Get out and Vote!

During the past decade, an average of 17% of eligible ACS members have voted in the president-elect and district director elections. In 2004, only 14% of members participated in the president-elect election. That number is substantially lower than the 41% that selected Alan C. Nixon as president-elect in 1971. Needless to say, the Committee on Nominations & Elections (N&E) is concerned about the declining participation in recent years.

To get a better understanding of member perceptions, N&E surveyed 1,000 ACS members in 2003 and all voting councilors. Areas probed included familiarity with nomination and election procedures, satisfaction with recent slates and the election process, and the desirability of permitting electronic voting over the Internet. The respondents strongly supported electronic balloting and were satisfied with the slates and the candidate information accompanying the ballots; however, they indicated that changes were needed in the petition process and the dissemination of information on election guidelines.

The election process for 2005 has already begun. In February, voting councilors in Districts III and VI received ballots containing the names of four nominees identified by N&E for each of those two district director positions. Each district selected two candidates for their district director. In the fall, members of those two districts will select their district director from a ballot containing names of those candidates and those of any petition candidates. If there are two names on the slate, the candidate receiving the most votes is declared elected. If there are more than two names on the ballot, the society's bylaws require different procedures.

If there are three names on the ballot, a preferential ballot must be used. The candidate receiving a majority of first-choice votes is declared elected. If no candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes, the candidate receiving the lowest number of first-choice votes is eliminated, and the second-choice preferences on those ballots are added to the first-choice totals of the two other candidates. When there are four or more candidates on the ballot, the candidate receiving a majority of the votes is declared elected. If no candidate receives a majority, a run-off election is held between the two leading candidates.

At the council meeting in San Diego, councilors will select two president-elect candidates from a slate of four nominees identified by N&E. Prior to voting, the councilors will have had the opportunity to hear the nominees speak twice. At the Town Hall Meeting, which will be held on Sunday night, the nominees will be asked to answer questions posed by members and N&E. Immediately prior to the council vote, the nominees will again share their vision for the society. The names of the two candidates selected at council and those of any petition candidates will be placed on the ballot, and members will choose the president-elect in the fall. If there are two names on the ballot, the candidate receiving a majority of the votes will be declared elected. If there are three or more names on the ballot, procedures identical to those previously described for district directors will be used.

In the fall, two directors-at-large will also be chosen. The 484 councilors will be sent ballots containing the names of four individuals identified by N&E along with the names of any petition candidates. The two candidates receiving the most votes are declared elected. In the special instances when there is an election to choose only one director-at-large, N&E will put forth the names of two individuals, and the candidate receiving the most votes will be declared elected. The bylaws do not address the case when there are more than two names on the ballot. Therefore, N&E has drafted an amendment addressing procedures analogous to the ones previously described for district director. This amendment will be presented to council for consideration at the spring meeting and for approval at the fall meeting.

In response to the positive feedback on the option of voting electronically, members of N&E drafted an amendment to the bylaws allowing the use of electronic voting. Council and the membership passed the amendment last fall. To implement the bylaw change, N&E is developing balloting procedures that would allow members to choose either a paper ballot or an electronic ballot submitted via the Internet. If approved by the Council Policy Committee in San Diego, this new procedure will be in place for the fall elections. Based on the concerns expressed by respondents to our survey about the seemingly overly frequent use of the petition process, N&E currently is discussing ways for improving the existing processes while guaranteeing a fair and open electoral process.

In May, biographical information and initial statements from the candidates for president-elect, director-at-large, and director in Districts III and VI will be available on the N&E website, located at http://chemistry.org/election. In addition, the "Guidelines for Campaigning and Communication" (prepared by N&E to ensure an even playing field for all in the campaign process) is posted for review along with frequently asked questions addressing electronic balloting.

I hope that you now have a better understanding of the election process and know where you can get additional information. If you have suggestions on how N&E can increase voter participation, please send your comments to Liz Beckham (l_beckham@acs.org) at ACS headquarters. Please be sure that you vote--your vote is important.

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of the committee.