Election Regulations for LFP Chapter Elections
(August 2010)
§ 1 Principles of Elections
§ 2 Voting Rights and Register of Elections
§ 3 Announcement Of Elections
§ 4 Candidacy
§ 5 Election Process
§ 6 Counting the Votes and Results
§ 7 Non-Acceptance and Resignation
§ 1 Principles of Elections
(1) Elections at LFP are general, free, equal, secret and direct.
(2) Elections are based on the majority vote system. This means, that the candidate, who gets the most votes, win the election.
(3) Elections are held by ballot boxes.
§ 2 Voting Rights and Register of Election
(1) Only members of LFP are entitled to vote. Members are those, who are registered by the membership committee and paid their fee for the current year.
(2) LFP Provincial President should ideally delegate one of the LFP Board member or an office-bearer, including a PWC member, to supervise elections. If any members of the Chapter objects to holding of elections under such a person, then the LFP Chairman shall nominate somebody to supervise the elections.
(3) This Board member should take care of the correct election process.
(4) In preparation of an election, a list of members is prepared. This list is shared with all the candidates. Objections against any member in the list should be examined immediately.
§ 3 Announcement of Election
(1) A week before an election, the Chapter Office-Bearers must inform the Secretariat which must announce the election on the LFP web site. The Secretariat can inform all members of the respective chapter by post, or e-mail.
(2) The announcement must point out the voting procedure, the legal basis, and the day, the time and the location of the election.
§ 4 Candidacy
(1) Every member of LFP can nominate himself to be a candidate or can be nominated.
(2) After the nomination, the Election Board announces the names of the candidates publicly.
(3) Every nominated person must be asked in public, if he/ she accepts the nomination.
(4) Nomination and candidacy in absentia is possible.
(5) If an absent person is nominated, and has not given his written consent in advance to contest, the Election Board should adjourn the election for a maximum time of fifteen minutes. In this time, the Election Board should contact the nominated person to ask, if he/ she accepts the nomination. If it is not possible to contact the person within this time, his/ her nomination cannot be accepted.
§ 5 Election Process
(1) Every member has one vote.
(2) To vote, the members present in the meeting receive the voting paper from the Election Board.
(3) Voters vote by interjecting his or her voting paper into the ballot box. On the voting paper, the name of the candidate, who should receive the vote, have to be noted.
(4) A voter is also allowed to abstain from voting or to void his or her voting paper.
(5) For a valid election, at least two-thirds of the LFP members of the chapter should take part in the Election.
§ 6 Counting the Votes and Result
(1) Votes are counted immediately after the last voting.
(2) The Election Board is responsible for counting the votes. One person should read out the name on the ballot paper loud, second person checks if he/ she read out the right name. The third person adds the vote on the counting list; second person also checks to see that the noting is right.
(3) The counting cannot be interrupted until the result is announced.
(4) Every result has to be counted twice. If the results of the two countings differ, then it should be counted the third time.
(5) If there are doubts about the validity of a ballot paper, the Election Board decides upon the permissibility of that ballot paper.
(6) Votes are not valid if
- the ballot paper is not that one, which was handed out by the Election Board
- the name written on the ballot paper is not clear or understandable.
- the ballot paper contains any additions
- there is no vote on it
(7) Results must be announced by the Election Board immediately after the counting of the votes is finished.
(8) After the official counting of the ballot box, the voting papers are to be sent to the Secretariat which should keep them at least for a month from the election date. During this time, this record will be accessible under supervision of the Secretariat staff to any member of the Chapter.
7 Non-acceptance and Resignation
(1) If a candidate resigns from office or is removed from office under LFP’s Constitution, then LFP shall organize new elections, following the same procedure as outlined above.
Activities