WEA Board Policy

Guidelines and Procedures

Policy 9-1:  Guidelines for WEA Elections

General Election

             The WEA general election, NEA-RA election of state at-large delegates and region elections shall be conducted during the second week in April or at least seven days following the last day of Delegate Assembly.  In the event of a holiday or conflict occurring within the week of the scheduled election, the WEA   board may designate another week for conducting the elections. All elections are conducted through the WEA Cheyenne office. Active WEA members within a local are entitled to nominate, vote and run as a candidate for state office.

             All elections must be conducted by secret ballot. Winners will be determined by plurality in NEA-RA elections and by majority in all others.

             Locals, regions, or the state may not contribute cash or anything of value directly or indirectly to advance the campaign of any candidate. However, the resources of an affiliate may be used to issue notices in connection with candidate meetings, provide general information about the candidates, and conduct elections.

Nominations

             Nominations for all elections, except local, must be in the WEA office by the annually established deadline. This includes local cluster nominations. Nominations are "open" so any one member may nominate another member for an office or as a candidate for NEA-RA delegate. The person nominated must complete and sign the nomination form, complete the resume form and forward these to the WEA Cheyenne office by the annually established deadline. Resumes of all candidates for state elected offices or state NEA-RA nominations will be included in a WEA publication prior to the election. Nomination forms for WEA region officers, and cluster delegates will be sent to the appropriate WEA region president who shall forward the nominations to the WEA office by the annually established deadline. Information regarding these nominees will also be run in a WEA publication prior to the election. Locals using the nomination forms for local offices should keep the forms.

Ballots

             The WEA office will prepare a complete ballot, including the WEA general election, state NEA-RA election of delegates, region and region cluster elections. This ballot, plus a copy of the election guidelines, will be provided at least 15 days prior to the election day to all local presidents. Ballots for NEA-RA delegates will be sent individually to those active educational support or administrator members not affiliated with locals, as well as to all NEA life retired teachers.

               During even numbered years, names of nominees will be placed on the ballot: one half of the ballots with names arranged A to Z; the other half of the ballots arranged Z to A. Ballots will be shuffled prior to mailing to the locals. During odd-numbered years, names of the nominees will be placed on the ballot: one half of the ballots with names arranged M to L; the other half of the ballots arranged L to M in reverse alphabetical order (L, K, J, I, etc.). All ballots will be shuffled prior to mailing to the locals. Validated ballots shall be kept on file for six (6) months following the election.

State Office and Board At-large Member Elections

             The ballot shall include nominations for those positions of WEA officers listed in WEA Bylaws, Article IV, Section 3, which are open. Ethnic-minority and proportionate representation positions on the Board of Directors will be filled by a special election if they qualify for representation and the position is not filled in the general election.

Region Elections

             The president of each region shall be elected by the members of that region for a two-year term. Terms of office shall be overlapping, so that no more than three regions shall have terms expire in any one year. Election of additional representatives to the WEA Board of Directors will be apportioned to regions according to WEA Bylaws.

NEA-RA Delegate Elections

Category I - State At-Large Delegates

             The WEA is apportioned 15 state delegate positions. WEA Bylaws state that the president, vice president, treasurer, and when applicable, the president-elect and vice president-elect, shall serve as at-large delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly. Therefore, at-large positions to the NEA-RA on the state ballot annually will be from five to seven depending upon whether or not the president and vice president choose to run for second terms. Terms of Category I delegates will be staggered and will be for two-year terms. Category I includes NEA active and educational support members who are teachers or other non-supervisors. Funding of state delegates is outlined in the NEA-RA Delegate Guidelines.

Category II - State At-Large Delegates

             Category II includes NEA active and educational support members who are supervisors, retired NEA Life members, and staff NEA Life members. These members are guaranteed the right to nominate and vote for candidates for delegate to the NEA-RA, and if they are WEA members, to run as candidates.

Local Delegates:        

           Local affiliate delegates will be allocated in the ratio of one delegate for each 150 NEA active and educational support members or major fraction thereof. A local with more than 75, but fewer than 226, members will be entitled to one-delegate.  A local with more than 225, but fewer than 376 members will be entitled to two delegates; etc. The local may vary the terms of local delegates from not less than one to no more than three years. There is no limit to the number of terms. Names of local delegates must be reported to the WEA office by the annually established deadline.

             Members may run on the local and state ballots as NEA-RA delegates. A candidate elected on both state and local ballot as an NEA-RA delegate must notify state and local affiliates which position is accepted by the annually established deadline.    Funding of local delegates is the responsibility of the local.

Local Cluster Delegates

             Locals with fewer than 76 active members will be clustered into voting units of 150 or more or major fraction thereof by the WEA office. These clusters are entitled to one delegate, to be elected by the locals in the cluster. The delegate must be a member of an affiliate of the cluster. Local cluster delegate elections will be held in conjunction with the WEA general election. Please refer to the 1998 Delegate Allocations for cluster allocations.

Ethnic-Minority RA Delegates

             The WEA Board of Directors has implemented a plan to ensure Ethnic-Minority representation and involvement in the WEA. Local presidents are asked to contact each Ethnic-Minority member to run for delegate to the NEA-RA, as well as to the WEA Delegate Assembly and to the WEA Board of Directors.

Successor Delegates

             The top vote-getting candidate after the regular delegates are declared is the first to attend the NEA-RA as a successor delegate if a regular delegate is unable to attend. A vacancy in the position of a regular delegate must be filled by an elected successor in the same category.