Election Procedures Taskforce suggestions

Guiding principles The most democratic systems The systems must allow for a majority Simplicity Proportionality All votes should influence the outcome User friendliness

Common for all options 3 trustees are elected every year for a three year term Every third year one trustee is elected by the IJB, using the same procedures Candidates run individually and must be nominated by three nominators Voting takes place electronically In the years of an advisory conference, the election will take place during the conference

Single majority vote How do the board vote? Each voter votes on one candidate at the time # of times the board votes Three: One time per position, excluding possible run-offs The process Voters vote until one candidate reaches a majority (50 % +1). If no candidate reaches a majority the two candidates with the most votes proceed to a second and final round. The process is then repeated for candidate 2 and 3.

Ranked choice voting – option 1 How do the board vote? Each voter rank all the candidates # of times the board votes Three: One time per postition The process If no candidate reaches a majority (50 % +1) among the voters’ number one option, the candidate with the least number of #1-votes is eliminated from the ballots where they are on top and on these ballots the second option is counted. This process is continued until one candidate reaches a majority. The process is then repeated for candidate 2 and 3. (Don’t worry there will be an example soon.)

Ranked choice voting – option 2 How do the board vote? Each voter rank all the candidates # of times the board votes One The process If no candidate reaches a majority among the voters’ number one option, the candidate with the least number of #1-votes is eliminated from the ballots where they are on top and on these ballots the second option is counted. This process is continued until one candidate reaches a majority. When one candidate reaches a majority, the counting process is repeated but the winning candidate is removed from the ballots, thus counting the next available candidate on these ballots. (The example is on the next couple of slides.)

And now: The Muppet Show!

All ”first choices” on the votes are counted At first it looks as though Oscar the Grouch will be the winner - indeed, if the Muppets had used a simplistic 'plurality' voting system, then Oscar would have won. He has more votes than any other candidate (in other words a plurality).

Oscar lacks a majority But IRV requires a candidate to possess a majority, which Oscar fails to secure in the first round of counting - he clearly has strong support, but his support is not strong enough to help him cross the 'majority line.' A strong candidate should have both strong support and wide support, and ranked choice voting helps measure which candidate best achieves that balance. So the candidate with fewest first choices, Miss Piggy, is defeated, and the count moves onto a second round.

Miss Piggy is eliminated The ballots originally cast for Miss Piggy are now counted for the candidates listed as the second choice on each ballot. Everyone else has their ballot count for their first choice candidate. Note that one ballot does not count for any candidate - rumor has it that Miss Piggy only voted for one candidate, her self. No candidate has a majority of the vote yet, and Beaker now loses.

Earnie gains strength In this round of voting, three candidates remain. Note that Ernie is showing not only strong support (he was second to Oscar after the first count), but broad support - he keeps picking up more votes as other candidates are eliminated. We can see that Elmo did not receive enough votes to remain in the running. He too is eliminated.

Elmo’s out, Earnie wins! When Elmo loses, ballots that had been cast for him are now counted for either Oscar or Ernie. Note that some ballots are counting for a third-choice candidate - those voters who had listed Miss Piggy or Beaker first and Elmo second. With the field narrowed to two, Ernie secures a majority of the votes cast and crosses the 'majority line.'

Studying the ranking Before we find out who the winner is, let's take a closer look at the ballot of one of the Muppets who voted for Miss Piggy as their favorite candidate. This Muppet's ballot first counted for Miss Piggy, but after she was eliminated, the ballot counted for the second choice - Elmo. Once Elmo lost, the ballot counted for Ernie. Note that Oscar is ranked last on this ballot. Clearly this voter supported Ernie over Oscar and it was important to register this choice rather than have the ballot be 'wasted' on Miss Piggy.

Election of the president Two options: Each year, the Governing Board shall elect one of their members to serve as Chair and one of their members to serve as Vice-Chair. The electorate chooses the Chair for a three year term every third year at the Advisory Conference. Each year, the Governing Board shall elect one of their members to serve as Vice-Chair.