Instructions for voting

Please read the following instructions very carefully. Failure to comply with each of these conditions will render your vote informal.

Details of candidates who have nominated for a position Vice-president (president elect) of the Association are given on this ballot paper sheet. Votes will be counted using the standard preferential system.

1. Please indicate your preference by numbering the squares from 1 to 2. Voting for only one candidate will NOT invalidate your vote. However, ballot papers with markings other than numbers will be rendered invalid and will not be counted.
2. Complete and remove ballot paper from this leaflet.
3. Enclose the ballot paper in the provided BLANK envelope (or any other blank envelope). Both the Board of Directors ballot paper and the Vice-president (President-elect) ballot paper should be returned in the same blank envelope.
4. Enclose the blank envelope containing the ballot papers in the ALIA-addressed ballot paper return envelope.
5. Write your full name, address and membership number on the back of the ballot paper envelope. Nominated representatives of institutional members must include the institution's name, institution's membership number and address.
6. Post the completed envelope (no stamp is required if posted in Australia).

Your ballot must be received at ALIA National Office
PO Box 6335, Kingston ACT 2604 by

5:00pm AEST Wednesday 9 April 2008

Any voting papers received after the closing date will not be opened.

Membership of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall comprise the following seven directors with voting powers who shall be appointed as follows:

• A President, elected by members
• A Vice-president elected by members
• Four directors elected by members
• A director elected by institutional members

By-law 4: Elections

PART 4: Standard preferential system

24. Where there is one position to be filled, a standard preferential system is to be used.
25. In this system, a voter is required to indicate a preference for each candidate on the ballot paper by using the numbers 1, 2, 3 etc up to the number of candidates. Ballot papers with markings other than numbers will be rendered invalid and will not be counted.
26. A candidate must poll an absolute majority (i.e. in excess of 50%) of all formal votes to be elected.
27. If, after all first preference votes have been counted, no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of all formal votes, then the candidate with the fewest number of first preference votes is excluded (First preference votes are the number 1s). That excluded candidate's second preference votes are then distributed to the remaining candidates.
28. If after that exclusion no candidate has obtained an absolute majority of formal votes, the next remaining candidate with the fewest votes is excluded and ALL of his/her votes (ie. first preference votes PLUS those votes received from the first excluded candidate) are distributed to the remaining candidates.
29. The above process is continued until one candidate obtains an absolute majority of formal votes and is elected.
30. If at any exclusion, the next available preference is for a previously excluded candidate, then that preference is disregarded and the vote is distributed to the continuing candidate for whom the next available preference is shown.

PART 6 Other

40. In the case of an equality of votes between candidates, officers of the Australian Electoral Commission or a company appointed by the Board of Directors who conduct the count are to randomly select the name of one candidate. The candidate selected shall be excluded as if they had obtained the fewer number of votes.
41. The results of the ballot shall be conveyed to each Division/Groups of the Association and be published in inCite.
42. Challenges to the process of the election must be lodged with the Executive Director within 72 hours after the declaration of the poll.
43. The valid ballot papers should be stored for one year after the close of the ballot.
44. Invalid voting papers and unopened ballot papers should be destroyed 14 days after the declaration of the poll.