Nevada Library Association Handbook
Board of Trustees
Appointed Officers & Standing Committees
Elections Committee
HISTORY
A committee for elections was first established in 1973. The elections
committee primarily conducts the elections for the Nevada Library
Association's Executive Officers (President-Elect, Executive Secretary
and Treasurer) and NLA's delegates to MPLA and ALA. The elections
committee also conducts balloting on questions of NLA business requiring
the approval of the entire membership, as needed.
OFFICERS
1973
Ruth Hoskins
1974
Rose Smith
1975-76
Grace Whear, Douglas County Public Library
1977-78
Pamela L. Godecke, Nevada State Library
1979
Pauline Hayes, Elko County Library
1980
Thomasine Carson, North Las Vegas Public Library
1981
Yoshi Hendricks, University of Nevada, Reno
1982
Merilyn Grosshans, Las Vegas High School
1983
Sue Kendall, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
1984
Diane Brigham, Supreme Court Law Library, Carson City
1985
Mavis Kelly, Robison Jr. High, Las Vegas
1986
Pat Bourne, White Pine
1987
Ann Langevin, Clark County
1988
Cecile Nabors, Legislative Council Bureau
1989-90
Jeff Marcinik, Humboldt County Library
1991
Sara Ashworth, Ormsby Public Library
1992
Theresa Feleciano, Huffaker Elementary, Reno
1993
Eunice Broadhead, Boulder City Library
1994
Ellen Muth, Elko County Library
1995
Jeanette Baker, Northern Nevada Community College, Elko
1996-98
Sue Cole, Incline Branch Library
1999
Marie Cuglietta, West Charleston Library
PURPOSE AND DUTIES General
1. The election committee conducts annual and special elections under
the direction of an elections chairperson, and reports their results.
The chairperson of the elections committee appoints a minimum of two
members to his/her committee by December 31st of the year preceding the
year of appointment and reports the composition of the committee to the
executive secretary.
2. The chairperson interprets the instructions of the board of trustees
to the committee.
3. The chairperson supervises the work of the committee in fulfilling
its responsibilities.
4. Elective offices are president-elect, executive secretary, treasurer,
MPLA delegate, and ALA delegate.
a. Only persons who are presently personal members of NLA are eligible
for elective office.
b. Terms of office are as indicated in the NLA Bylaws.
c. The office of president shall become an elective office in the
event it becomes vacant at the same time that the office of the
president-elect becomes vacant, due to the removal or resignation of
both office holders.
d. The ALA delegate is elected by a special ballot (see below) for a
four-year term, and the name is reported to ALA once the results are
tabulated. Only those members of NLA who are also members of ALA
may vote in this special election.
e. The MPLA delegate is elected through the regular election process
stated in the bylaws and serves a term of two years. The NLA
membership as a whole votes for the MPLA delegate.
5. Before the close of the annual meeting, the elections committee
receives a slate of nominees from the nominations committee, as well as
the nomination consent forms from the candidates or their written
consent and a biographical sketch with a brief statement of interest in
the office.
6. The elections committee then carries out the election as follows:
a. Informs the executive secretary of the slate of candidates;
b. Designs the ballot, which includes a brief biography for each
candidate and a brief statement as to why they are running and what
they would like to accomplish. The ballot is to be printed on colored
paper and each one stamped with the word "BALLOT" at the top
in a different colored ink to prevent ballot stuffing. Ballots must
state when they must be postmarked by to be counted.
c. Obtains mailing labels for members from the chairperson(s) of the
Membership Committee;
d. Mails ballots to all personal members of NLA by first class mail;
e. Counts the ballots;
f. Declares as winners those who receive a majority or plurality of
the legal votes cast;
g. Informs candidates and the executive secretary of the results of
the election;
h. Notifies the NLA membership by submitting a report to the High
Roller of the results of the election;
i. Forwards the nomination consent forms to the NLA archivist.
Special Elections 1. In the case of vacancy in any elective
office except that of president or president-elect, if the
president-elect is assuming the office of president, the elections
committee will hold a new election within thirty days. This includes the
ALA delegate but not the MPLA delegate.
2. The nominating and election process outlined in this handbook will be
followed.
3. In the case of vacancy in the office of president, the
president-elect assumes the office for the remainder of the unexpired
term and the following full term. The office of president-elect then
remains vacant until the next election.
Removal of officers
1. When a recall petition signed by one-third of the personal members in
NLA is submitted to the elections committee, the committee must conduct
an election within sixty days.
2. The elections committee sends a ballot to personal members of NLA,
asking the membership to vote for or against removing the officer in
question.
3. If two-thirds affirmative vote is received, the elections committee
informs the officer in question, the NLA president, executive secretary,
and the membership of the results of the election.
Voting by Mail
1. The elections committee is also responsible for conducting the
balloting on questions of NLA business requiring the approval of the
entire membership.
2. Mail ballots are authorized if there has been prior discussion of the
question at a membership meeting or a district meeting.
3. The elections committee must complete balloting by mail within thirty
days.
You have been selected for a Nevada Library Association office
by the NLA Nominating Committee. We must receive your written
consent before your name can be placed on the slate of candidates.
I hereby give my consent for my name to be placed in nomination
for the NLA
office of ___________________________________________________.
I am currently a member of NLA: ____ Yes or ____ No.
Please return this signed form to the Nominating Committee with
a brief biographical sketch (100 words) of your professional
credentials, experience, awards, previous offices, etc.;
and a short statement (50 words) about what you hope to accomplish
or contribute to the office.
Nominating Committee Chairperson
(Include the address of the current chairperson)
