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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Preparing for the Annual Council Meeting: Open Positions, Floor Nominations, Eligibility, and Voting Rules

Dear NCIL Members:

The Annual Council Meeting is coming up and we know that many of you are interested in the process for elections and the vacancy in the President’s position. The following email lays out the rules and eligibility for making nominations and running for the open positions, which are outlined below.

Rules of Order

To ensure fair and orderly meetings that allow all NCIL members to participate, NCIL uses Robert’s Rules of Order for the conduct of annual meetings to the greatest extent possible. However, NCIL feels that under no circumstances should “undue strictness” be allowed to intimidate members or limit full participation. The conduct of ALL business is controlled by the general will of the whole membership, with the right of the majority to decide. See NCIL’s quick-reference guide to the rules of order. A parliamentarian will be present and will have the final call on Robert’s Rules procedures.

Elections

At the 2019 Annual Council Meeting, NCIL members will have the opportunity to vote for Governing Board members and resolutions that will guide NCIL in the coming years. This year, elections will be held for: President, Treasurer, and three Members-At-Large.

While the deadline to nominate for these positions online has passed, we always take nominations from the floor for all positions.

Voting Eligibility

CILs and SILCs must pay their 2019 dues in full by June 24 (30 days prior) to be eligible to vote in person or by proxy. Individual and Organizational members (not a CIL or SILC) are eligible to vote as long as they pay for their membership and pick up their voting card prior to the beginning of the Annual Council Meeting.  Please pay your dues and pick up your voting cards as early as possible at the conference.  Lines can be long before the Annual Council Meeting and we cannot distribute any voting cards once the Annual Council Meeting has been called to order. 

Eligibility of Nominees

Please carefully review the position descriptions and memorandum, as it will help in considering potential nominees. Also, make sure to share these resources with the individual you are nominating so that they have a clear understanding of what will be expected should they be elected.

  • Article III, Section F (2) of the NCIL SOPs, states that “In order to be eligible to be nominated for an office or position on NCIL’s Governing Board, an individual must: be an individual member of NCIL; be staff, board, or a designated representative of a CIL/SILC member of NCIL; meet all requirements, including past participation experience, as detailed in the appropriate Board position description; and reside within the state of or work for the CIL/SILC member; A regional representative shall reside within the region the individual represents.”
  • In addition to the other board member eligibility requirements, candidates for President and Vice-President must have actively participated as a member of the NCIL board for at least two (2) years or as Chair of a NCIL Committee, Subcommittee, Task Force, or Caucus for four (4) years.
  • All Board member terms are 2 years. Each officer position (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) is limited to 2 consecutive terms by the same individual. No other board positions are term-limited.
  • Those elected to the NCIL Board are strongly encouraged to attend the NCIL Annual Council Meeting and Conference. The newly elected Board will hold its first meeting on July 26, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., following the NCIL Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

If you have any questions regarding the nominating process, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Kelly Buckland, Executive Director

National Council on Independent Living

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