Preamble
In state law, RSA 187-A:13, IV, V, and VI provide for four Board members to be elected by the alumni of UNH, one by the alumni of PSU, and one by the alumni of KSC, without further specifying the manner in which said elections are to be conducted. In order to provide for the consistent and orderly election of alumni trustees, the Board hereby establishes the following procedures by which all such elections shall be conducted.
Section 1. Authority
The alumni associations, acting through their governing boards, shall conduct the elections of alumni trustees. The alumni associations are authorized to establish such election procedures as may be expedient or desirable, provided that such procedures do not conflict with either state law or the provisions of this Appendix 8 to the By-laws of the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Eligibility to Serve
An alumni association shall nominate for election only individuals who are current members of said alumni association. No alumni trustee may be elected to more than two successive four-year terms.
Section 3. Eligibility to Vote
Every member in good standing of the alumni of an institution shall be entitled to cast one vote in the election of the alumni trustee (or trustees) from said institution.
Section 4. Nominations
The alumni association conducting an election shall create a nominating committee to include non-biased representatives of the alumni community and shall develop an election timeline that provides an opportunity for information about the candidates and the process to be broadly disseminated. The nominating committee shall nominate at least two and not more than four candidates for election.
Section 5. Voting
The alumni association shall establish and publish the procedures by which voting will be conducted, including, if deemed desirable by the association, provision for voting by electronic data communication.
Section 6. Conduct of Elections
The alumni association shall establish and publish such procedures governing the collection, preservation, and counting of ballots as may be reasonably calculated to establish and preserve among the alumni confidence in the fairness of the process and accuracy of the tally.
Section 7. Declaration of Result
In the event there is one contested seat, the candidate receiving the most votes, whether or not a majority of the votes cast, shall be declared the winner. In the event there is more than one contested seat, the corresponding number of candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes shall be declared winners, with the candidate receiving the most votes declared the winner of the seat with the longest remaining term, the candidate receiving the second most votes declared the winner of the seat with the second longest remaining term, and so on until all contested seats are filled. On or before June 30 of any alumni trustee election year, the alumni association shall report the results of the election to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.