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Eligibility For Office

 

There is only one absolute requirement for eligibility for office spelled out in the Retiree Elections Code that would apply to Sub-Chapters.

The candidate "must be a member in good standing in the Sub-Chapter in which the nominee seeks office." (Section 2, Sub-section A)

To be eligible, however, a candidate must also "meet such other conditions as are stipulated in the approved constitution" of the Chapter and Sub-Chapter. (Retiree Elections Code, Section 2, Sub-section A)

In most cases, the only other condition has to do with length of membership in the organization.

The rule in most Sub-Chapters is, to be eligible for office, a member must be in good standing for one year immediately preceding the election, except in the initial election held in the Sub-Chapter. Sub-Chapters can extend this length of membership, in cases where officers are elected for terms longer than'one year, up to a maximum period equal to the length of the term of office. Even where such language exists, however, the International President has ruled that (1) if there is only one nominee and (2) if that nominee would be ineligible only because of the length-of-membership requirement, he or she may be declared elected and may serve the full term. If there is more than one nominee and all of them are ineligible only because of the length-of-membership requirement, they should all be considered eligible and their names placed on the ballot.

Retiree Sub-Chapters may not establish eligibility requirements which include:

Attendance at some minimum number of membership meetings during the preceding year.

  • Physical presence or written notice of acceptance of a nomination at the nomination meeting.

  • A prohibition against re-election or a limit on the number of consecutive terms to which a member may be elected.

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