How to Conduct a Successful Board Election
Board elections are an essential part of growing your organization socially and economically and ensuring solid governance. A high turnout of voters and open elections help prevent a monopoly on power by ensuring that the board consists of diverse skills, interests and experiences to best serve the demands of the business.
Your organization’s bylaws provide basic guidelines and legal requirements for the conduct of board voting. They typically specify the number of votes required to choose a candidate and the positions that require a vote, and how the terms of office may be rearranged, removed or substituted.
In many member-based organizations the board regularly votes on matters such as dues, membership tiers and other benefits. The main responsibility of the board is to make sure that your organization is operating efficiently and in a responsible manner.
A successful board election should include voting, nominations and a nominations committee and training to assist new members in getting up to speed. The process is a fantastic method to build trust and create a sense of engagement with your members, while demonstrating your ability to govern.
The nominating committee needs to carefully scrutinize the list of members and verify that each candidate meets the requirements required to hold the office. If a candidate is elected and later discovers that they are unable to serve the board will have to call a new election. It is possible to avoid this by asking any member who is aware that they are unable to serve, to ask to be removed from nomination during the meeting for nominations.
