SENY Area 49 1st Virtual Election Assembly

SENY’s First Digital Election Assembly

SENY’s first digital assembly will occur on September 12th 2020. Click here for the Agenda.

Consistent with this year’s General Service Conference, all voting members will be required to pre-register for the event. If you are a voting member, please pre-register here:

Election Assembly Agenda

Note: In order to vote, you must be registered in our Area database. If you are a new trusted servant, or if any of your information has changed since you registered with SENY, then please register with SENY here.

See the flyer below for meeting details.

Information about the Assembly

We will be selecting the following Officers for the Panel 71 rotation for 2021-2022:

Delegate, Alternate Delegate, Area Chair, Technology & Communications Officer, And Treasurer

*****No other business will be conducted that day*****

Who is eligible to vote: Past Delegates, current Officers and Standing Committee Chairs, GSR’s (or their Alternate GSR in the GSR’s absence), DCM’s (or their Alternate DCM in the DCM’s absence), DCMC’s (or the Alternate DCMC in the DCMC’s absence).

NOTE: Ad Hoc Committee Chairs and members, Service Sponsorship Chair and Al-Anon Liaison Chair are not eligible to vote unless they also fall into one of the “Who is eligible to vote” categories outlined above.

SENY ELECTIONS

Consistent with the Area’s Articles of Association (Article IX), SENY holds a biennial meeting of its Assembly in September of every even-numbered year to elect its delegate, alternate delegate, chair, registrar and treasurer. The election of officers is an important event as these trusted servants help guide and represent the Area in matters within the Fellowship and beyond.

(Suggested reading: “Leadership in AA: Ever a Vital Need,” in Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W., AAWS, Concept IX, pages 38-42.)

ELIGIBILITY TO STAND FOR OFFICE

• Most current SENY Committee members, DCMs, DCMCs, Area officers and standing committee chairs may stand.• The Delegate and past Delegates customarily do not stand.• No candidate may stand in absentia (if not present).• The Chair of the election Assembly meeting may entertain a motion to allow past SENY committee members to also stand.

OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES & QUALIFICATIONS

These are typically reviewed at the election Assembly:

• SENY Officer responsibilities are outlined in the SENY Service Handbook, pages 14-17.

• Officer duties and qualifications are suggested in The AA Service Manual, pages S42-44 and 46-48 (Chapters 5 and 6).

CONDUCT OF THE ELECTION

• Election Assemblies are presided over (chaired) by the seated (current) Area Delegate, and generally follow the suggestions found in Chapter 4 of The AA Service Manual.

• There is a roll call of all current committee members before the first ballot for delegate. Those members are asked to answer “available” or “not available” for office as their names are called, and that same list is thereafter also eligible to stand for any remaining office.

• After the roll call, those not called but also eligible/willing to stand are invited to add their names.

• There are no nominations from the floor.

• The names of all candidates for a given office are listed on the poll. Each candidate is invited to give a two minute service qualification before the balloting for the service position for which he/she is standing. There is no electioneering; only a recital of service experience.

• The electronic poll will appear on the screen for voting members. It will not be shown on the screen for spiritual spectators.

ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE

A One Group Or Office, One Vote Principle Is Followed.

• GSRs and current SENY Committee members (DCMs, DCMCs, Area officers, standing committee chairs and past Delegates) may vote.

• Alternates may vote only if their principal is not present. Exception: the alternate delegate who has a vote in his/her own right as an area officer.

THE THIRD LEGACY PROCEDURE FOR ELECTION OF OFFICERS

SENY Follows The Third Legacy Procedure As Presented In The AA Service Manual, Pages S20-21, For Its Election Of Officers.

[The Third Legacy Procedure] has proved highly successful in eliminating the influence of factions or parties. . . . The railroading of a candidate for election is made difficult, if not impossible, since voters have a wide selection of candidates to choose from. More importantly, a second-place candidate who may be extremely well qualified but without early popular support is encouraged to stay in the balloting rather than withdraw.

From, The AA Service Manual, 2018-2020 Edition, page S22. Copyright AAWS, Inc. Used with permission.

Under the Third Legacy Procedure:

• A candidate must receive 2/3 of the total vote to be elected. The results of each ballot are posted.

• A first ballot is held.

• After the second ballot, any candidate who received less than 1/5 of the total vote is withdrawn, although the top two candidates regardless of vote percentage must remain. In the event of a tie, all candidates tied for second place remain.

• After the third ballot, any candidate who received less than 1/3 of the total vote is withdrawn, although the top two candidates regardless of vote percentage must remain. In the event of a tie, all candidates tied for second place remain.

• After the fourth ballot-

1- The candidate with the smallest number of votes is withdrawn, although the top two candidates regardless of vote percentage must remain. In the event of a tie, all candidates tied for second place remain.

2- The chair asks if there is a motion to go to a fifth ballot.

a- If such a motion is made and seconded, a simple majority is needed to take the election to the fifth ballot.

b- In the absence of such a motion passing, the election is decided by lot — it “goes to the hat.”

• If no candidate receives 2/3 of the vote on the fifth ballot, the election is decided by lot.

  We will be using an electronic hat.