The selection of the board members is an important way to build and strengthen an organization. Establishing a procedure for nominations and elections can help keep the organization in line to the bylaws. When the chair or the president selects a new member the process bypasses the meticulous screening of the committee selection process and can cause conflict among other members that were chosen by committee.

It is crucial that the committee reviews the list of members and identifies candidates who are a good fit for your organization’s needs. Ideally, the committee should discuss candidates and compare notes. If the committee is not able to find a candidate to fill the position it’s best to allow the seat to be vacant and allow members of the committee to nominate themselves.

Once the committee has decided on the list of candidates, it can hold an election. The most popular method is through a voice vote, in which the chair requests the members to vote yes or no for each candidate in order of their name. The candidate who gets the majority of votes is the winner.

Other methods of determining a member of the board include a written vote, a roll call and cumulative voting. It is crucial to ensure that the votes are counted accurately regardless of the method used. If a member is concerned that the teller aren’t following the correct procedure or there has been a mistake in counting votes, they should raise their hand and notify the chairman of their concerns.

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