WESTERN REGION OF THE NATIONAL BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

2014-2015 Western Regional ConventionElection Rules and Procedures Packet

Per Article III, Section 7 of the National Constitution, NBLSA election procedures are designed to help secure the opportunity for as many members of the Association as

possible to participate in governance of the Association.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ELECTION RULES AND PROCEDURES

POSITIONS ELIGIBLE FOR ELECTION.....................................................................................3

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS................................................................................................3

CAMPAIGNING.............................................................................................................................4

ENFORCEMENT OF ELECTION RULES AND PROCEDURES...............................................5

DEBATES AND ELECTION SPEECHES.....................................................................................5

DELEGATE VOTING PROCEEDURES.......................................................................................6

BALLOT COUNT...........................................................................................................................6

ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2014-2015 WRBLSA EXECUTIVE BOARD.......................................6

BALLOT INSPECTION.................................................................................................................6

ELECTIONS PROCEDURES CALENDAR..................................................................................6

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ELECTIONS RULES AND PROCEDURES

I. POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR ELECTION

Any member of a 2013-2014 active BLSA chapter1 may run for office. The following WRBLSA positions are eligible for election:

Regional Chair Regional Vice Chair Regional Treasurer Regional Secretary Regional Attorney General Regional Director of Community Service Regional Director of Programing Pacific Northwest Sub-Region Director Northern California Sub-Region Director/Co-Directors Southern California Sub-Region Director/Co-Directors Regional Director of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition Regional Director of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition

II. CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

Advance NominationsAny member of an active chapter who fulfills the pre-certification documentation requirements will be qualified as a candidate for WRBLSA office. Each must submit the following:

1 Signed acknowledgement of the duties and obligations of the position that you are applying for.

2 Letter certifying enrollment and good academic standing from your law school registrar or dean.

3 Statement of understanding of financial and travel obligations associated with regional board service.

4 Statement of intent including specific, measureable, attainable, and timely goals and your intended methodology and timeline for achievement of those goals for inclusion in the delegate packets.

5 Résumé for inclusion in the delegate packets.6 Professional head shot for inclusion in the delegates packet, attached to

statement of intent. (snap shots will not be accepted)

Submission of Materials

All materials must be submitted on or before Friday, January 17, 2014 at 07:00AM PST. Please submit application in person or via email to wrblsa.vicechair@nblsa.org. Applications may be submitted in person at the registration table.

Nominations from the Floor

Any registered delegate may nominate an active member at the Western Region Convention for a Regional officer position.

The officer presiding will determine the exact time when such nominations would be appropriate.

1 An active chapter is a chapter who has paid membership dues and has uploaded a membership roster to the NBLSA Membership database. In order to be considered a member of a chapter, you must have paid dues for the 2012-2013 academic school year and your name must be included in the chapter’s membership roster.

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To make a nomination,, a delegate needs only to rise, wait to be recognized by the presiding officer and state the following motion: “I nominate _________________ for the position of ______________.” No second is required. Chapters are only permitted to nominate one person for each officer position. Self-nominations are permitted. The person being nominated must accept the nomination before he/she will be added to the slate. If the person being nominated is not present at the time of nomination, he/she must accept the nomination before 7:00 AM on Saturday, January 18, 2014. .

In the event, that a candidate is nominated from the floor, the candidate must meet requirements 1, 3, 4, and 5 set forth above in the advance nomination requirements not later than 7:00 AM on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

All candidates who are nominated from the floor and elected must submit all documents required for nomination to the Regional Vice Chair at wrblsa.vicechair@nblsa.org, on or before Friday, February 7, 2014, 11:59 PM.

Post-Election Meeting

Information regarding the post-election meeting will be made available at the candidate information session on Friday, January 17, 2014, time TBD.

Any candidate who wins election to the WRBLSA Board is advised to attend the NBLSA Executive Board meeting on Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 8:00 AM (time subject to change). The meeting is expected to last until 4:00 PM. Make your travel arrangements accordingly.

Important Considerations

Serving on the WRBLSA Executive Board is a significant commitment which requires a substantial amount of travel and extracurricular work. Please take this into consideration when determining whether you will run for office. If you are uncertain about the amount of time or money that will be required to serve on the WRBLSA Executive Board, please contact the person who currently holds the office that you want to apply for or the regional chair.

III. CAMPAIGNING

Demeanor Prior to Commencement of Convention Campaign Meeting

After a Candidate has received notification from the 2014 Election Committee that his or her application has been accepted, he or she may use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, a blog, website, or any other electronic method to advertise his or her candidacy.

Campaign Material Approval

Candidates may not use any Regional or National Listserv and may not post any campaign material to the NBLSA regional, national or local chapter Facebook group or other social networking sites.

Candidates may not use pictures that include any current Regional or National Executive Board members as a part of their campaign materials.

Candidate Endorsement

Local chapters may not publicly endorse a candidate prior to the Regional Convention. Local chapters may endorse candidates after the commencement of the Regional Convention.

Current National and Regional Board members are prohibited from endorsing any candidate for Regional office at any time prior to or during convention. This includes posting any

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pictures of them and candidates up for election on any of their social or professional websites. Officers may respond to any questions about a candidate’s specific work performance if the candidate is currently serving on the board, insofar as the officer worked directly with the candidate in question.

Demeanor after Commencement of Official Campaigning

Candidates may wear and distribute campaign materials (flyers, buttons, etc.) to attendees at the Regional Convention.

No campaigning may occur inside of plenary. As such, no delegate may wear or prominently display any campaign materials within 30 feet of or inside of the room where plenary sessions will be held.

Candidates will not engage in an unfair campaign practice including, but not limited to: infraction or contempt of any campaign rule; libeling or slandering another candidate; and/or maliciously disrupting another campaign.

Each candidate is responsible for activity that another undertakes on his or her behalf, as if the candidate is undertaking the activity himself or herself, unless the candidate sincerely and affirmatively discourages such activity.

Termination of campaigning

All campaign materials and solicitation of votes must be taken down and cease not later than 7:00 AM on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

IV. ENFORCEMENT OF ELECTIONS RULES PROCEDURES

These rules will be enforced and violations will be investigated by the Elections Committee. If any violation is found to have merit, then the offending candidate will be disqualified immediately. The rules will be enforced in an effort to achieve adherence to the goals and principles of WRBLSA.

Any person registered for the Regional Convention may file a complaint with the National Parliamentarian for violation of elections rules and procedures by sending an email to parliamentarian@nblsa.org

Any decisions made by the National Parliamentarian that result in the disqualification of a candidate are final and may not be appealed.

The Elections Committee reserves the right to amend or add to the election procedures at any time before the annual meeting not withstanding those specific procedures set out in the Regional Constitution and Bylaws.

V. DEBATES AND ELECTION SPEECHES

All candidates for office are required to give a speech, which should last for no longer than five minutes, and stand for questions during the Plenary Elections session, to be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 8:00AM.

The order of Candidates Speeches and Questions and Answers will be determined by the Elections Committee and announced at the Plenary Session to be held on Friday, January 17, 2014 at 8:00 AM.

VI. DELEGATE VOTING PROCEDURES

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Chapters in attendance

Any active chapter with a registered delegate for the Regional Convention who attends one of the two plenary sessions during the Regional Convention is entitled to participate in the election of 2014-2015 WRBLSA Executive Board Officers. Plenary Sessions are scheduled for:

- Friday, January 17, 2014 (8:00AM – Board Reports, Constitution and Bylaw Amendments Pt. 1, Announcement of candidates and floor nominations)- Saturday, January 18, 2014 (8:00AM – Constitution and Bylaw Amendments Pt. 2, Speeches & Elections)

VII. BALLOT COUNT

The election of officers will utilize a secret ballot voting method.

Proxy voting is allowed, pursuant to the Regional Constitution and Bylaws.

The candidate that receives the largest percentage of votes for the position will be declared the winner of the position.

If a candidate is unopposed, he or she must receive a majority of the votes in order to be declared the winner of the position.

In the event of a tie, a run-off election shall be held via electronic voting. Delegates will be notified of the need for a run-off vote, via email.

VIII. ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2014-2015 WRBLSA ELECTED OFFICIALS

All candidates who are elected to office will be announced during the Regional Awards Banquet to be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014 in Sacramento, CA.

IX. INSPECTION OF BALLOTS

A candidate has a right to inspect all of the physical ballots submitted for the position to which he or she was a candidate before the close of the Regional Convention.

X. ELECTION PROCEDURES CALENDARELECTION PROCEDURES CALENDAR

Last Day for Nominations Friday, January 17, 2014, (Plenary Session #1)WRBLSA Candidates Speeches, Q&A and Voting

Saturday, January 18, 2014, 9:00AM

WRBLSA Transition Meeting Conference Call, TBDDeadline to submit certification materials for officers elected from the floor 2

Friday, February 7, 2014, 11:59 PM

**The Election Committee reserves the right to extend or alter the dates above if deemed necessary.

2 Failure to supply the required documentation before the deadline will result in automatic disqualification from the WRBLSA Executive Board. Any person who is disqualified in this manner will remain eligible to apply to the incoming chair for appointment to a position on the WRBLSA Executive Board.

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