Page 18 - July August 2017

for keeping within these limits.
Article 8. Elections and Ballots.
A. The right to vote in any ballot shall extend only to those persons who are Regular members, and not to Overseas or Family members.
[# Overseas Region membership is no longer compatible with the NMRA Regulations.]
B. Not less than five four months before each Annual General Meeting the Ballot Chairman shall arrange for a notice to be issued to all Regular members giving the date by which nominations for the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Director for the next term are to be received by the Ballot Chairman. That date shall not be earlier than 21 days after the issue of the notice.
[Calls for nominations go into June Roundhouse, which in practice is adequate notice but does not quite give the five months required, hence proposed change.]
C. Every nomination shall be signed by the proposer and a seconder and shall be accompanied by an acceptance by the nominee. The proposer, seconder and nominee shall all be Regular members.
If only one valid nomination for any office is received, the Ballot Chairman shall thereupon declare that nominee duly elected.
If more than one valid nomination for any office is received the Ballot Chairman shall conduct a postal ballot for that office in a fair and reasonable manner amongst all the Regular members at the time. The declared closing date for the receipt of completed ballot papers shall not be earlier than 21 days after their issue to members.
[This allows for future electronic voting. It is intended that postal voting will continue to be an option for the foreseeable future.]
In the event that no nomination is received for any of the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer or Membership Director, a further closing date for nominations shall be published and the election procedure repeated for that office. The retiring Secretary and/or Treasurer and/or Membership Director Any retiring member of the BOD in a post for which no nominations have been received shall, if qualified and available and notwithstanding the term-limits specified in Article 5.B, continue in office until the election is completed.
[Additionally permits a retiring President or Vice President to temporarily remain in office.]
In a ballot for the election of an officer the person receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared to have been elected. In the event of a tie the election shall be decided by a toss of a coin. The duly elected President, Vice- President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Director shall assume office at a suitable moment during the Annual General Meeting, or as soon as practical if elected part way through a term.
D. The BOD, or any group of ten or more Regular members of Regular members comprising at least 5% of the Region membership, may require any proposal relevant to the management of the Region to be submitted to a ballot of the Regular membership.
[Brings the number of members needed into line with the increase in membership since the Constitution was originally issued.]
When such a ballot is required the Ballot Chairman shall conduct the ballot in a similar manner as for an election.
In such a ballot, the proposal shall be declared to have been approved if the number of votes in favour exceeds the number against. A proposal approved by ballot shall take precedence over a decision made at a meeting.
E. Any change to this Constitution must be agreed at a general meeting and then ratified by a ballot of all Regular members.
When a ballot is required on the Constitution the Ballot Chairman shall conduct such a ballot in a similar manner as for an election.
In a ballot on a proposal to amend any part of this Constitution the proposal shall be declared to have been approved if the number of votes in favour of the proposal is either more than two-thirds of the number of valid votes received or more than one-half of the total number of Regular members at that time.
F. Any proposal to wind up the Region shall be put to a ballot of the voting members of the Region. Such a proposal shall include details of the proposed winding-up procedure and shall not be carried unless the number of votes in favour is more than half of the total number of members entitled to vote at that time.
18 ROUNDHOUSE - August 2017