROCEDURE CALENDAR**
** The Election Committee reserves the right to alter these dates and times as it deems necessary. ELECTION PROCEDURES CALENDAR Deadline to submit pre-certification application Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 11:59 pm CST materials Regional Board Floor Nominations
Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 10:00 am CST
Deadline for Chapters to send proxy ballot
during the Plenary Session Friday, February 21, 2014 at 9:00 pm CST
information for the purposes of election Candidates Speeches and Q&A
Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm CST
Voting
during the Plenary Session Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 5:00 pm CST
RMBLSA Transition Meeting Deadline to submit certification materials for
during the Plenary Session Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 10:00 am CST Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 6:00 pm CST
officers elected from the floor XI.
APPOINTED POSITION INFORMATION SESSION
All persons interested in being appointed to the following positions should attend an information session, which will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. •
Regional Director of Communications
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Regional Director of Corporate Relations
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Regional Director of Membership
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Regional Convention Coordinator 8
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Regional Job Fair Coordinator
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Regional Director of the Pre-Law Division
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Regional Parliamentarian
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Regional Historian
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Regional Director of Alumni Relations
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Regional Director of Social Action
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Regional Director of Academic Development
To learn more about the duties of each appointed position, please refer to the RMBLSA Constitution and Bylaws or reach out to the person currently occupying the position. Contact information is available at www.nblsa.org/rmblsa.
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REGIONAL OFFICER APPLICATION FORMS (submitted online)
REGIONAL OFFICER CANDIDATE CHECKLIST 1
Statement of Intent (goals and agenda) with photograph in top left corner (one 8.5x11 page).
You may include any experience that may be related to the
position, any honors and awards, and any other additional information that you would like people to learn about you. There is a 1000 word limit on statements. (Included in packet distributed to delegates).
2
One 8.5x11 page résumé, including NBLSA positions held (local, regional, or Regional).
Please do not include any sensitive information such as grades
or class ranking. You may include academic honors. (Included in packet distributed to delegates).
3
One peer or one professional/academic reference letter (one 8.5x11
4
page). Completed Online Application, which includes the signed statement of understanding of financial obligation for office and the signed acknowledgement of the duties and obligations
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associated with the office sought. Form signed by Chapter President of an active NBLSA chapter in which you are a member, certifying your good standing with the chapter and the chapter’s endorsement of your candidacy for the
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RMBLSA office sought. Accounting of candidacy related expenses, excluding traveling
expenses. Please submit documents 1-6 in the aforementioned order as one PDF document along with the online submission of your application by 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, February 16, 2014.
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Application
2014 RMBLSA Election Application All materials are due Sunday, February 16, 2014 11:59pm CST (NO EXCEPTIONS) Please e-mail application to RMBLSA.parliamentarian@nblsa.org Name: ______________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________________
School: _________________________________________________ Year: _____________
Email: ______________________________
Position applying for: _________________________________________________________________ What other positions will you hold, apply, or run for election in any organization for 2013-2014? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you ever run for or held an office on the local, regional, or national level? If so, which position(s)? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are your plans for the summer of 2014? Where will you be located? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Statement of Understanding of Financial Obligation Please use the space below to discuss how you will pay for expenses as a Regional Board Member. Please include hotel, travel, and food arrangements. Estimated Cost is $4,000 for Chair. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I, <Type Here>, hereby acknowledge that I have read and understood the financial duties and obligations of an elected official of the Regional Executive Board of the Rocky Mountain Region of the National Black Law Students Association (RMBLSA) as set forth in the organization’s constitution, by-laws and election materials. Please initial <Type Here> Typing your name below indicates that you understand your financial obligations as a Board Member. Signature (Simply type name)
Date
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REGIONAL OFFICER CANDIDATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PLEDGE
<Type Here> NAME <Type Here> Email Address: <Type Here>
<Type Here> POSITION APPLYING FOR <Type Here> YOUR SCHOOL: <Type Here> YEAR IN SCHOOL: <Type Here>
I, <Type Here>, hereby acknowledge that I have read and understand the duties and obligations of an elected official of the Regional Executive Board of the Rocky Mountain Regional the National Black Law Students Association (RMBLSA) as set forth in the organization’s constitution and by-laws. Please initial <Type Here> I further pledge that if elected I will undertake any further preparation necessary to serve competently as a member of RMBLSA’s Board of Directors. Please initial <Type Here>. Typing your name below indicates that you have read the acknowledgement and pledge and will abide by them to the best of your ability.
Signature (Simply type name)
Date
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CHAPTER ENDORSMENT OF CANDIDATE
CHAPTER NAME:
CANDIDATE NAME:
<Type Here> CHAPTER OFFICIAL: POSITION APPLYING FOR <Type Here> <Type Here> EMAIL ADDRESS OR PHONE NO. FOR CHAPTER CHAPTER NAME: <Type Here> OFFICIAL: <Type Here>
CHAPTER CONTACT INFO: <Type Here>
I, <Type Chapter Official Name and Position Here>, an elected official of <Type School Name Here> RMBLSA chapter, hereby certify that <Type Candidate Name Here> is a member in good standing of our chapter. I further acknowledge that I read the duties and obligations associated with the position for which <Type Candidate Name Here> seeks a Regional RMBLSA office and confidently endorse him/her for election to this position. Typing your name below indicates that you, as a representative of your local chapter, have read the certification form and relevant portions of the RMBLSA constitution and by laws and therefore, based upon this understanding have endorsed the above candidate for RMBLSA office.
Signature (Simply type name)
Date
If you choose not to endorse the candidate listed above, please do not sign the statement and attach a document stating your reasons.
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