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  5. Federal Council Elections 2016 - Internal Nomination and Election Rules

Federal Council Elections 2016 - Internal Nomination and Election Rules

These rules govern the 2016 Federal Council internal Party elections:

1.  Federal Council has established the Internal Nomination and Elections Fairness Committee (INEFC) with the authority of Federal Council to oversee the nomination and election processes and ensure their fairness.

  1. To preserve neutrality and fairness in and of the committee; no current councilor or officer seeking election in a new position or re-election in their existing position may serve on the INEFC.
  2. To preserve neutrality and fairness in and of the sub-committee, no current councilor or officer seeking election in a new position or re-election in their existing position may serve on the Nominations and Search Committee.

2. Reporting and communication with the Party pursuant to these rules, by email, will be at nominations@greenparty.ca and by mail or courier will be at the mailing or courier address of the Party's National Office in Ottawa, Ontario.

Nominations

3. The Party's website at www.greenparty.ca will contain the necessary information and forms with a link on the front page of the site in order for a Party member to run for Federal Council, including, but not limited to:

  1. The dates nominations open and close, and instructions for the completion of the nomination.
  2. The list of Federal Council positions up for election.
  3. Links to online nomination forms, including:
    1. Federal Council Election Application form
    2. Contestant profile
    3. Nominator signature form(s)
  4. Additional information will be available on the Party's website, including:
    1. Federal Council position job descriptions
    2. Federal Council handbook
    3. Federal Council Nomination and Election rules
    4. Preferential Ballot Procedures
    5. Party governance documents (Party Constitution and Bylaws, Fund Bylaws, Federal Council Code of Conduct, Membership Code of Conduct).

4. Contestants must submit a Contestant profile that includes:

  1. 350 words or less that promotes their candidacy, including related governance experiences, and qualifications, in either French or English and optionally the same promotion Promotions received in only one language will be translated by the Party.
  2. A high-resolution electronic photo.
  3. The written confirmation of their nominators (which may be an email or their signature on a nomination form), including each nominator name and either the nominator's current mailing address, email address, or phone number.
  4. Five or more members are required to nominate for provincial/territorial representatives and twenty or more members are required for an Executive position nomination.
  5. Emails which prove a nominator's agreement to nominate a contestant, shall be provided to the contestant. The contestant in turn shall provide a copy of the email for verification to nominations@greenparty.ca.
  6. Nominators must be members in good standing on the date they nominate, and be in good standing until the close of voting, and their membership status will be verified.
  7. Contestants will be informed by staff when the applicable minimum number of nominators have been verified. Contestants will immediately be informed by staff when a nominator is found to be invalid.
  8. Optionally the contestant may include any phone numbers or email addresses where members may reach them, and any web site address where members may find out more about them and their nomination.
  9. Contestants will be asked to respond to a qualifications table that will be provided to members to assist their decision in choosing councilors.

5. Election contestants must be members-in-good-standing of the Party at the time of their nomination and:

  1. Have no outstanding debts to the Party at the time of the election.
  2. Have not initiated legal action against the Party or officers of the Party acting in their official capacity.
  3. Membership must continue to be in good standing until the close of voting.
  4. Contestants who fail to meet these and other requirements will be disqualified.
  5. Elected contestants must continue to be members in good standing for the period of their service on Federal Council.

6. Contestants can run for only one Federal Council position. Individuals who hold a Federal Council position and wish to run for a different Federal Council position must announce their resignation (effective from the close of the elections) from their Federal Council position prior to nomination. If planning to run for a different position, the member of Council must announce her/his intention at least one month before the close of nominations.

7. Contestants for the positions of Vice President French and Vice President English are recognized on their application as Francophone or Anglophone by self-declaration.

8. By the close of nominations an electronic copy of the contestant’s complete Nomination Package must be submitted. The package is to be legible and include all information required by the forms.

9. The Party will evaluate the Nomination Package and within 10 business days will notify prospective contestants, at their primary email address provided, whether or not the Party accepts their candidacy as a contestant.

10. All nominated contestants will be issued a Party email address for the duration of the election period. However, a contestant may use a personal email address if they so wish.

11. Following the close of nominations, the Party will give election information to Party members informing them of all contestants.

12. Nominator names will be published.

Elections

13. Members will be sent voting instructions at least 30 days prior to the close of voting in order for them to vote. The INEFC will ensure the fairness, reliability, and security of the electronic and paper voting system through the services of a volunteer scrutineer.

14. The election information will include the text, photo, and list of nominators that were submitted as part of the contestant's Nomination Package. The party will include a disclaimer saying that the messages represent the views of the contestants. The Party reserves the right to edit contestant submissions if they contain an inappropriate message, as determined by the INEFC. The Party will not correct grammar, spelling, or translation errors in submitted text and will not correct poor quality in submitted photos.

15. Due to privacy concerns, contestants will not have, and are not to have, direct access to Party membership lists to promote their campaign.

16. Contestants will be provided with the following opportunities to communicate directly with members in good standing in their respective consitituencies during the election period:

  1. One message, maximum 500 words, to be delivered by Party staff during the campaign. A schedule will be prepared by staff and made available to the contestant with a deadline specified.
  2. Contestants will be given space on the party’s forum pages through which they can interact with members.

17. Contestants will be provided with the contact information for all Party Electoral District Associations (EDAs) within their respective constituencies.

18. The election information will be included in the mail out to those members who have requested a paper ballot.

19. EDAs can publish information on membership meetings being held in their electoral district to assist contestants. The Party will advertise on its website calendar all membership meetings for any contestant.

20. Excluding travel and accommodation costs, contestants must spend no more than $1000 on any provincial or territorial campaign and no more than $2000 on any executive campaign.

21. All financial expenses and any financial contributions directed to a contestant's campaign will not be administered by the Party, but the contributor's name and contact information, amount contributed, and date received must be reported to the Party for any contribution received that is more than $20. Contributions directed to a contestant's campaign will not qualify for an official receipt for income tax purposes.

22. All contestants are required to submit within 30 days after the close of voting:

  1. A declaration stating they have not exceeded the campaign spending limit.
  2. The financial expenses and contributions report.

23. Any debts incurred by a contestant's campaign are the responsibility of the contestant. The Party will take no responsibility for any such debt.

24. The election will be conducted by Preferential Ballot (a Ranked Ballot). All positions will be contested by “None of the Above” (NOTA).

Fairness

25. No intentional distortions or misstatements of fact, or views that are libelous may be published on a GPC-sponsored website or blog. Members who choose to post are responsible for the content they publish. Aggrieved persons may submit a request for their removal to the INEFC which must be passed by a 3/4 majority vote of that committee to be removed.

26. No Party functionary (which may include any current Federal Councilor, Party Cabinet member, or INEFC member), member or contestant is allowed to personally attack or harass any contestant in the media or in any public or private media forum.

27. Party staff and contractors, and INEFC members, must remain impartial and refrain from publicly supporting or campaigning for or against any contestant(s) during the internal election period, including financially. If any staff or contractor wishes to support a contestant they are required to resign from their position and reapply under normal hiring practices.

28. Members of the Green Party of Canada are encouraged to participate in the Members forum, consistent with the Members code of conduct. Failure on the part of members to observe this will result in a review by the ethics committee at first opportunity.

29. Contestants must accept the internal election results and refrain from negative campaigning after the internal election results are announced.

30. The INEFC may allow minor variances to these rules if there are exceptional circumstances (e.g. an extension of time if an emergency hospitalization prevents a contestant from submitting their nomination on time), and the INEFC considers it fair.

31. A contestant may occasionally encounter difficulties with another contestant in the course of the campaign.  Any conflict that arises should be resolved as soon as possible, using the following steps:

  1. The contestant is encouraged to resolve the issue directly and constructively with the other contestant(s) involved. Many potential conflict situations are best addressed informally as soon as possible after the alleged conflict arises; and
  2. For resolution of any other conflicts, contestants are to follow the dispute resolution process as found on the GPC web site under the Dispute Resolution Process.