BOARD ELIGIBILITY

DEADLINE FOR FILING IS - DECEMBER 1ST OF ANY YEAR
Written notification of intent to run for a position on the TASBO Board must reach the TASBO Headquarters Office by 5:00 p.m. on December 1^st of the year preceding the election.
 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 

Eligibility Rules 

CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR 

1.         Candidates must have been an active member of TASBO for at least three years.

2.         Candidates must have attended two of the last three Annual Conferences prior to the filing deadline.

3.         Candidates must comply with rules and regulations as prescribed by the Board of Directors to be eligible for election.
 

4.         Candidates are required to submit a letter to TASBO from their Superintendent (or Chief Executive Officer) and/or Board of Trustees (or Board of Directors) indicating support and approval of the time and effort required to be a member of the Board of Directors. 

CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT  

1.         Any member who has served one elected term as director is eligible to be elected to the office of the Vice-President or President-Elect.
 

2.         Candidates are required to submit a letter to TASBO from their Superintendent (or Chief Executive Officer) and/or Board of Trustees (or Board of Directors) indicating support and approval of the time and effort required to be a member of the Board of Directors. 

NOMINATION RULES 

Eligible members of TASBO may be nominated for the position of Director or Vice-President by submitting written notification to TASBO headquarters of intent to run for position. (see guidelines below under Written Notification of Intent.) 

WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF INTENT  

1.       Candidate’s written notification of intent to run for a position on the TASBO Board must reach the TASBO Headquarters Office by December 1^st  by 5:00 p.m. of the year preceding the election.  The following items must be included with the notification of intent. 

2.    The following information regarding the candidate:

a.       Professional Activities

  i.      Leadership activities in TASBO
 ii.      Leadership in TASBO affiliates
iii.      Memberships in other professional organizations
iv.      Publications
  v.      Research activities
vi.      Other professional activities

b.       Education and Training

    i.      Degrees
  ii.      Certificates

c.        Community and special activities

d.       Distinguished honors

e.       Employment Record

f.         Duties of present position

g.       Personal data status, children, etc.

  i.      Marital status, children, etc.
 ii.      Fraternal and service club affiliations
iii.      Other affiliations and leadership

h.       A copy of the one-page information sheet must be forwarded to the Executive Director to be used in the TASBO Report newsletter.  Upon review of qualifications as set forth in Section 8. of the TASBO Constitution & By-Laws, regarding the Election Rules, the TASBO Executive Director shall notify the candidate of receipt of intent to run for the board.  This notification shall be by email, with return reply required.  If disapproved because of qualifications the notification will set forth the reasons. 

3.     A statement of philosophy about TASBO and the commitments of the candidate.

                4.    Candidates are required to submit a letter to TASBO from their Superintendent (or Chief
                        Executive Officer) and/or Board of Trustees (or Board of Directors) indicating support and
                        approval of the time and effort required to be a member of the Board of Directors. 

5.        A 3 x 5 professional head shot photograph.  The photograph will not be returned.  Candidates will be publicized in TASBO Reports and at the Annual Conference by a handout brochure that will be distributed at the registration desk and to the membership in attendance at the First General Session of the Annual Conference. 

Election Rules 

Annual Conference Rules 

1.                   All attendees must be registered and wear their identification badges at all sessions.
 

2.                   All resolutions must be brought to the First General Session assembly after approval by the Board of Directors.
 

3.                   No nomination speeches will be made.
 

4.                   The introduction of the candidates shall be held during the First General Session.
 

5.                   Vote will be by paper or electronic ballots with all officers and candidates on one ballot.  The Board may declare each unopposed candidate elected to the office without the necessity of conducting an election.  The Board may make this declaration upon receipt of certification from the Executive Director that the candidates are unopposed.
 

6.                   Only active, life, and retired members of TASBO who are registered for the annual conference or certification classes at the current annual meeting are eligible to vote. 

      7.         Candidates’ names will be listed on paper ballots in order established by drawing 
                        places by the candidates.  

8.                   Only active, life, and retired members wearing official TASBO voting membership (name) badges shall be given ballots.  The name badges will be punched by an Election Worker at the time the ballot is cast.
 

9.                   The Election Workers located at voting stations, will have each qualified voting member sign his or her name on an appropriate record sheet.  The purpose of this action is to correlate the number of signatures with votes cast and to record those voting members who actually cast their votes.  The record sheets containing signatures are to be turned over to the Election Judge for tallying.  He/She will submit the tallied list to the President of the Association. 
 

10.                When possible, the President and the Executive Director will select an Election Judge and Election Workers from a list of past members of the Board of Directors.  The Election Judge and Election Workers will be active or life members.  

11.          Each candidate may have a poll watcher at each voting station.  Such poll watchers must present a letter signed by the candidate to an Election Worker at the voting station qualifying him/her to perform in that capacity.

        12.         The candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes will be declared elected.

        13.          In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the flip of a coin or drawing of lots.

14.          Early voting shall be conducted on the days certification classes are held at the annual 
                conference unless certification classes are held after the general voting is complete.  

        15.          No ballots will be counted until the official closing time for the election. 

PRE-MEETING ACTIVITY 

          1.           No articles from candidates for Director or Vice-President can be published
                     in TASBO Reports after August 1 of the year preceding the election. 

          2.           A candidate’s campaign may begin only after he/she has complied with election rules 
                    and been notified by TASBO’s Executive Director of eligibility. 

ANNUAL MEETING CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY  

          1.         Candidates may seek the support of the appropriate regional TASBO affiliate group and/or
                   research committee.

          2.         Mailing of campaign literature is prohibited, and email is considered to be mail in interpreting this
                   policy. 
         
          3.    Hospitality functions set up for the purpose of supporting a candidate for director or officer are
                 prohibited.

          4.     No posters or signs of any type supporting the candidacy of any individual may be displayed in any
                  Annual Meeting facility including hotel lobbies, meeting room, hospitality suites, etc.  The intent of
                  this rule is the absolute prohibition of campaign posters and signs.

          5.        Badges, buttons and gadgets supporting the candidacy of any individual for the position of
                   director or officer are prohibited.   

          6.       Campaign speeches are prohibited.
 
          7.    Violation of the election rules may disqualify candidates.  The final decision regarding  
                 disqualification will rest with the TASBO Board of Directors. 

PROCESS FOR FILLING OFFICER AND DIRECTOR VACANCIES 
          1.        If there is a vacancy in the officer positions of President-Elect or Vice-President, qualifying
                  candidates may file necessary documents to run for an officer’s position.  The two candidates
                  receiving the highest number of votes, will be elected to fill these positions, i.e. the candidate with
                  the most votes will be named as President-Elect and the candidate with the second highest
                  number of votes will be named Vice-President.  In the event of a tie vote, the winner will be
                  determined by drawing lots. 

          2.        If current Board members are elected to officers’ positions, the candidates with the highest
                  number of votes will fill the 3-year directors’ positions and the candidates with the next highest
                  number of votes will be named to fill the unexpired terms of directors who were elected to fill
                  officers’ positions.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH RULES

The election procedure is based on the premise that all candidates and their supporters are absolutely sincere in wishing to follow the election rules.  Indeed, violation of the rules usually has
an adverse rather that a helpful result to the candidate.  The TASBO Board of Directors shall have the responsibility to review these rules to ascertain that each candidate has followed them.  Violations of the election rules observed by or reported to a member of the Board shall be reported to the TASBO Executive Committee.  The Executive Committee is composed of the officers of the Board-President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Past President, and Executive Director. The Executive Committee of the Board shall immediately advise the candidate and his/her supporters to cease such violation immediately.  Failure of the candidate to comply will result in the violation procedure as outlined below being implemented.  Failure of the candidate or the candidate’s supporters to comply is to be reported in writing along with supportive evidence to the president of the Association.  This report will be considered a formal protest.  A formal protest may be filed by any voting member of TASBO who becomes aware of violations of the election rules.  

Upon receipt of the formal protest by the president, he/she shall, as soon as practical, and prior to the election if possible, or certification of the election, call the Board of Directors into session.

The member who filed the formal protest and the candidate against whom the protest is filed will be allowed to present evidence to the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors will review the evidence and make a judgment. 

The Board must sustain or deny the protest.  If the Board sustains the protest, the candidate will be notified that his/her name will removed from the ballot or stricken from the ballot tabulation and that the membership will be notified by an announcement at the next general session that the candidate has been withdrawn from the election by Board action.  If the protest is denied, both the candidate and the member who filed the protest will be notified of the denial.