2. This training course is
designed to develop the basic
competencies of a member of the
Election Committee in developing
the election rules and guidelines.
3. Objective
Upon completion of the course the learners
should be able to:
LO1. Develop comprehensive election
rules and guidelines.
LO2. Communicate the approved rules
and guidelines with members.
LO3. Execute the approved election rules and
guidelines.
4. Develop Comprehensive Election Rules
and Guidelines
Contents:
- The Meaning & Practice of
Democracy in Cooperatives
- Election Principles and Practices
- Drafting the Election Rules and
Guidelines for the Cooperative
5. The Meaning & Practice of
Democracy in Cooperatives
Art. 4, RA 9520
(2) Democratic Member Control -
Cooperatives are democratic organizations that
are controlled by their members who actively
participate in setting their policies and making
decisions. Men and women serving as elected
representatives, directors or officers are
accountable to the membership. In primary
cooperatives, members have equal voting rights
of one-member, one-vote. Cooperatives at other
levels are organized in the same democratic
manner.
6. By-Laws
ARTICLE V. Committees
Section 3. Election Committee. An Election
Committee is hereby created and shall be
composed of _____ ( ) members to be elected
during a general assembly meeting and shall hold
office for a term of one (1) year or until their
successors shall have been elected and qualified.
Within ten (10) days after their election they shall
elect from among themselves a Chairperson, Vice-
Chairperson and a Secretary. No member of the
committee shall hold any other position within the
Cooperative during his/her term of office.
7. Section 4. Functions and Responsibilities
The Election Committee shall:
a. Formulate election rules and guidelines, and
recommend to the GA for approval;
b. Implement election rules and guidelines duly
approved by the GA;
c. Recommend necessary amendments to the
election rules and guidelines, in consultation
with the Board of Directors, for approval of the
GA;
d. Supervise the conduct, manner and procedure
of election and other election related activities
and act on the changes thereto;
8. Section 4. Functions and Responsibilities
e. Canvass and certify the results of the
election;
f. Proclaim the winning candidates;
g. Decide election and other related cases
except those involving the Election
Committee or its members, and
h. Perform such other functions as prescribed in
the By-laws or authorized by the GA.
9. Election Principles and
Practices
Was your last Board election a thoughtful
exercise in democracy in which members
chose a well-qualified set of directors that add
value to the Board and to the co-op?
More than anyone else in the cooperative,
the Board itself is responsible for ensuring
that the answer to this question is “Yes!”
Elections should be neither mundane (dull)
nor contentious (controversial), but should
honor and reinforce the democratic
foundations of cooperatives.
10. Three Fundamental Principles
Underlie Election Procedures
and Processes
One member, one vote:
The Cooperative Principles tell us
“cooperatives are democratic
organizations controlled by their
members,” with members having “equal
voting rights (one member, one vote).”
12. Excellence in governance:
The Board, which bears ultimate
responsibility for the affairs of the co-
op, must ensure that elections meet
basic standards of fairness and create
strong leadership for the cooperative.
13. What Makes an Election Both
Fair and Beneficial to the
Cooperative?
An informed electorate or
membership-owners understand
the leadership role of the Board,
the ongoing work in which the
Board is engaged, and the current
issues facing the cooperative.
14. Voting processes that are open to
all, easily-understood and
monitored. There is a concise and
clear set of election procedures
that follow all applicable
requirements (including state law,
your co-op’s bylaws, and Board
policy). Elections are monitored
and overseen by objective persons
to make sure that the procedures
are followed.
15. A voting process in which each
vote is sacred. Each person casts
their vote without undue influence
from anyone else; ballots are
secret. In addition, ballots are
kept secure from the moment
they are cast until they are
counted.
16. An outcome that all owners have
confidence in and are able to
support regardless of personal
views.
17. Running Elections in Cooperatives
“There is a right way and wrong way to
run elections. The right way requires
adherence to a list of “Best Practices”
that will ensure The actions and
decisions of your board reflect the
voices of your members --- and that you
have an auditable process in place.”
18. Common Misconceptions in
Running Elections
Change is often met with trepidation.
There is concern that changing long-held
election practices will be detrimental to the
organization. The following are some
common misconceptions about changing
election practices:
19. Misconception 1: “Running our election
a different way will dramatically change
the face of the board and the running of
the cooperative.”
Reality: Running a best practice election
will enhance your organization by building
member trust and increasing member
engagement.
20. Misconception 2: “If we do not hold
our election on-site, it will ruin our
annual meeting.”
Reality: Broadening your election to
facilitate full voter membership will
ultimately benefit your organization. In
addition, by reducing the stress of
running an election during the annual
meeting, you can use the meeting to
celebrate your success.
21. Misconception 3: “We’ve never had a
problem with the way we run elections,
so it must be fine.”
Reality: You haven’t had a problem . .
. yet. Proper governance of elections is
one of the best ways to avoid lawsuits.
22. Best Practices in Running Elections
When implementing best practices , consider Ben
Franklin’s prolific words: “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
If members are not properly informed and
unaware of the election processes of the
cooperative, this results in uncontested elections,
which can discourage voters, breed skepticism,
and even lead to lawsuits.
It is therefore imperative that all members are well
aware of the election process, from nominating
procedures to voting instructions.
23. The following are communication practices
which are highly recommended:
1. Educate and inform:
Enable your nominees by providing clear
and simple communications throughout the
year (emails, post announcements, text
messages, web pages, etc.) Explain
upcoming board vacancies, procedures for
nominating leaders and the date of the
next election. There should also be
information about board member
responsibilities and compensation.
24. 2. Prepare
Six to eight weeks prior to the election,
compile information that members will need
to vote. This should include nominee profiles,
ballots and concise instructions for voting.
3. Deliver
Plan to have your members receive their
voting information two weeks prior to the
election. This applies to information that is
delivered by regular mail, email or
automated phone message.
25. 4. Remind
Reminders increase voter response rate.
These can take the form of postcards,
email blasts, text messages or phone calls.
As a general rule, the more reminders, the
greater the voter turn-out.
26. 5. Prioritize Your Members
While we recommend providing a variety of
voting options, always keep your members
in mind when planning any event at which
voting will take place. Encourage member
attendance at these events by scheduling a
time and place that is convenient for
them, not just for your board members.
Holding your meeting during hours when
members are working will deter
attendance, as will as holding the meeting
at an inconvenient location.
27. 6. More Voting Options = More Voters
Consider the demographics of your
membership when designing your
election. Older members from rural
communities tend to rely on tried-and-
true on-site voting methods, while
younger or urban members may prefer
online voting options. Others may favor
the expediency of a call-in voting option.
Some coops are now conducting “hybrid”
elections, which include elements of on-
site, mail, online and call-in voting
methods.
28. Best Practices
Establish a set of criteria for fair and
democratic board elections.
Write these criteria as a governance
process policy, or as a Election Committee
Guideline.
Require the ELECOM responsible for
supervising the election process to report
back to the board following the election.
The content of the report should clearly
indicate how the process met the board’s
pre-established criteria.
29. Create an application packet for
candidates to (1) educate them about
the Board’s role and (2) give them an
opportunity to reflect on and explain
their qualifications.
The Board should present members with
more than enough qualified candidates.
Contested elections are an important
aspect of true democratic control.
30. For cooperatives with large number of
membership (1,000 and above) , allow
members to cast ballots over a period of
time, rather than solely at the annual
meeting itself. This is a simple way to
encourage greater participation.
31. The Cooperative Principle of Democratic
Member Control ensures accountability of
Board members Directors are elected by
a vote of the entire membership. Voting
will typically be by mail, online and/or in
person, with one vote per member
(applicable to cooperatives with large
membership).
32. Remember the election itself is just one
part of an annual cycle of Board
recruitment and development. After a
bit of rest and celebration – jump right
back into the Board development work
so that your members will have another
great crop of Board candidates next
year.
33. Election Timeline
February 4 Acceptance of Nomination
(Board, Committee, Self-
Nomination)
March 9 ELECOM approves
nominations, ballot/
candidates are publicly
announced
March 16 Candidate orientation
March 23 GA members can vote in
person; election results
announced
34. Don’t forget to orient and train your new
directors. Remember the 5th Cooperative
Principle:“Cooperatives provide
education and training for their
members, elected representatives,
managers and employees so they can
contribute effectively to the development
of their cooperatives.”
35. Excellent Boards Ensure
Excellent Elections
Make decisions based on your controlling
documents, set and alter policy and procedure as
necessary, delegate and monitor carefully.
Because democracy matters, elections matter;
because elections matter, your Board must fulfill
its duty on behalf of your co-op’s members.
Throughout the election cycle, from the
nomination process, to the balloting
period, and on to the vote count itself, the
Board ensures complete integrity.
36. Documenting/Codifying Policies
Transparency
Policy No. Subject Resolution No Date
Approved/
Adopted
010-s-10 2013 Whistleblower Policy 010-s-010-2013 October 11, 2013
011-s-10 2013 Conflict of Interest Policy 011-s-10-2013 October 18, 2013
012-s-10 2013 Policy for all Officers to 011-s-10-2013 October 25, 2013
comply with the
mandatory training
Requirements
013-s-10 2013 Election Policy & 013-s-10 2013 October 28, 2013
Guidelines
014-s-10 2013 Policy on Educating the 014-s-10 2013 November 8, 2013
officers
38. Drafting the Election Rules and
Guidelines for the Cooperative
Article I – GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Applicability
Section 2. Definition of Terms
a. Regular members
b. Board of Directors
c. Audit Committee
d. Election
e. Election Committee (ELECOM)
f. Election precinct
g. General Assembly
h. Master List of Voters
i. Screening Committee
39. Section 3. Date/s of Election
Section 4. Notices of Election
Article II – ELIGIBILITY TO RUN AND FILING OF CERTIFICATE
OF CANDIDACY
Section 1. Qualifications/Disqualifications for the Board of Directors
and Committee (Audit or Election) Members
Section 2. Filing of Certificate of Candidacy
Section 3. Requirements needed upon filing of Certificate of
Candidacy
a. Required data on the Certificate of Candidacy
Section 4. Certificate of Candidacy
Section 5. Screening Procedures
a. Application
b. Screening
c. Posting of List of Qualified Candidates
40. Section 6. Withdrawal or Cancellation of Certificate of Candidacy
Article III. PROHIBITED ACTS OF CANDIDATES
Section 1. Prohibited Act of a Candidate
Article IV. WATCHERS
Section 1. Official Watchers of Candidates
Section 2. Duties and Prerogative of Watchers
Article V. VOTERS
Section 1. Cut-off date for Qualified New Voters
Section 2. Master list of Voters
41. Article VI. VOTING PRECINCT/S
Section 1. Voting Precinct/s
Section 2. Furnishing of Ballot Boxes, Form and Other materials for
the Election
Section 3. Ballot Boxes
Section 4. Tally Boards
Article VII. ELECTION COMMITTEE
Section 1. Precinct Election Committee (PECOM)
Article VIII. OFFICIAL BALLOT
Section 1. Official Ballot
Section 2. Prevention of Fraud
42. Article IX – CASTING OF VOTES
Section 1. Voting Hours
Section 2. Procedures of Voting
a. Preliminaries of Voting
b. Order of Voting
c. Preparation of Ballots
d. Persons Allowed near the Precinct
e. Casting of Ballots
f. Canvassing of Ballots
g. Determination and Declaration of Spoiled Ballots
h. Challenge of Illegal Voter
Section 3. Minutes of Voting
a. The time the voting commended and ended
b. The number of ballot received
c. The number of ballot used and number left unused
d. The number of voters who cast their votes
e. The number of voters challenged during the voting
f. The names of watchers present
g. The time the counting of votes commenced and ended
43. h. The number of official ballots
i . The number of excess ballots as compared to the
register of voters
j. The number of ballots read and counted; and
k. The record of protest, if any, and action taken by the
ELECOM
Section 4. Election Returns
Section 5. Submission of Election Returns and other Election
Paraphernalia’s
Section 6. Final Canvass and Proclamation of Candidates Elect
Article X – ELECTION PROTEST
Section 1. Jurisdiction
Section 2. Filing Fee
Section 3. Resolution of Protest
Section 4. Notice of Resolution
44. Article XI – AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments
Article XII – APPROVAL AND EFFECTIVITY
Section 1. Effectivity
45. Reference
Jo B. Bitonio, Supervising CDS, CDA-DEO
Michael Healy and Thane Joyal/ Elections Field Guide, v4.1
https://cdsconsulting.centraldesktop.com/cbld/doc/6
858744/w-Elections
NORLU-CEDEC, 108 Bokawkan Rd., Baguio City
MC 2013-02 Supplemented Roles on the Training
Requirements of the Directors, Officers and Committee
members dated Feb 7, 2013
