1. Constitution and Bylaws The nomination and election of Washington Public Employees Association/UFCW Local 365 officers will be conducted in accordance with the UFCW International Constitution and the WPEA Bylaws. The pertinent articles are UFCW Constitution, Article 35 – Local Union Elections; and WPEA Bylaws, Article XII – Elections. 2. Term of Office The officers elected will serve a three-year term which will begin on January 1, 2024, and end December 31, 2026. 3. Eligibility to Hold Office As provided in the UFCW Constitution Article 35(A), any member who has been an active member of the Local Union, or who had been a member of another organization merged with the Local Union, since September 2022, or an active member in the International Union since September 2021, is eligible to run for office, provided that the member maintains continuous active membership in the Local Union. 4. Notice of Nomination and Election The notice of the nomination and election will be sent at the same time. The notice will be mailed to the last known address of every member of the local union, no later than October 8, 2023. 5. Nomination Meetings Nominations for the office of President, Secretary-Treasurer, and all Vice Presidents will be taken between October 21 and October 23, with a phone voicemail option available between October 16 and October 23. The notice of nomination and elections will set forth the times, dates, and methods for conducting the nominations. Any member can put forth nominations for President, Secretary-Treasurer, Recorder, or Vice President of the district in which the member resides. 6. Nomination Acceptances The Election Committee will review dues records to determine the eligibility of all nominees. Eligible nominees will be notified of their eligibility, sent a copy of these rules, and asked how they wish their names to appear on the ballot. Ineligible nominees will be advised of the reasons they are not eligible to run for office. 7. Names on the ballot On Friday, October 27, at 12 PM, members of the Election Committee will be available to meet with candidates at the WPEA Headquarters in Olympia and remotely over Zoom. Candidates who are not able to attend may send a representative and/or participate by phone. At this meeting, a drawing will be held to determine candidate position on the ballot by method of drawing lots. If a candidate is absent and does not have a representative at the meeting, an election official will represent the candidate in the drawing. The Election Chairperson will notify all candidates of any necessary changes to the date, time, or location of the meeting with at least 48 hours’ notice. 8. Inspection of the Membership List Each candidate may inspect (not copy) the WPEA membership list once prior to the election. No candidate is entitled to receive a copy of the list. The list will be available for inspection during normal business hours, by appointment, beginning October 24. Any candidate who requests to inspect the list should contact the Election Chairperson Seamus Petrie at [email protected]. 9. Distribution of Campaign Literature WPEA will not be mailing campaign literature promoting or opposing any candidate or candidates during the election. Candidates may work with a vendor or mailing house to mail the literature on their behalf. WPEA willprovide the addresses for members eligible to vote to the vendor directly. At no point will any of the candidates have access to the addresses. When mailing campaign literature, you must mail it in an envelope with no return mail address. 10. Campaign Restrictions Candidates are prohibited from the use of any union or employer funds to promote the candidacy of any person in a union officer election. This prohibition applies to cash, facilities, equipment, vehicles, office supplies, etc. Union officers and employees may not campaign on time paid for by the union. However, all members may support the candidates of their choice without being subject to penalty, discipline, or reprisal of any kind. 11. Voter Eligibility Any active member of WPEA, as defined in Article 4(B) of the International Constitution, is eligible to vote in the election. To be eligible to vote, a member must have joined WPEA no later than September 25, 2023. Ballots will be mailed no later than November 11, 2023, and must be returned by December 1, 2023. 12.Observers Candidates are entitled to observe, or have an observer of their choice, present at the pickup and tally of the ballots. Observers must be members of WPEA. Candidates should notify the Election Chairperson Seamus Petrie if they will be attending the ballot count or sending an observer in their place, no later than 12 PM on Thursday, November 30. 13.Tally of Ballots Ballots will be picked up at the designated P.O. Box by the Election Committee no earlier than12:00 PM on December 1, 2023. Ballots will be counted on December 1 at the WPEA Headquarters in Olympia. A plurality of votes cast shall be required for election, except as to the offices of President and Secretary-Treasurer, where a majority of the votes cast shall be required for election. In the case of a tie, or no nominee for President and Secretary-Treasurer receives a majority of votes cast, a runoff election between the two nominees with the higher number of votes will be conducted. 14.Election Results The election results will be posted on the WPEA website, emailed to WPEA members, and sent out in a WPEA newsletter following the tally of the ballots. General Election Chairperson Seamus Petrie will send a copy of the results of the election to the UFCW International President. 15.Election Records All nomination and election records will be maintained by the General Election Chairperson for at least one year after the election is complete. 16.Questions or Problems Candidates and members with questions about the nomination or election procedures should contact the General Election Chairperson at (800) 544-9732 ext. 116 or by email at [email protected]. Any violation of these rules, the UFCW Constitution or WPEA Bylaws, should be reported immediately to the Election Committee so that corrective action can be taken, if necessary. 17.Objections Any and all challenges to the election must be submitted to the General Chairperson Seamus Petrie, no later than 15 days after the election (December 16). For more information on election objections read UFCW International Constitution Article 35.