Adopted by Executive Council on January 28, 2021.

I. CANDIDATE NOMINATIONS

A. The following will be elected at the 2021 CFT Convention:

1. President
2. Secretary Treasurer
3. 24 CFT Vice Presidents
4. CFT Delegates to AFT Convention
5. CFT Delegates to the California Labor Federation Convention

B. Presiding Over Elections

1. The Nomination and Elections Committee shall have plenary powers to run the election in conjunction with a third-party company that has been retained to conduct the balloting by mail. The committee is authorized to resolve any disputes that may arise, during or out of the election, subject only to the provisions of Article I, Section 12 of the CFT By-Laws as modified by the CFT Executive Council for purposes of conducting a virtual convention, which specify the procedures for nomination and election.
2. A chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee shall preside over the Convention during the time of speeches.
3. Questions or concerns regarding the conduct of the election should be directed to the chair of the Nomination and Elections Committee.

C. Observers

1. Each candidate or slate shall appoint their own observer who shall be provided by the third-party company retained to conduct the election, BallotPoint Election Services, with access to view online the counting of the ballots.
2. There may be one observer per independent candidate or two per slate.
3. Observers may take notes and ask appropriate questions to the extent provided by the online video technology supplied by BallotPoint.
4. The candidate or slate shall notify the chair of the Nomination and Elections Committee of the names of the observers by the close of the last business session of the Convention. The chair of the Nomination and Elections Committee, in conjunction with BallotPoint Election Services, will communicate with the observers the procedures for observing the mailing, collection, and counting of the ballots.
5. An observer must be a member of the CFT.

D. Nominations Procedure

1. Nominations of CFT officers and delegates to the AFT Convention and the California Labor Federation Convention shall be by a submission of an “Declaration of Candidacy” form to the committee chair via online portal on the CFT website not later than 6:00 p.m. Friday, March 26, 2021. Forms will be available on the CFT website or by emailing elections@cft.org.
2. The names of all announced candidates shall be read to the Convention at the second Business Session on Saturday, March 27, 2021. At this time, an opportunity shall be given for any person nominated to decline.
3. Each candidate for President may have ten minutes for their campaign speech.
4. Each candidate for Secretary-Treasurer may have five minutes for their campaign speech.
5. All other candidates may have two minutes for a campaign speech. The candidates shall be recognized in alphabetical order. Any candidate may designate an alternate speaker.

E. Slates

1. Two or more candidates for office may organize themselves into a slate for the election.
2. Candidates for office may organize themselves into a slate and they shall designate the name of their slate. Slate names shall not imply endorsement by the union and will be authorized on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. Delegates have a choice of voting for a slate or voting for individuals, but may not vote for a slate and then individuals. If a delegate checks a slate box and then individually votes for candidates within that same slate, the ballot will be treated as an individual-candidate ballot. If a delegate checks a slate box and then votes for all of the candidates from that slate, the ballot would be considered a slate vote. If a delegate selects a slate box and then votes for officers from another slate or an independent, the ballot will be set aside.
4. Every candidate and every slate shall make themselves known to the chair of the Nomination and Elections Committee by email at elections@cft.org no later than 6:00 pm on Saturday, March 27, 2021, so that proper information can be provided for the printing of ballots.

II. ELECTIONS

A. Unanimous Consent

If there are only as many nominations as there are positions, elections may be by unanimous consent, and the voting procedure outlined in section B below will not take place.

B. Contested Elections

A contested election shall be conducted by mail vote in accordance with the following procedure:

1. In order to vote, a delegate must be seated by the Credentials Committee no later than 12:00 noon, Saturday, March 27, 2021.
2. Each delegation’s voting strength shall be checked and verified by the Nominations and Elections Committee.
3. Ballots containing the delegate’s full name, local name and number, and average membership will be sent to each registered delegate, who has checked in to the Convention, via first-class U.S. mail by BallotPoint Election Services as soon as practicable following the close of business of the Convention. The mailing package will state clearly on the outside that it contains a ballot to vote for CFT officers, Executive Council members and delegates to the AFT and California Labor Federation AFL-CIO Conventions. The package will contain a postage-prepaid mailing envelope to return the ballot. Under the direction of the chair of Nominations and Elections Committee, BallotPoint Election Services shall establish and make known to the delegates the procedure for requesting a duplicate ballot in the event a delegate does not receive their ballot. The last day on which requests for duplicate ballots will be processed will be seven days before the count.
4. Under the direction of the chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, BallotPoint Election Services shall regularly check the post office box established to receive undeliverable ballots and upon receipt of such ballots, work with the chair or their designee to seek better addresses for the delegates to send them their ballots.
5. Every ballot shall be signed by the delegate voting that ballot. No ballot shall be counted that is not signed.
6. The ballot instructions will explain the voting procedure. When a delegate wishes to vote for a slate, that delegate shall mark or fill in the box identifying the slate. Delegates must choose between voting by slate or individually. When the vote is by slate, the delegate is limited to voting for that slate only and may not combine slate voting with individual candidate voting. When a delegate wishes to vote for an individual, that delegate shall mark the box by the candidate’s name. The delegate who votes individually may vote for some or all of the vacant positions.
7. Return ballots must be received at the post office box secured by BallotPoint Election Services before April 30, 2021.
8. Upon receipt of the ballots from the post office box by BallotPoint Election Services, ballots will be transported to its premises to start the process for tabulation. The Nominations and Elections Committee will be provided with electronic access to each ballot where there are issues regarding the intent of the voter or compliance with the voting procedures. The designated observers may ask to observe ballots and will be provided online access to view these ballots.
9. The tabulation of votes will begin at a time to be determined on Friday, April 30, 2021, at the offices of BallotPoint Election Services.
10. Should no candidate for CFT President or CFT Secretary Treasurer receive a majority of ballots cast, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall compete in a run-off election, a run-off election which will follow the same procedures extending out another calendar month.
11. The results of a contested election will be announced on May 1, 2021.

C. Results of Election

The candidates for President and Secretary Treasurer receiving a majority of votes shall be elected. Candidates for Vice President who receive the highest number of votes shall be deemed elected.

D. Independent Certification

The results and ballots shall be certified as accurate and retained by the independent body.