General Questions
Voting Process
Election Security
General Questions
When is the election?
The 2013 election for officer, trustee-at-large positions and proposed amendments to the Academy's governance documents opens on Nov. 18 and closes after 30 days.
How can I vote in the election?
Members can vote online or by mail. Election materials, including a unique e-signature (for online voters), will be mailed to active voting fellows and members registered by Nov. 18.
This is an optional election. There is no provision allowing for absentee ballots; a member cannot vote on behalf of another member if he/she is unable to cast a ballot for him/herself.
What are the benefits to voting online?
Online voting offers greater accessibility to the official ballot than traditional voting methods. Members can vote from home, work, a local library or any computer with Internet access. Online voting assures quicker reporting and an efficient audit process.
Where can a member go for help?
Members should contact the Academy Election Help Desk.
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Voting Process
What is the election and voting timeline?
Election Timetable
| Nov. 30 |
Call for nominations to members |
| Jan. 31 |
Deadline for nominations by members in order to be considered for open positions during the 2013 election process |
June 22
|
Board of Trustees determine the official slate of candidates to be elected by the members as recommended by the Nominating Committee |
Aug. 19
|
Deadline to announce the time and place of the annual business meeting |
|
Deadline for Board of Trustees to announce the official slate of candidates to be elected by the members |
|
Deadline for receipt of petitions for additions or changes to the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Code of Ethics and Procedural Rules amendments |
Sep. 18
|
Deadline for receipt of petition nominations for candidates to be elected by the members |
|
Deadline for candidates to notify executive vice president/CEO of their desire to make a presentation to the members at the annual business meeting |
|
Deadline for statements from all candidates for publication to members (and seconders' statements in contested elections) |
Oct. 18
|
Deadline for members to notify executive vice president/CEO of any new item of business for the annual business meeting |
|
Deadline for Board of Trustees to announce to the members amy proposed amendments or revisions to the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Code of Ethics and Procedural Rules |
|
Deadline to announce the time, place and agenda of the annual business meeting |
Nov. 17
|
Annual Business Meeting |
Nov. 18
|
Election material mailed to all voting members |
|
Election opens via Internet voting on the Academy's election agent's website |
| Dec. 17 (12 p.m. CST) |
Deadline for ballot returns from voting membership (in adherence to the bylaws' call for a 30-calendar-day election period) |
Dec. 23
|
Results of election announced by this date |
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When are nominations open for the election?
The nominating committee will accept nominations until Jan. 31. Submit a nomination by following the nominating process.
Who are the candidates?
A list of candidates will be available after July 1 in the nominations section of the Academy's website.
What are the amendments proposed to the Academy's Bylaws?
A complete list of proposed amendments to the Academy's governance documents is available in the amendments section of the Academy's website.
How many positions need to be elected?
There are six open positions for the 2013 election:
President-Elect, Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice,
Secretary for Annual Meeting, Trustee-at-Large,
Chair and Vice Chair of the Council. The nominees will
be selected by the Board of Trustees in June.
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Election Security
What security measures does the Academy's election agent take?
The Academy's election-agent staff will then count the number of returned envelopes, record the quantities and place the reconciled bundles of envelopes into sealed cartons/containers and in a secure storage area, until the commencement of the validation process. Once ballots have been electronically scanned (counted) they will be batched, parcelled, labelled and stored under security.
How is the election considered confidential if my member number is listed on the mail ballot slip and attached to the mail ballot?
The member number is needed to authenticate a vote. However, a vote will remain confidential by the Academy's election agent. Candidate scrutineers will observe the process of validating member's votes and the scanning of ballots.
How do you ensure voter authentification for online voting?
An online voter is authenticated by use of a unique personal identification number (e-signature) and a member number. This combination of authentication information validates the voter for access to the online voting system and mail ballot processing.
How does the election agent guard against fraud?
To ensure against over-voting or "ballot stuffing," the automated voting system counts the first vote that it receives (either by mail or online) and disables a voter's e-signature from re-use once it has been cast. If a mail ballot is received from a disabled e-signature, the mail ballot vote will not be counted. Conversely, if a voter casts a mail ballot and tries to vote online, the voting system will inform the voter that his/her e-signature has already been disabled.
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