Checklist: Board of Directors Elections in Associations
Board of directors elections in associations are conducted in a similar way throughout North America, although the process or the voting system may vary slightly depending on the association's size. In any case, election planning processes for election officers are generally the same across the board. Use our practical checklist as a guide to the most important points in a board of directors election.
Board of directors elections - how do they work?
(1) Firstly, the current board appoints a committee to conduct the next board of directors election. In smaller associations, one person - called an election officer - is primarily in charge of the election process. By contrast, in larger associations an election or nominations committee consisting of several people will conduct the election.
(2) The election officer will now check which people are allowed to vote and to be elected according to the bylaws. This is followed by creating the electoral roll so that voters can be notified about the date of the election as soon as possible. The electoral roll includes not only the names of the association's members but also their addresses and contact details.
(3) Members can nominate candidates if the bylaws allow it. The electoral system used in the election is also written in the bylaws.
(4) Next, the ballot needs to be created in accordance with legal rules.
Find free ballot templates for your board of directors elections here!
(5) After the election, work isn't done until the ballots have been counted (and if necessary counted in accordance with proportional representation). In addition, the election officer has to document all steps in the election process in detail so that association members can gain an insight into the process if they desire it.
Download checklist now >Download the checklist for your board of directors election
We've summarized the most important points about board of directors elections in a handy checklist. This is how you, as an election officer, can always stay on top of your association’s election.
The checklist for board of directors elections is free to download.
Checklist board of directors election in associations (PDF)
POLYAS Tip: The checklist highlights how work-intensive a board of directors election can be. Voting online saves huge amounts of time and effort. Easily manage your electoral roll digitally and get election results with the click of a button. Online voting makes it all possible!
Contact our election experts and get advice about your online association election!
The digital electoral roll in the board of directors election
Check if your electoral roll is up-to-date and if you have all necessary contact details to effectively communicate with voters. This is how you'll ensure that all the data in your electoral roll is ready to use before the date of the next election is made public. Ideally, you should share and publish voter information and poll cards through digital communication channels. By going digital, you'll save a huge amount in printing and postage costs and be able to communicate quickly and effectively with your voters.
Read interesting tips about how to increase your voter turnout!