Petition Procedure Announced for Upcoming Election

Candidates Wanted!

The Election Committee has finalized the Code of Election Procedures for the upcoming AMC election and bylaws referendum. You can view the various and sundry parts of the Code and access the relevant paperwork at www.us.mensa.org/election.

While you can download the petition in order to print out hardcopy and get signatures the old-fashioned way, you can also create and/or sign petitions (for AMC election, not for the bylaws referenda) online. Simply go to the above website and click on the "Create Your Candidate Petition" and/or "View/Sign Candidate Petitions" links. The process is rather straightforward. As the procedure was only just announced earlier today, there aren't any petitions created just yet. I have no doubt that there will be some in the coming days and weeks.

Qualifications, per se, are minimal to get on the ballot. You must be a member in good standing with your dues paid for the next membership year (at least) by Jan. 31 (i.e., renew early). You must reside in the U.S. For RVC positions, you must be a member of the region for which you are running. Candidates for Treasurer should be bondable. I think the same is true for candidates for Chairman. And while it is not something explicitly stated in the Code or in our bylaws, I seem to recall that candidates for AMC must be at least 18 years of age by the date they would be taking office (given NYS not-for-profit law). And, clearly, you must fill out the various paperwork required by the Code by the deadlines provided for in the Code. Did I overlook something? Full specifics on qualifications are laid out in www.us.mensa.org/election and scroll down to the bottom of the page to click on the "2011 Election Code - FINAL" link. Beneath that are the links to the various paperwork that needs to be filled out by candidates, as well as links related to bylaws petitions, the international election, and other AML links.

While that pretty much exhausts the basic requirements for getting on the ballot, it's up to the individual candidates to "sell" themselves as the best candidate for the office to the membership.

Some positions are currently contested, but the majority of the elected positions (9 out of the 15) are not yet contested: Chairman, Secretary, and RVCs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10.
(NB: There are four appointed positions, and the two most recent Past Chairmen are automatically members of the AMC, to bring us to the total of 21 members of AMC.)