Meetings During a Pandemic

Guidelines for Local Leagues

 

From Miriam Simmons, Parliamentarian and LWVMN Secretary:

Many bylaws have a provision for an Executive Committee to meet between member meetings to make decisions, and this may include meeting via electronic means (telephone, email, video conferencing). Check your bylaws. If no electronic means are permitted, yet we are under a state mandate not to meet in person, figure out the best way for your group to meet.   

As to Annual Meetings, bylaws most likely require you to have an Annual Meeting once a year. It may specify which month.  Since we are under state restrictions to avoid meetings, it seems reasonable to either:

1. Postpone the meeting (this means officers remain in place until an election can be held), so you can either: 

a. Announce to all members, preferably more than once, that the meeting will be postponed and will convene at the call of the President, or  

b. Announce to all members an alternate date. 

OR

2. Have the meeting via electronic means. This means you conduct your elections via electronic means: 

a. Via a video-meeting where all members can be seen and can vote (it is unlikely that everyone will have video capability, however);

b. Via telephone where everyone calls in;

c. Via any meeting method (or combination of them) and using email so that members can vote for new officers by ballot. 

i. A ballot vote is supposed to be secret. So, you should ask all your members if it is acceptable to do an email vote.  

  1. If the answer is yes, make sure the emails are sent to a “Teller,” someone not running for office who can be relied upon to accurately tally all votes.    

  2. If the answer is no, ask if it would be acceptable to have the emails sent to an impartial party unconnected to the local league. 

ii. You should vote via email over a two or three day timeframe, and set a certain hour by which voting is to be completed.

iii. You must permit nominations “from the floor” – that is, from other than the nominating committee. It depends how you format your e-meeting as to how best to do that.      

iv. Any ballot should include those nominated (presumably by a nominating committee), a space for a write-in candidate for each office, and any name offered “from the floor” when the presiding officer asked for additional nominations.

Given the current extraordinary circumstances, our recommendation is that you do what is best for your organization. Record decisions by your Board in your minutes and make sure these are clear and communicated to your membership.

Last updated: April 6, 2020