Week of February 15, 2021

Last spring, we were unable to hold our annual NTU election to to COVID-19. As we approach the 2021 annual NTU election, we are facing similar issues with our traditional method of holding elections. After consulting with the Executive Board and the Board of Directors, I am pursuing alternative methods to hold our annual election this spring. It was clear to me that we should first address the election that should have taken place in 2020. Some have asked why not combine the 2020 and 2021 election into one ballot. Our Election Committee and members of the Board of Directors and Executive Board assist with the election. There are rules that prohibit anyone on the ballot from assisting with preparing or running the election, and also prevent them from assisting with counting ballots. To have all seven officers and the entire Board of Directors up for re-election at one time is not feasible. To that end, I have asked Terry Freeman to investigate to online platforms that meet the requirements of elections and have also been vetted by AFT. I will report back to the Executive Board and the Board of Directors in March with a recommendation on how to proceed.

Most have said this may be a great opportunity to move to online voting which is what many of the larger AFT locals use for their elections. I'm not sure what the cost associated with online voting would be, but that would also be included with any proposal to the Board of Directors. Our current method for elections is very labor-intensive and uses over 1,500 sheets of paper per election just for the ballot. That count does not include instructions and membership lists. As we proceed with the process, I will provide updates to the Executive Board, Board of Directors, and membership.