Election
of Wisconsin 2000-01 State Delegates to the NEA R.A.
The 2000 NEA Convention will be held July 1-6, 2000 in Chicago, Illinois.
The 2001 NEA Convention will be held in Los Angeles, California. Members
of the WEAC will elect delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly for
a two-year term in March 2000. Members planning to seek election as delegates
are required to file their declaration of candidacy in the office of the
WEAC Executive Director, postmarked no later than January 5, 2000.
It is the policy of NEA that the delegation from each state to the NEA
Representative Assembly shall include ethnic minority delegates in numbers
commensurate with the population of the state, and the Wisconsin Education
Association Council is committed to the achievement of this goal in the
Wisconsin delegation. The WEAC Board of Directors has approved and submitted
to the NEA its plan to achieve ethnic minority representation pursuant
to NEA Bylaw 3-1 (g). I ask you to assist WEAC in fulfilling the NEA/WEAC
goals for ethnic minority representation by encouraging minorities to
seek election as state and/or local delegates.
The NEA will notify the WEAC of the total ethnic minority population
in the state based on the most current U.S. census and the percentage
goal for each ethnic minority group. While proportional representation
cannot be a requirement, ethnic minority representation remains a goal
of the UEP.
Please note that NEA members in the non-supervisory active and educational
support personnel (ESP) categories are eligible to run as delegates and
to vote.
Enclosed are forms for declaration of candidacy and for submission of
candidacy information for publication in News & Views. Please
feel free to duplicate the forms or call my office for additional copies.
Also enclosed are the election procedures.
Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in the conduction of these
elections. WEAC and NEA understand the extra burden placed upon you and
appreciate your essential help.
Procedures to be employed in the election of Wisconsin's 2000-01 state
delegates to the NEA representative assemblies
The procedures outlined below are to be followed to conduct the election
for 82 Wisconsin state delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly.
It is the policy of NEA that the delegation from each state to the Representative
Assembly shall include ethnic-minority delegates in numbers commensurate
with the population of the state, and the Wisconsin Education Association
Council is committed to the achievement of this goal in the Wisconsin
delegation.
Also note that NEA members in the nonsupervisory active, and educational
support personnel categories are eligible to run and to vote. Fair share
members are not eligible to vote.
NO PORTION OF DUES MONEY COLLECTED AT THE LOCAL, STATE, OR NATIONAL
LEVEL MAY BE USED TO PROMOTE THE CANDIDACY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL FOR NEA DELEGATE.
THE LOCAL, UNISERV, STATE OR NATIONAL ORGANIZATION MUST COMPLY WITH ALL
REASONABLE REQUESTS OF CANDIDATES TO DISTRIBUTE CAMPAIGN LITERATURE BY
MAIL OR OTHERWISE AT THE CANDIDATE'S EXPENSE, AND MUST PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS
TO MEMBERSHIP LISTS TO ALL CANDIDATES. IF A LOCAL OR UNISERV UNIT ASSUMES
THE COST OF DISTRIBUTING A CANDIDATE=S LITERATURE AT UNION EXPENSE, INCLUDING
PRINT COSTS, IT MUST DO SO FOR ALL CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT. (THIS WOULD
INCLUDE CANDIDATES FROM ALL UNISERV UNITS.)
- Prior to March 5, each local should have informed its members as
to the local balloting procedure; i.e,. method of distribution of ballots
are to be given; local deadlines; precautions to assure that one-member,
one-vote and secrecy of ballot are adhered to; and responsibility and
procedure for returning ballots to the WEAC office.
- The March issue of News & Views will contain information
about candidates for WEAC NEA delegates. Specific directions for completing
the ballot will be printed in News & Views as well as on
the ballot itself.
- USE ONLY A #2 BLACK LEAD PENCIL FOR COMPLETING THE BALLOT. THE USE
OF A PEN OR OTHER WRITING INSTRUMENT WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR BALLOT TO BE
COUNTED.
- By March 5, each local association will be provided with official
ballots for election of NEA delegates. Ranking by votes received (see
item #13) will establish delegates and successor delegates. Ballots,
based upon a local=s NEA membership as of January 15 preceding the election,
(as shown on the furnished membership print-out) will be sent to local
associations in envelopes labeled ANEA Delegate Election Materials.@
Inside this envelope will be the ballot, the list of candidates and
a second envelope bearing instructions. The president of each local
association, or the local president=s designee, shall distribute the
official ballots to all NEA members of the local association, for the
purpose of balloting. The local association shall use a uniform system
of voting and shall provide safeguards which insure and protect the
balloting principle of secrecy and one-person one-vote.
- Completed ballots are to be placed in the smaller envelope--bearing
the instructions--sealed and returned to the local affiliate president
or designee(s). No ballots are to be accepted which are not returned
in a sealed envelope.
- To provide for secrecy, the sealed envelope may be placed in an outer
envelope identifying the eligible voter.
- If more than one ballot is placed inside the sealed envelope, the
ballots will be declared void. This is to assure that no individual
casts more than one ballot, as required by NEA regulations.
- Ballots are to be returned to the local affiliate president or designee(s)
by the locally established deadline.
- Local presidents are to assure that ballots submitted from all eligible
local NEA members are sent to the WEAC Executive Director.
- Ballots, remaining in sealed envelopes, are to be in the office of
the WEAC Executive Director in a single packet with the local association
clearly identified by APRIL 3, 2000. If the number of ballots precludes
a single packet, please indicate that it is one of # packets from the
local on the outside of the packet. Those not in the WEAC office by
that date, irrespective of postmark, will be declared void.
- It shall be the responsibility of the WEAC Executive Director to
distribute official ballots to all NEA members who are not members of
local affiliates. Said members are to send their sealed ballots to the
WEAC Executive Director, to arrive no later than April 3, 2000. Those
arriving after that date, irrespective of postmark, will be declared
void.
- Based on the number of state delegates to which Wisconsin is entitled,
the requisite number receiving the highest number of votes shall be
declared elected NEA state delegates.
- Successor Delegates. According to WEAC Bylaw 10-5.c., the twenty
(20) candidates receiving the highest number of votes immediately following
the requisite number declared elected NEA state delegates shall be declared
elected successor delegates.
- A facsimile of the ballot will appear in the March issues of News
& Views.
Posted December 9, 1999
