Election System Revision
Proposal to Reform Employee Forum Election Procedures
The proposal to reform the Forum’s electoral procedures is as follows:
- Retain the current divisional system of apportioning delegates by job category. Retaining this feature ensures that the Forum will continue to feature representation from all economic classes of the University.
- Allow each voter, after choosing from the candidates in their division, to then vote for up to (5) additional candidates from any other electoral division. (No double-voting for the same candidate.) This new approach allows employees to vote for candidates whom they may know but do not serve with in similar employment capacities.
- Weigh votes equally, with no difference between divisional and at-large votes in the final tally.
The proposal will not require revision of the Forum bylaws (Section III. Employee Forum Delegates). This approach saves administrative effort required with reapportionment into departmental- or unit-based electoral divisions. The approach is simple to understand and is closely resembles previous practice.
The Forum should work harder to advertise its electoral procedures in advance of its April elections. The Communications & Public Relations committee has offered to create a voter guide of candidate biographies, to be distributed electronically via the InTouch newsletter before elections occur.