Defence Sector Group Elections Regulations 2017 - Electronic Balloting
GENERAL
1.In accordance with the Group Constitution Rule 15 and PR 19 the following regulations have been devised by the Group Secretary in consultation with the General Secretary and the Independent Scrutineers. They will govern the 2017 Group Executive Committee (GEC) elections and be binding on all members within the Group.
2.These regulations will be circulated to all Branches within the Group.In addition, the Group Office will supply a copy to any member on request.
ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE
3.Only Ordinary members of the Group may take part in the elections. Associate or life members may not be nominated or cast a vote.
COMPOSITION OF THE GEC
4.The GEC ballots will consist of 5 separate elections as follows:-
(a)Group President
(b)Group Vice President
(c)Group Organiser
(d)Group Treasurer
(e)16 Group Executive Committee Members
LIMITATIONS/RESERVATIONS
5.No limitations or reservations exist in the elections.
NOMINATIONS
6.Only branches may submit nominations. In all cases this must be following agreement by a properly constituted Branch General Meeting, except where there has been prior GEC agreement that, because of the scatteredlocation of members, such a meeting is impracticable.
7.Nominees must be ordinary members entitled to vote in these elections and the consent of the nominee to stand must be obtained.
8.A nomination shall only be valid ifmade on an official nomination paper with a certificate signed by the branch chairperson and the branch secretary or, if either is absent, signed by another branch officer, certifying that the nomination has been made at a properly constituted Branch General Meeting, and giving the date and place of the meeting.
If the nomination form is not fully and accurately completed the nomination may not be accepted.
9.The maximum number of candidates who may be nominated by any branch for each election is limited to the number to be elected in that election. An excess of nominations for an election shall invalidate that branch’s nominations so far as that particular election is concerned.
10.Any alterations or deletions to the nomination forms must be authenticated by the signatures of the branch chairperson and secretary (or, if either is absent, by another branch officer).
11.Candidates standing for election under job-sharing arrangements shall be nominated jointly by a branch. Both shall be required to signify their willingness to serve and stand jointly for election to one post.
12. When making nominations members and branches should consider the PCS Equal Opportunities Policy. PCS is committed to ensuring the profile of its elected officials reflects the diversity of the PCS membership at all levels.
13.Completed legible nomination papers must be received by the Group Secretary, Paul Bemrose, PCS DSG Office, 2nd Floor, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HAby no later than 5.00 pm on Thursday9 March 2017. You are strongly advised to send this document using the next-day guaranteed delivery service.
Faxed or scanned and e-mailed nomination papers shall only be accepted if a legible copy is received by the Group Secretaryand faxed to fax number 02920 666 501or as a scanned attachment to an e-mail to be received by the required deadline.
Nominations received after 5.00pmThursday 9 March 2017 shall not be accepted.
14. Branches may submit one nomination paper only, containing all nominations for their branch.Additional nomination papers will not be accepted the original branch nomination papersreceived will be processed.
If branches are unable to provide the nominee details requested, and after contacting the branch, we are unable to identify a particular nomineeit may not be possible to process the nomination for that particular individual.
15.The nominating branch should inform those members nominated by the branch that they have been nominated and supply them with a copy of these regulations and the attached profile and acceptance form (annex 1).
16.The Group Secretary shall satisfy themselves that the rules relating to nominations have been complied with and that the consent of the nominee has been given. If a member has any complaint concerning the nomination process it will be dealt with under the procedures outlined in regulation 34.
ACCEPTANCE OF NOMINATION
17.A nominee’s name shall only be entered on the appropriate ballot paper if:-
(a)the nominee has been validly nominated, in accordance with these regulations and;
(b)the nominee provides written notification to the Group Secretary, that they are willing to stand, clearly identifying the post or posts this applies to and:
(c)this notification is received by no later than5.00pm on Thursday 16 March 2017.If writtenlegiblenotification is not received by then it shall be assumed that the nominee is not willing to stand and their name shall not be included in the list of candidates.
Nominees may submit their notification by fax to 02920 666 501, by post to the Group Secretary Paul Bemrose, PCS DSG Office, 2nd Floor, Transport House,1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HAor send as a word or scanned attachment to an email to to be received by the required deadline.
18.The Group Office shall send each nominee written confirmation that they have been nominated for a position, once notification is received from a branch. The Group Office shall also send the nominee a copy of these regulations. Nominees should indicate their acceptance of nomination, by the required deadline, on the attached candidate profile and acceptance form (annex 1).
Nominees may provide written acceptance of nomination prior to receiving confirmation from the GroupOffice, and should do so if the deadline is near.
Use of the attached candidate profile and acceptance formis not mandatory. However, to be valid an acceptance of nomination must contain the information set out therein.
It is the responsibility of the nominee to accept their nomination within the deadline, acceptances received after 5.00pm on Thursday 16 March 2017 shall not be accepted.
ELECTION ADDRESSES
19.Candidates may submit an election address for each post for which they are standing. Candidates standing for more than one post who wish to use the same election address for each post must clearly state that this is the case. Candidates submitting a different election address for each of the posts they are standing for must clearly indicate which election address is for which post.
20.Each election address, which must consist of text only, must not exceed 400 words in total. This includes biographical information. If the 400 words limit is exceeded, only the first 400 words will be printed. Candidates’ election addresses will be reproduced as specified in the candidates’ checklist (annex 2).
21.The completed candidate profile and acceptance form enables each nominee to provide a factual statement of their surname, forename(s), gender, and branch.
Some of this information will be printed in addition to any election address and will not count towards the 400 words limit.
Candidates should ensure their details are correctly recorded in commix (the PCS membership database).
22.Election addresses must be received by the Group Secretary by no later than 5.00pm on Thursday, 16 March 2017. Election addresses must be provided electronically and sent as word document attached to an email to
Candidates should ensure that their election address(es) have been proof read carefully and are correct before submitting as replacement/amended copies will not be accepted.
Election addresses will be acknowledged within 24hrs (excluding weekends), if you do not receive an acknowledgment within this time you must contact your Group Office on 02920 666 363.
It is the responsibility of the nominee to submit their election address within the deadline, election addresses received after 5.00pm on Thursday, 16 March 2017shall not be accepted.
23.The Group Office may require any candidate to verify that the election address submitted is theirs.
24.The Group Secretary shall have the right to refuse to have printed or published any part of a candidate’s election address which in their opinion, after taking legal advice, may be libellous or provide grounds for any legal proceedings against the union or any of its officers, agents or printers. Any potentially libellous material may be excluded.
UNCONTESTED ELECTIONS
25.If in any part of the elections the number of valid candidates is equal to or less than the number of posts or seats to be filled no ballot shall be held and, as applicable, the candidate or candidates (if available) shall be declared elected.
MISUSE OF MEMBERSHIP DATA
26.No information derived from the union’s membership or other databases (i.e. commix or any mailing lists derived from it) comprising names and/or addresses of members of the Group shall be used by any candidate or by a candidate’s supporters, without the specific prior authority of the Union.
VOTING
27. This Group election will be conducted by electronic voting, all members will receive notices by email to their personal e-mail address held by PCS,
Each member will be notified directly by the Independent Scrutineer with a two part securitycode in order to cast their vote.
This will be an electronic ballot for all members where a personal e-mail is held, any member requesting a postal ballot paper should contact their group office on 02920 666 363or by e-mail
Electronic voting will close at 12 noon on Tuesday 16 May 2017.
28. Any members that have not provided PCS with a personal e-mail address will receive by post to their designated ballot address, a ballot paper with a two part security code in order to cast their vote either, online via the independent scrutineers website, or by returning their completed ballot paper to theIndependent Scrutineer using the pre paid return envelope enclosed.
Completed ballot papers and online votes must be received by the Independent Scrutineer by no later than at 12 noon on Tuesday 16 May 2017. Ballot papers and online votes received after then shall not be included in the count.
29.Election addresses can be accessed via the Independent Scrutineers website, and will also be available on the PCS website, additionally, members can request a hard copy or an alternative format by contacting their Group Office.
To ensure alternative formats arrive at the beginning of the balloting period, requests can be made to the group office in advance of the opening of the ballot which shall be on Thursday 27 April 2017
30.A member can apply for a replacement ballot paper by contacting their Group Office on 02920 666 363or by e-mail to Members should ensure their email contains details of their request, their name and either their membership or national insurance number.
31.Votes may be cast for no more than the maximum number of persons to be elected in each ballot. An excess of votes will invalidate the votes cast in that election.
32.Members should ensure that they have informed PCS of their up-to-date personal e-mail address and their postal address. Members can update their information by phoning membership on 020 7801 2670/2680,or via the PCS website
33.Following the opening of the ballot members may be reminded of the election and of a member’s right to vote.
COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGED BREACH OF THESE REGULATIONS
Complaints concerning, solely or mainly, the validity of nominations, supplying of acceptances or election addresses.
34.Any complaint as to the alleged breach of these regulations concerning, solely or mainly, the validity of nominations and submission of acceptances or election address shall be made in writing to the Group Secretary. These shall be made not later than one week before the opening of the ballot which shall be on Thursday 27 April 2017. If the Group Secretary considers that the regulations have been breached the Group Secretary shall, after consulting the Group President, determine what action, if any, should be taken, including whether the election should be declared void or any candidate disqualified. The Group Secretary will seek the confirmation of this action with the General Secretary before proceeding. The Group Secretary shall publish the decision, together with the reasons for it, to branches of the Group.
Complaints other than those concerning, solely or mainly, the validity of nominations, supplying of acceptances or election addresses.
35.Any complaint as to an alleged breach of these regulations otherwise than concerning, solely or mainly, the validity of nominations and submission of acceptances or election address shall be made in writing to the Group Secretary. Any such complaint must be submitted within seven days of the declaration of the results of the election. The Group Secretary will investigate the complaint and refer it with their recommendations to the General Secretary. If the General Secretary upholds the complaint that a candidate by their own act or through the act or acts of those supporting the candidate, has caused a breach of these regulations, the candidate may be debarred from the election and/or their election may be declared null and void. The decision of the General Secretary shall be final and binding on all members. The Group Secretary shall publish the decision, together with the reasons for it, to branches of the Group.
INDEPENDENT SCRUTINEERS
36.The Independent Scrutineer appointed by the NEC for these Group Elections will be The Electoral Reform Services Limited,
The Election Centre, 33 Clarendon Road, London, N8 0NW.
37.The Independent Scrutineer shall supervise the ballot, keep a record of the ballot data, and perform all such other functions as designated by the General Secretary. They shall be responsible for the fair and accurate counting of votes and the decision of the Independent Scrutineer with regard to the rejection of any votes cast as invalid will be final.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS
38.The Independent Scrutineer shall report the result of the elections to the PCS Balloting Office who will inform the Group Secretary. The result shall not be published until the full scrutineer’s report has been received. The scrutineer’s report will be supplied to any member of the Group following receipt of a written request to the Group Secretary.
RETENTION AND DESTRUCTION OF BALLOT DATA
39.Ballot data shall be retained by the Independent Scrutineer for a period of six months from the announcement of the result.
Annex 1
Defence Sector Group Elections 2017
Candidate Profile and Acceptance Form
What to do
- Please read the Election regulations carefully before completing this form and submitting your election address.
- Please supply the information requested, some of this information will be reproduced in the election booklet, see election regulation21.
- To be included in the ballot you must notify the Group Secretary in writing that you are willing to accept nomination. This notification must be receivedby no later than 5.00pm onThursday 16 March 2017.Please use this form to do this by completing as appropriate, you may return this form by fax to number02920 666 501,by post to the Group Secretary,Paul Bemrose, PCS DSG Office, 2nd Floor, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HA or as a Word or scanned attachment to an email . Please submit your acceptance and any election address as soon as you can. Don’t wait until just before the closing date. Replacement copies of this form are available from the PCS website, your branch secretary or the Group Office.
Candidate Profile Form
1 / Forename(The name you want to bereproduced in the election booklet)
2 / Surname
3 / *Membership or NI Number
4 / Gender
5 / Branch Name (as recorded in Commix)
6 / Branch Code
Telephone No. /
Mobile No.
E-mail address*A membership or national insurance number must be provided.
Acceptance Form
Please tick one or more of the boxes below for the post(s) you are willing to stand for (see election regulations 4 and 5)
PresidentDeputy or Vice President
Treasurer
Organiser
Ordinary MemberCandidates submitting election addresses must provide them electronically, see regulations 19 to 24.
I confirm that I am willing to stand as a candidate in the Defence Sector Group Executive Committee elections for the post, or posts, indicated above.
Name ...... ……....……………… date ...... ………...... ……….
Please read the election regulations & attached candidate checklist (annex 2) carefully before submitting your election address.This form may be returned by post to the Defence Sector Group Secretary, PCS, 2nd Floor, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HA faxed to fax number02920 666 501 or as a Word or scanned attachment to an email to be received by no later than 5.00pm on Thursday 16 March 2017. Please bear in mind that this fax machine will be very busy at this time.
Annex 2
Election Addresses – Candidate Checklist
This checklist is for PCS members who wish to stand for election in the 2017 Group Elections
The attention of all candidates is drawn to election regulation 26 which prohibits unauthorised use of PCS membership name and address data.
Candidates should ensure they have read the election regulations carefully.
You must get at least one valid nomination from a branch meeting held in accordance with election regulation 6. The nomination deadline is 5.00pm Thursday 9 March 2017, see election regulations 6 to 16.
Candidates must accept in writing that they are willing to accept nomination. Please see election regulations 17 and 18. Annex 1 can be used for this.
For these elections, you may submit an election address for each post you are standing for.
Candidates standing for more than one post who wish to use the same address for each post must clearly state that this is the case. Candidates submitting a different election address for each of the posts they are standing for must clearly associate the appropriate election address with the appropriate post, see election regulation 19.
Election addresses must be sent electronically, please see election regulations 19 to 24. Any errors you make will be reproduced.
The word limit for your election address which must consist of text only is 400, including any biographical information. See election regulation 20.
Candidates should ensure they have checked their election address(es) carefully as replacement/amended copies will not be accepted, please see election address regulation 22.
Bullet points are excluded from the word count.
Numbers, initials and dates count as words, so “£2,000”, “PCS”, “2000” all count as one word.
Hyphenated words count as one word, so “ex-CPSA” counts as one.
With the exception of abbreviations, the PCS Group Office will convert text that is all in capitals into normal upper and lower case.
Any italics and underlining will be converted to bold text by the PCS Group Office.
For these elections, you may submit an election address for each post you are standing for.
Acceptance of nominations and election addresses must be received by no later than 5.00pm on Thursday 16 March 2017.