Executive Committee Election Procedures

Introduction. Members of the Executive Committee (EC) of the United States Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM) are to be elected by the Association membership as prescribed in the USACM Bylaws Section 3. In particular, Section 3.4 states: "The Executive Committee is empowered to set procedures for the election and terms of office as it deems appropriate." This procedure document provides the specifics of the USACM Election Procedures and expresses the intent of the Executive Committee to conduct fair and open elections. This document serves as a guide on election procedures, that should be updated and passed on to new Officers of the Executive Committee, and is not meant to be interpreted as rules for conducting USACM elections.

General Provisions. Elections are to be held every two years, in even numbered years, One officer, Treasurer position, is to be elected, Approximately one-half of the Members-at-Large are to be elected, Newly elected EC members begin their terms after the EC summer meeting. Approximately six months before the new members of the Executive Committee are to begin their terms, after the summer meeting in even numbered years, the USACM President will request the Treasurer conduct the election in accordance with USACM Election Procedures. The Treasurer will report to the President on the progress of the election procedure. When the election process is complete, the Treasurer will report the results to the President and the President will seek certification of the results by majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Election Process. The election process involves soliciting nominations, constructing a final slate of candidates, submitting the slate to the membership for voting, and tallying and reporting the election results. Conducting the election is the responsibility of the USACM Treasurer.

Solicitation of Nominations. The election process begins with the USACM Treasurer soliciting nominations for the positions to be elected as specified in the USACM Bylaws Section 3.2. A call for nominations will be prepared by the Treasurer that describes the positions to be elected, general procedure for forming the slate from the list of nominees, and any applicable special circumstances.
Separate calls for nominations for the election of the Treasurer and Members-at-Large positions will be issued by the Treasurer. These calls for nominations will be distributed to the membership via a cost efficient means that attempts to reach the largest number of members. Currently, electronic (email) distribution to the membership serves this function.
The solicitations should include the names of current and continuing Executive Committee Members, as appropriate, to avoid nomination of the continuing members.

Treasurer Nomination. Nominees for Treasurer must be members of the USACM in good standing and willing to perform the duties of an Officer of USACM. The Treasurer will serve for a total of six years, rotating through the two years terms of the three Officer positions of the Executive Committee, i.e. USACM Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Each Individual Member of USACM, in good standing, may submit one nomination for the office of USACM Treasurer.

Members-at-Large Nominations.  Nominees for Members-at-Large must be members of the USACM in good standing and willing to perform the duties of a voting member of the Executive Committee and advisor to the USACM Officers. Members-at-Large serve a four year term.
Each Individual Member of USACM, in good standing, may submit one nomination for each Member-at-Large position to be elected.

Slate of Candidates. The USACM Treasurer shall determine the final slate of candidates in accordance with the USACM Election Procedures and present the final slate to the USACM President for approval.

Treasurer Slate. A preliminary slate of candidates for the Office of Treasurer may be constructed by the Treasurer if there is a large number of nominees. Experience has shown that nominees typically receive nearly the same (small) number of nominations. With the approval of the USACM President, such a preliminary slate of candidates shall be submitted to the membership for a vote to determine the two candidates to appear on the final slate. The final slate of candidates for the office of Treasurer will contain the two names receiving the greatest number of votes. Each candidate will be asked to provide a brief (300 word) description of why they would like to serve as the USACM Treasurer. In the event that more than two nominees receive the greatest number of votes, i.e. a tie occurs, the Treasurer will conduct a runoff election to determine the two candidates for the final slate.

Members-at-Large Slate The USACM Treasurer will determine the number of Member-at-Large positions on the Executive Committee that are open for election. The intent is to elect half of the Members-at-Large positions in each two year election cycle. Recognizing that Member-at-Large positions may become vacated during a four year term, with Executive Committee approval, the Treasurer may add a vacated position to the count for Member-at-Large positions that are open for election. The final slate of candidates for USACM Members-at-Large will contain no more than twice the number of Member-at-Large positions that are open for election. The slate will comprise those Members-at-Large whose term is expiring, and wish to be consider for an additional term, and those nominees for Member-at-Large receiving the greatest number of nominations, needed to complete the slate. In the event of a tie among the nominees needed to complete the slate, the Treasurer will conduct a runoff election to determine the necessary number of candidates for the final slate.

Special Consideration It is desired to have no more than two representatives from the same institution serving on the Executive Committee, and no two Officers shall be from the same institution. This limit on representation from an institution should be used as a criteria in forming the final slates from the list of nominees. Nominees should be eliminated from consideration for the final slate to achieve the desired broad intuitional representation of the Executive Committee USACM Treasurer - No nominee from the same institution as a continuing Officer, i.e. Vice President and Treasurer, may appear on the final slate.

Members-at-Large. No more than two nominees from the same institution may appear on the final slate, No more than one nominee may appear on the final slate from an institution already represented by continuing members of the Executive Committee. No nominee may appear on the final slate from an institution already represented by two continuing members of the Executive Committee.

Voting. The USACM Treasurer will submit to the USACM membership the approved final slate with instructions for voting as specified in the USACM Bylaws Section 3.3. Each Individual Member of USACM, in good standing, may cast one vote for each position to be elected. The Treasurer will tally the votes and report to the President the elections results. The President will seek certification of the results by majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer will announce the certified results to the membership.