Last year our PTO officers had already decided who the VP was going to be without offering anyone a chance to nominate prior to the meeting!!! At the meeting they tell us who "volunteered" for VP (for example) and then asks if anyone opposes! This year I would like to approach this issue but just not sure how. A letter was sent home today informing us elections will be held on monday (in 4 days). Doesn't give one much time to get prepared! Also, the current officers are ALL staff members. No outsiders. What are your thoughts on this?

We don't allow write ins or nominations from the floor. All candidates must state their intentions and/or accept their nomination 30 days prior to the election date. Our Nominations Committee works over a 90 day period so there is plenty of time for any interested parties to become involved in the process.

This was our first time offering the Yes/No vote. All unopposed candidates won the majority Yes vote so no spot was left open. But I believe if a spot were open, we would handle it the way Shawn mentioned:

For the last 2 positions (if majority = no vote) they would stay open? and a special election would be held if a candidate was found? (i.e at Board or Gen Mtg)

As CapeDad mentions, there is no guarantee the No votes will prevail. So just like any other election, the office may go to someone you'd wish it hadn't!

[ 09-16-2006, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: CrewChief ]

Since our nominations are done from the floor at a previous meeting, that would be the time for opposing a nomination or nominating someone else to hope they'd win the spot instead.

We do not have an election for anyone not opposed. They are just named at the 'election' meeting.

It's spelled out in our bylaws, so it seems our procedure is OK in our state as well as with the IRS.

If it's not addressed in your bylaws, I think you have to do what CrewChief said, which gives you an out. No guarantee the vote of no confidence will come, though, right?

Imagine if that was done for Governor, Mayor, Congress and President....

I like that ballot

For the last 2 positions (if majority = no vote) they would stay open? and a special election would be held if a candidate was found? (i.e at Board or Gen Mtg)

[ 09-16-2006, 02:03 AM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

If there was more than one candidate for an office then they chose which candidate they wanted. If the candidate was unopposed, the words Yes and No were next to the name. Yes was checked if they wanted the candidate in office and No was checked if not.

This is an example of how our ballot looked:

Ballot for 2006/2007 PTO Officers

President:
____ Mrs. Jones
____ Mrs. Smith

Vice President:
____ Mrs. White
____ Mrs. Black

Treasurer:
Ms. Gray
____ Yes
____ No

Secretary:
Mr. Brown
____ Yes
____ No

the idea is to run a viable candidate AGAINST the one you want to loose.
If the one nominated is so bad, nominate someone else!!!!!
Either the lone candidate is the one that the majority wants or the majority puts forth another nominee.That's the way it is supposed to work.