Steering Committee: Voting Policy

Election of Officers

When an YM Steering Committee position becomes available, including a LRC position, the position will be advertised to the leader list, ideally a month in advance of the next steering committee meeting. Eligible candidates (active leaders and co-leaders in good standing) will submit a written application to the YM Chair at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. The Chair will then share the application(s) with the current members of the steering committee. At the meeting all voting members will approve the candidate, and will have a chance to voice opinions in favor or against any particular candidate. Candidates may also address the Steering Committee before a vote is taken.

Voting will be done by written ballot unless there is only one candidate, in which case voting can be done by a simple majority of hands. In both cases, the candidate will not be present in the room at the time the vote is taken but must be present at the meeting in case a committee member has a question.

A simple majority of votes from eligible committee members is needed to elect an officer. In the case of multiple candidates for one position, runoff(s) will be done as necessary.

Results will be published in the minutes of the meeting.

Election Terms

All positions should be a term of two years and on a rolling basis, meaning that people can step down or be re-nominated at different meetings (It would be best to have chair and vice chair stepping down in different years). In accepting a nomination, a candidate should strive to fulfill his or her duty for two years to avoid ad-hoc elections mid-year.

Frequency of Meetings

Every month, on the second Wednesday of the month, except July and August. Time-sensitive agenda items may be discussed and voted on via email by all voting members from the last meeting in between meetings, at the discretion of the Chair.

Voting Rights

Any active YM leader attending the meeting can vote in person. Proxy votes are only allowed for members with assigned roles on the YM steering committee, at the discretion of the Chair.

Policy Writing and Approval

The practice of policy writing should continue to be done by a subcommittee of the YM Committee and/or by the Chair. New policies and policy revisions must be voted in by two-thirds (2/3) of votes cast.

Sample Steering Committee Application

  1. Name:
  2. Telephone number:
  3. Email address:
  4. Position seeking on the YM Committee:
  5. Why do you want the position? If you currently hold this position, why do you want to continue for another year?
  6. How can you contribute to the YM Committee through this position?
  7. What qualifies you for the position?