One Member, One Vote Briefing

AAUW Current Topic Briefing #27
August 2, 2010
Revised November 17, 2010
Revised April 25, 2011

The concept of "One Member, One Vote" was adopted by the delegates at the 2009 AAUW National Convention. It provides every member the opportunity to have both a personal voice in the process of directing the future of AAUW and the right to vote for candidates as well as proposed bylaws amendments, resolutions, and the proposed Public Policy Program.

Eligibility
All national members, including life members, whose dues are current are eligible to vote. New members whose national dues payments are processed at the national office by 11:59 p.m. EDT, May 18, 2011, are eligible to vote. Please note: Online dues payments are automatically recorded with an online confirmation provided, and these new members are immediately eligible to vote. Payments by check take longer to be processed, and finance officers should help to ensure that payments are received at the national office in time for the deadline, as the deadline is set to establish the voting quorum.

Candidate Applications
Candidate applications for the AAUW Board of Directors were open until January 15, 2011. Profiles of all candidates are posted online and were featured in the Spring/Summer AAUW Outlook. The entire slate of AAUW board candidates is listed alphabetically on the electronic and paper ballots. All members were urged to consider applying for board candidacy.

Voting Options
Members have two methods for casting their vote. They may vote online at the AAUW website, or they may use the paper ballot mailed to them. Only the first ballot from each member received at national headquarters, whether electronic or paper, will be counted. If your ballot has not arrived by May 11, 2011, please contact AAUW headquarters at connect@aauw.org.

The AAUW Board of Directors recommends voting online, because it is easier, more secure, and cheaper. It is also the only way to vote for a write-in candidate; there is no write-in option on the paper ballots. Members who do not have access to a computer may seek the assistance of others to vote online.

Voting Process
Paper ballots were mailed April 15, 2011. Each paper ballot is personalized with the member's AAUW ID number and a voter PIN (personal identification number). These two identifiers provide security and ensure that each member's vote will be counted only once.

Online voting will take place from May 1, 2011, through 9 p.m. EDT on June 17, 2011. To vote, members will log in to the One Member, One Vote section of the AAUW website. Each voter must enter her or his member ID to access the site and then use the voter PIN provided on the personalized paper ballot to vote.

Electronic voting will also be available at the convention, and help will be provided for those who want to wait to vote until they are at convention but need assistance with the process.

When the voter hits the send button to submit the online ballot, a confirmation notice will appear on the screen and may be printed to confirm acceptance of the vote. Once the send button is clicked, the ballot is considered complete and cannot be changed.

Paper ballots can be submitted by mail only and must be sent to the AAUW national office for scanning. Paper ballots postmarked after 11:59 p.m. EDT, May 31, 2011, will not be accepted.

Members who choose to vote by paper ballot MUST use the ballot provided to them by mail, as it is personalized with their member ID and voter PIN. No write-in votes will be accepted on paper ballots.

Paper ballots must be mailed; faxed ballots will not be accepted and will be discarded.

There will be no confirmation for receipt of paper ballots.

The One Member, One Vote site features an extensive list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that provide more information about the election.

Member Participation
In past years, election of candidates for the AAUW Board of Directors and voting on other items of business, such as proposed bylaws amendments, resolutions, and the Public Policy Program, occurred during the biennial national convention. With One Member, One Vote, it is essential that we maximize opportunities for all members to participate in the process. Our website capabilities are the best and most efficient way to promote and engage members in the process.

The Fall 2010 issue of AAUW Outlook provided information about the process. The Winter AAUW Outlook included all proposed bylaws amendments and the proposed Public Policy Program that appear on the ballot, along with their rationales. It also featured candidate profiles, as it has in the past. The Spring/Summer issue of AAUW Outlook includes any final information on candidates whose profiles may have been incomplete in the Winter issue.

Each candidate has been provided an individualized page on the AAUW website, which includes a photo and biographical information and may also include a short video and links to her or his own website and other information.

Although paper ballots have been mailed to all members, the best way for members to participate in all aspects of the One Member, One Vote process is online. The online opportunities are robust and secure, and they provide more ways than ever before to engage members in the entire voting process.

Members submitted proposals online for bylaws amendments, resolutions, and Public Policy Program revisions or additions. Members were encouraged to comment online on their proposed submissions or on those of others and were also encouraged to provide rationales for their proposals in the comment section.

AAUW has not hosted an area for discussion of candidates on the AAUW website. Members are encouraged, however, to use other venues, such as Facebook, e-mails, branch meetings, and state conventions, to discuss candidates and to meet and talk with them.

Getting Started
Members can access One Member, One Vote from the home page of the AAUW website (www.aauw.org) and then log in to the Member Center. The One Member, One Vote web page is the gateway to the entire elections and voting process. An FAQ section is readily available for those who want more information.

Key Dates
The following is a list of important dates in the One Member, One Vote process:

Key Dates
The following is a list of important dates in the One Member, One Vote process:

This is briefing #27 in our AAUW Current Topics Briefing Series issued by Linda Hallman, CAE, Executive Director.