This document explains the process for electing your Board of Directors. As elections are a serious issue for the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), we wish to ensure that all delegates fully understand the election process. This document clearly outlines how candidates for various Board positions are nominated; who retains the right to vote; the role of the Regional Caucuses; and, the actual voting process. Important changes to the elections process were approved in 2011 and are in effect at the 2017 Forum and AM.
Please review this document carefully before the meetings.
General Structure
The Canadian AIDS Society is a national coalition of regional organizations. This is reflected in the structure of our Board of Directors in which each of our five regions has two Directors elected as representatives, at least one of whom must be a person living with HIV. In addition to the regional representation, an additional two Directors-At-Large who have no particular regional affiliation and a PLWHIV Youth Director are elected to full voting seats. Through your official delegate to the AM, every member group in good standing has the right to vote on the regional representatives and the Director-At-Large positions. Nominations for Regional PLWHIV Directors are held during the Regional Caucuses of the PLWHIV Forum and the nomination of the PLWHIV Youth Director is held in plenary at the Forum. Nominations for Regional Directors are held at Regional Caucuses during the Annual Meeting (AM).
The ratification of a slate of nominees for the Regional PLWHIV Directors, the PLWHIV Youth Director and Regional Directors and a vote for the Director-At-Large by members will be held in plenary during the AM.
Nominations to the Board of Directors
Positions up for election at 2017 Annual Meeting
- Director-at-Large (non-female) (two-year term ending in 2019)
- Quebec Regional Director (two-year term ending in 2019)
- Prairies Regional Director (two-year term ending in 2019)
- A slate of nominations from the Forum will presented and voted on at the Annual Meeting. Nominations brought forward from the 2017 Forum are for the following positions:
- Atlantic PLWHIV Director (two-year term ending in 2019)
- Ontario PLWHIV Director (two-year term ending in 2019)
- Pacific PLWHIV Director (two-year term ending in 2019)
- Youth PLWHIV Director (two-year term ending in 2019)
Candidates for regional positions must be present at the AM in order to be elected. The 2017 Annual Meeting will be held in a webinar format on Wednesday September 20, 2017 from 1:30 p.m. EDT.
Canadian AIDS Society 2017 Annual Meeting: Nominations for the Regional Directors for Quebec, Prairies and Director-at-Large as well as for Director-At-Large (non-female gender) positions must be submitted to the CAS office. Individuals who have not submitted a complete application form to the Nomination Committee prior to the AM may still submit nominations up to the closing times listed below.
Advance nominations: no later than Monday September 18, 2017 to CAS office by fax or email or to your regional director by email.
Board Nomination Form: 2017-Annual Meeting-CAS-Board-Nomination-Form
Last minute: 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday September 20, 2017 to CAS office by email only.
All regional nominees will be required to make a short presentation in their Regional Caucus, and be prepared to address questions from their regional delegates.
For the Director-At-Large and PLWHIV Youth Director positions, nominees will be required to make a short presentation to the assembled membership, and be prepared to address questions from delegates.
Right To Vote
AM
Currently, all Member Groups in good standing* have the right and responsibility to elect the Regional Directors and Directors-At-Large, as well as to approve the slate of nominees for the Regional PLWHIV Directors and PLWHIV Youth Director.
Any Member, regardless of their region, may recommend that a person be nominated by any Region for the position of Regional Director, provided that at least two other Members, from the Region that will nominate the Regional Director, support the recommendation.
*Note: CAS Membership Policy clearly states that “…if at the time of the CAS AM a Member Group has not paid its annual members fee for the previous year, it will be deemed to be not in good standing.”
Proxy
According to our by-laws, if a Member Group is unable to send an official delegate to the AM, it may, in writing, designate its proxy to another Member Group. No Member Group may carry more than one proxy vote.
Role of Regional Caucuses
AM
Regional Caucuses, as part of their designated meeting time, are encouraged to use the caucus meeting to have nominees for the regional seats in their region answer questions, etc. Regions will then nominate a Regional Director for and from their region.
The persons nominated for the vacant Regional Director positions will form part of the slate of nominees to be presented by the Nominating Committee to the Members at the AM.
Voting
2017 AM
Nominations for the vacant Regional Director positions will be held in your Regional Caucus session. The ratification of the slate of nominees for Regional PLWHIV Director(s) and PLWHIV Youth Director positions, as well as the slate of nominees for Regional Director(s), by members, will then be held in plenary at the AM. The vote for the Director-At-Large position(s) by members will occur in the plenary session as well.
Voting during webinar format: Voting during the webinar will be through a survey/poll that will appear on the screen at the relevant times during the meeting. One vote per organization. Delegate should indicate their vote, and proxy votes if any, immediately the poll comes up on their screen.
Finally
If you have any questions about the nomination or election process, do not hesitate to seek out a representative from the Nominations Committee or CAS office.
Ensuring that CAS has a Board of Directors that will work on your behalf is critical.
Good luck with your deliberations and decision-making!