31. Electors

The Board of Directors, the Branch Presidents and the National Section Chairs elect the Vice President and the Board of Directors for the following year. Where a person holds more than one of these offices, they are entitled to only one vote.

32. Candidates for Vice President

The Vice President is elected as follows:

1. The current Board members are eligible to run for election as Vice President for the following year.
2. A completed application must be received by the Chief Executive Officer on or before December 15.
3. Where December 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday, the deadline for filing is the first following business day.
4. If only one Board member applies to stand for Vice President, that candidate will be declared elected by the Chief Electoral Officer. If more than one Board member applies, there will be an election for Vice President by the electors.

33. Candidates for Board of Directors

The Board of Directors are elected as follows:

1. The Governance and Equality Committee of the Board will identify the skills, competencies and demographics required on the Board for the following year.
2. The demographics to be considered include diversity, official language, stage of practice, practice type, and Section perspective and experience.
3. The Chief Executive Officer will publish an open call to all Active (Regular) members of the Association to apply for a vacant position on the Board of Directors, noting the qualifications in articles 18 and 19 and the identified skills, competencies and demographics.
4. The Governance and Equality Committee may recruit candidates who meet the qualifications in articles 18 and 19 and the identified skills, competencies and demographics.
   1. A completed application must be received by the Chief Executive Officer on or before March 31.
   2. Where March 31 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday, the deadline for filing is the first following business day.
   3. The Governance and Equality Committee will review the applications, confirm each applicant’s qualifications, and prepare a recommended slate of candidates that meets the qualifications in articles 18 and 19 and the identified skills, competencies and demographics.
   4. The Governance and Equality Committee will confer with the Management Team about each applicant’s contributions to the Association and may confer with any other person.
   5. If there is no qualified applicant from a province or territory with a vacant position, the Governance and Equality Committee will recruit at least one candidate from that jurisdiction.
   6. If only one application is filed from a resident in a given province or territory, and the Governance and Equality Committee does not recruit any other candidates from that jurisdiction, the applicant will be declared elected by the Chief Electoral Officer.
   7. Before giving the Chief Executive Officer the final list of candidates, the Governance and Equality Committee will notify all applicants of the recommended slate and determine whether applicants not on the slate still wish to stand for election.
   8. If there is more than one application from a given province or territory, and an applicant not on the slate still wishes to stand for election, there will be an election for the Board member from that jurisdiction. (23-01-A, Feb 2023)

34. Chief Electoral Officer

1. The immediate past President will act as Chief Electoral Officer. If the immediate past President is unwilling or unable to serve, the President will appoint another past President as Chief Electoral Officer.
2. The Chief Electoral Officer will rule on any questions relating to the nomination and election procedures. They may seek the advice of the Governance and Equality Committee but their rulings are final. A declaration by the Chief Electoral Officer of the result will be determinative of the elections.

35. Election

1. The Chief Executive Officer conducts the elections for Vice President and for the Board.
2. Before sending the ballots, the Chief Executive Officer will publish information about the candidates for Vice President, the recommended slate of candidates for vacant position on the Board of Directors and all other eligible candidates, including a report describing how the recommended slate meets the identified skills, competencies and demographics, for access by the electors and all members of the Association.
3. The Chief Executive Officer will send a ballot to the electors for each election. Ballots may be sent by regular mail or by electronic or other communications means. The last date for return of the ballots shall be not less than 45 days following the date they are sent to the electors by regular mail, or not less than 30 days following the date they are sent by electronic or other communications means.
4. The candidate receiving the most votes for Vice President is elected.
5. The candidate receiving the most votes for Board of Directors in each jurisdiction is elected.
6. In the case of a tie, the Chief Electoral Officer will cast the deciding vote.

36. Death, Incapacity or Withdrawal

1. If at any time between the close of nominations and the close of voting a candidate recommended on the slate dies, moves from the jurisdiction, becomes unable or is unwilling to serve, the Governance and Equality Committee may replace that candidate with another recommended candidate to the slate.
2. If at any time between the close of nominations and the close of voting all candidates from a jurisdiction die, move from the jurisdiction, become unable or are unwilling to serve, the Governance and Equality Committee may call for new nominations and recruit new candidates in the manner it determines. The Chief Electoral Officer will fix a new date for the close of nominations, which will be at least 30 days and not more than 60 days from the date on which the election procedure became inoperative.
3. If at any time between the close of nominations and the close of voting all candidates for Vice President die, become unable or are unwilling to serve, the Governance and Equality Committee may call for new nominations and recruit new candidates in the manner it determines. The Chief Electoral Officer will fix a new date for the close of nominations, which will be at least 30 days and not more than 60 days from the date on which the election procedure became inoperative.
4. If at any time between the close of nominations and the close of voting only one candidate for Vice President remains because of death, withdrawal or incapacity of the other candidates, that candidate will be declared elected by the Chief Electoral Officer.
5. The death, move, withdrawal or disqualification of a candidate between the distribution of ballots and the close of voting does not affect the election where at least two other candidates remain.