The State Society has received several questions from chapters, districts, and members, regarding the rules for nominating committees and election of officers.  Following are the rules with references where you may find these rules. 

References:

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 11^th edition (RONR)

NSDAR Chapter Regent’s Manual and Parliamentary Procedure (Regent’s Manual)

NSDAR Model for Chapter Bylaws (Model Bylaws)

Rules for the Chairman (Regent or District Director)

The chairman must maintain a position of impartiality. (RONR (11^th ed.), p. 22, 53, 394))

1. The regent cannot nominate anyone for the nominating committee. She must remain impartial.
2. The regent may not serve on the nominating committee nor attend the committee meetings.
3. The regent is not to get involved in the business of the nominating committee for any reason. (RONR (11^th ed.), p. 456)
4. The regent is not to “stack” the nominating committee.  This could result in the chapter discharging the committee and that only takes a motion and a 2/3 vote of the chapter. (RONR (11^th ed.), p. 312 – 315)
5. The regent is not to “vet” any members for the nominating committee. This is not impartial behavior. The nominating committee operates on its own without input from the regent.

How to elect the Nominating Committee

(Regent’s Manual, Appendix H, contains a step-by-step process for electing the nominating committee.)

1. The regent opens the floor for nominations for members to serve on the nominating committee.
2. Any member (except the regent) can make a nomination. (RONR (11^th ed.), p.3, 432)
3. Nominations from the floor continue until there are no more nominations. (Most chapters and districts have a committee of three.) OR in the alternative, someone moves (not the regent) to “close the nominations.” This requires a 2/3 vote.
4. After everyone is nominated (which can be more than the number of positions available) a vote is taken on each nominee.  A vote by ballot is suggested.  Members write the names of the three they wish to serve on the committee.
5. The first nominee who receives a majority vote is elected; the second nominee who receives a majority vote is elected…and so on. (Regent’s Manual, Appendix H, provides a specific process for handling nominations when more than the number of positions is nominated.)
6. The regent cannot serve on the nominating committee. (Model Bylaws Article VI, Section 2.) (RONR (11^th ed.) p. 579, 587)
7. Any other member, other than the regent, can serve on the nominating committee.

Duties of the Nominating Committee

(RONR (11^th ed.) p. 433 – 434)

1. The members of the nominating committee can be nominated for any chapter office.
2.  The nominating committee elects its own chairman (unless one was elected at the chapter meeting). Some chapters have a standing rule that the first person elected to the committee is the chairman.
3. When the committee meets, any member of the committee can make a nomination for any office.
4. If there are multiple nominations for an office, the chairman conducts the vote on each nominee. The first one who gets a majority vote is the person nominated by the committee.
5. If the nominating committee is comprised of three (3) people, then the person nominated for office must receive at least 2 votes.
6. When all of the candidates for chapter office are agreed upon by the nominating committee, the committee chair will prepare a written report, signed by members of the nominating committee. She will read the report at a designated chapter meeting and then give the printed report to the chapter regent; a second copy goes to the chapter secretary, so the report can be included in the official minutes of the chapter. (RONR (11^th ed.), p. 506)
7. The nominating committee should not share its report with anyone until it is read at the chapter meeting unless a procedure is established so that all members are informed at the same time. (RONR (11^th ed.) p. 434)

Leonora Branca, RP
Chair, Bylaws Committee
leonora.branca@gmail.com