Election Committee

Purpose

COMMITTEE GOALS

  1. To run the annual PSPA election in a fair and efficient manner.
  2. To seek at least two nominations for each position.
  3. To encourage region representatives to nominate individuals from their regions to run for office.
  4. To encourage students to seek nomination for the two student board positions.

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

  1. The Committee shall consist of a chairperson appointed by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.
  2. The committee shall consist of at least one PSPA member appointed by the chairperson.
  3. The Secretary shall serve as the Board Advisor to the committee.
  4. The President is an ex-officio member of the committee.

COMMITTEE CHAIR JOB DESCRIPTION

  1. Be a PSPA member in good standing.
  2. Appoint committee members.
  3. Appoint one member of the committee to serve as the vice-chair. The vice-chair’s responsibility will be to assist the chair with all the functions of the committee as well as be prepared to take over the committee in the unlikely event that the chairperson is unable to complete the functions of the committee.
  4. Submit a written, quarterly committee report to the Board at least 2 weeks prior to each Board of Directors Meeting.
  5. Monitor and update election section on website on a regular basis.
  6. Attend at least three (3) Board of Directors’ meetings per year.
  7. Make policy recommendations to the Board of Directors when appropriate.
  8. Oversee the elections process.
    • Assist in the search for candidates.
    • See that appropriate notices and articles are posted.
    • Oversee verification of platform and campaign information.
    • Oversee the distribution of ballots and platforms.
    • Receive all ballots and be responsible for the counting and verification of the ballots.
  9. Submit a proposed budget to the treasurer in March of each year.
  10. Oversee all expenses by the committee.
  11. Submit a yearly committee report for the PSPA membership after the election to be presented at the annual general membership meeting.
  12. Estimated time needed to fulfill the duties of this position is 2-5 hours per month in addition to the Board of Directors’ meetings.
  13. Participate in the development of the PSPA Action Plan.

COMMITTEE MEMBER JOB DESCRIPTION

  1. Be a PSPA member in good standing.
  2. Complete assigned tasks and report progress regularly to chairperson regularly by verbal, written or electronic means.
  3. Assist in the verification of campaign materials.
  4. Assist in the search process for candidates.
  5. Assist in the preparation, distribution and counting of ballots.
  6. Estimated time needed to fulfill the duties of this position is 1 hour per month.

COMMITTEE PROCEDURES

  1. Elections are held annually.
  2. In the even numbered years, two (2) Directors-at-Large will be elected to two-year terms; the President-Elect will be elected for a one-year term as President-Elect, a two-year term as President and a one-year term as Immediate Past President. Also, AAPA House of Delegate representatives (half or less than half of the available positions) will be elected to two year terms.
  3. In the odd numbered years, the Secretary, Treasurer, and two (2) Directors-at-Large will be elected to two-year terms. Also, AAPA House of Delegate representatives (half or greater than half of the available positions) will be elected to two year terms.
  4. Two (2) Student Directors–at-Large will be elected annually for a one-year term. If there are no students who run for these board positions, the President may appoint these positions with the approval of the Board of Directors.
  5. The term of office begins July 1 of the election year and continues through June 30 of the re-election year.
  6. The committee shall supervise the election and seek nominations for each position.
  7. The election committee should develop a full ballot of qualified candidates for each position. In the event there is only one candidate for any position, the Secretary of the Society shall cast a written ballot on behalf of the membership in favor of the declared candidates.
  8. Eligibility to seek office in the PSPA is outlined in the PSPA bylaws. Any fellow member with a current membership card is eligible for any position on the Board of Directors. Any student member with a current membership card is eligible for the Student Director-at-Large positions.
  9. Requests for nominations will be announced in the Winter and Spring newsletters.
  10. All Fellow members interested in running for an office or board position must submit a letter of intent, a brief biographical sketch, a platform statement (300 words or less) and a color photo (head and shoulder) to the election committee by April 15.
  11. Ballots will be mailed to all current Fellow members during the month of May and must be returned to the Elections chair by June 15. Associate members are not eligible to vote.
  12. All students interested in running for the Student Director-at-Large positions must submit a platform statement and a color photo (head and shoulders) by March 15th. Ballots will be mailed approximately April 1 to be returned by April 30th. All current student members will receive ballots to vote for the Student Director-at-Large candidates. The term of office officially begins July 1stbut the students will have a 2-month mentoring process with the current Student Directors.
  13. The results of the election will be announced in the newsletter immediately following the election.
  14. Biographical sketches, platform statements and photographs of the candidates shall be printed in the Summer newsletter and/or mailed along with the ballots.

COMMITTEE GUIDELINES

  1. Shall abide by PSPA and AAPA constitution, by-laws and policies.
  2. Shall act with the approval of the PSPA Board on all or certain matters to be determined by the Board of Directors.
  3. All campaign material must be sent to the elections committee for review and must be verifiable. Any false or misleading information will result in the committee making a report to the Board of Directors for further action.
  4. Budget, disburse and account for those funds allocated to the committee for the administrative function of the committee.

RESIGNATION

A 2-month notice of resignation is requested of the chairperson. It is also recommended that the outgoing chairperson supply the names of two physician assistants that could step into the position, if possible. The resigning chairperson should submit all files and copies of the correspondence regarding the committee’s activities to the new chairperson or to the Board Advisor for the committee.

Approved 9/29/00; Reviewed/Revised 1/29/00; 1/13/01; 2/1/03; 9/30/08; 7/25/15; 7/23/16; 11/1/22

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