Society Election Officers

The value that societies bring to their members is incalculable. This is because societies often bring together like-minded people who would otherwise have to navigate careers or hobbies on their own, which provides opportunities for networking and brainstorming that benefit everyone. 

Many societies, especially large societies of professionals, hold elections to nominate and select board members and leadership roles. Society and association voting are a necessary part of maintaining a functional and thriving organization. 

What Is an Election Officer?

Societies, associations, corporations, and nonprofits all need to have elections on a regular basis. But how do they make sure the elections are fair and free from bias? They do this by choosing an election officer to oversee the election. 

It’s important to note that not all election officers are a single person with unlimited monolithic authority. Many large organizations appoint a group of people or hire a third party to administer their election. An election officer's job is a varied one, and they may wear many hats throughout the process. Here are a few of the many things you can expect an election officer to handle:

Election Planning

An election officer will set the date of the election and announce it to the society. They will also encourage participation in the election and make sure members are fully informed of who and what they will be voting for. 

Nomination Processes

Election officers ensure that the nomination process is free and fair, and ensure that each member is allowed to choose nominees as per the organization’s bylaws. 

In the past, this role could be an onerous one because of the work involved in sending out nominee packets to make sure members knew who they were voting for. New technologies have given societies access to electronic association election nomination forms, vastly simplifying the process and cutting down on paper waste. 

Balloting

Similar to the nomination process, balloting was also troublesome in the past. Ballots had to be printed, sent out, received, and validated. With the advent of online voting systems, this has been greatly simplified. 

Vote Tabulation

Once the election is complete, the election officer’s job is to count the votes and ensure there are no double votes or other dubious circumstances that could call into question the validity of the vote. 

Getting Results

The most important part of any society's election process is when the results of the election are announced. In order for the results to be accepted and considered valid by the organization's members, those members need to have faith in the election officers they have chosen. Without this faith, the system has difficulty moving forward. 

This is why many organizations are turning to neutral third parties such as ElectionBuddy to oversee their elections and make sure they are free and fair for all members!