FY18 Section Election: FAQ on our Election Cycle, Part 2

You have questions, we have answers! Welcome to Part 2 of our Election Cycle FAQ! This FAQ, is grouped by the following topics:

• Voting Period
• Ballot
• Review & Results

FAQ, Part 1, covered the following topics:

• Candidate Slate
• Elected Officers & Positions
• Petition Period
• Nominating Committee

You can find Part 1 here.

If you find that your question is not listed here, let us know! Contact information is at the end of this post. We hope that this helps you understand and participate in the FY18 Election!
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Voting Period

Who is eligible to vote in the election?

Current SWE members affiliated with the SWE Pacific Northwest (PNW) Section, J003, are able to vote.

How can I check if I am a current member and that I am affiliated with SWE PNW (J003)?

Sign into the SWE Membership Portal and click on the “SWE Section Change” button. You should see a table that looks like this:

If it does not show J003, there is a button at the bottom you can use to change your section affiliation.

I had to change my section affiliation during the voting period. Will my vote be counted?

Eligibility for voting in the SWE PNW election will be verified at the point that the voting period closes. As long as the change is made and updated in the society membership database by that date, the Nomination Committee will be able to confirm your eligibility.

How do I vote?

Voting will be done via an online Survey Monkey form. Here is the link to the ballot: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GKKS3XM

A mailed (paper) ballot can be requested. Please contact the Nomination Committee as soon as possible if you require this.

How long will the voting period be?

Per our section bylaws, the voting period is at least 21 days. The ballots are sent out on day 1 and the voting polls will close on the 21st day or a specified date after the ballots go out.

For the FY18 Section Election, the voting opened on Thursday, June 8, 2017 and will close at midnight on Friday, June 30, 2017

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Ballot

What is SWE PNW using for the ballot?

SWE PNW is using Survey Monkey for our FY18 Voting Ballot. You can find the ballot here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GKKS3XM

If you have having any trouble accessing the Survey Monkey form, please contact the Nomination Committee directly for help.

Why do I need to provide my SWE member number on the ballot?

Providing your SWE member number allows the Nomination Committee to verify your eligibility to vote in the section election. It is used to cross reference with the society membership database to confirm active membership status and that you are affiliated with SWE PNW (J003). Your membership number is only used for this purpose and nothing else.

Can I write in a candidate?

Yes, write-in votes for eligible candidates are allowed. The Nomination Committee is responsible for reviewing eligibility of write-in candidates during the review and results period.

I see “Abstain” as an option - what does that mean?

The voting survey is set-up to require an answer to every question. The “Abstain” option provides the ability to not vote for a particular position and still complete the voting survey.

How many people can I vote for in each position?

For FY18, members select only 1 person to vote for in each category.

In the past, there were multiple individuals elected to the Section Representative role. This was changed for FY18 and you can learn more about it in the FY18 SWE PNW Election & Section Rep Role Update blog post.

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Review & Results

Who is responsible for tallying the votes?

The Nomination Committee is responsible for determining how votes will be collected and tallied.

What happens if there is a tie in the total number of votes for a candidate?

In the event of a tie, the election for that position shall be determined by lot, conducted by the Chair of the Nominating Committee. The exact method and determination of the tie breaker will be decided by the Chair and Nomination Committee if/when it is required.

How will the results be presented?

The Nomination Committee is required by the Section Bylaws to report the results to the President.

As a courtesy, the Nomination Committee typically notifies the Candidates via email ahead of any communication to the Section.

After that is complete, the formal results will be sent to the section via email, blog post/webpage, and/or social media.

When will the results be presented to the Section?

The Nomination Committee works hard to tally and review the votes as quickly as possible. The goal is to have the results posted as soon as possible, at a maximum within 2 weeks after the closure of the voting period.

I’m a candidate and I haven’t heard from the Nom Com regarding my status. What should I do?

If you haven’t heard, check the FY18 Section Election Central page for any updates or changes in status for the results announcement. If there is no information there, please contact the Nomination Committee directly.

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This FAQ was compiled and reviewed by Theresa Krack and Elaine Reeves, FY17 Section Representatives. It is based on the information contained in the SWE PNW Bylaws and additional information relevant to the FY18 section election cycle.

Looking for FAQ on our Election Cycle, Part 1? Find that post here: http://swepnw.blogspot.com/2017/05/fy18-section-election-faq-on-our.html

If you have questions on this FAQ (Part 1 or 2), please contact the Section Representatives at swe.pnw.section.reps@gmail.com.

If you have questions or feedback pertaining to the FY18 Section Election Cycle, please contact the Nominating Committee directly at swe.pnw.nomination@gmail.com.