The selection of the board members is a crucial way to grow an organization and ensure that it has the capacity to lead to thrive. A well-established procedure for elections and nominations helps prevent problems and maintains fidelity with the bylaws. When the president or chair selects a Election of Board Members new member the process bypasses the careful review of committee selection and can create dissension between the members who were selected by the committee.
It is vital that the committee scrutinizes the membership list and selects candidates who are a good match for your company’s needs. The committee should discuss and make notes on candidates. If the committee is unable to find a suitable candidate for the position it’s best to allow the seat to be vacant and allow members of the committee to nominate themselves.
After the committee has compiled its list of potential candidates, it is able to hold elections. The most popular method for conducting an election is through a voice vote, in which the chair requests the members to vote yes or no on each candidate in order of their name. The first candidate to receive a majority of the ayes wins.
Other methods for determining a board member include a written ballot or roll call. These are also options for the cumulative voting. Whatever method you choose to use it is essential that the votes are properly counted. If a person notices that the tellers are not following the proper procedures or there was a mistake in counting votes, they must raise their hands and inform the chairman of their concerns.
