Elections Committee Operations

The Elections Committee is composed of up to 8 members (7 active members, one alternate), who are voted into office by the unnit membership at a Monthly Membership Meeting. Elections Committee members serve one year terms, and one member is elected chair within the committee. These terms typically line up with academic years running from Fall Quarter through Summer, but the timelines may be adjusted slightly to accomodate ongoing elections. Our current members are:

Most details of our election timelines are goverened by the Local Union Bylaws, which outline minimum time requirements between steps in the process. As a local, we’ve established a standard timeline for virtual elections, which allows one week for the nomination and voting periods.

In some situations, these timelines will be modified, such as in-person nominations or extended voting periods. Timelines are set and communicated to the membership well in advance of the start of the election period. These timelines are set for Executive Board elections, but elections for Committees or other positions may follow different timelines as determined by the committee. Committees are typically free to determine the method of internal elections, but are encouraged to consult with the Elections Committee to ensure compliance with applicable provisions of the Local Bylaws and UAW International Constitution. Unless otherwise specified, periods open at 9 AM on the first day, and close at 5 PM on the last day.

The elections committee works to write an election policy document for each election that we oversee. This policy document is finalized and sent to the Recording Secretary, and distributed to candidates when they accept nomination. This document is also avaliable upon request to any member of the local union.

We update this template and make any appropriate changes, and the finalized policy + procedures document is stored in the election record. This template was drafted after reviewing the International Constitution, the Local Bylaws, and the UAW Guide for Local Union Election Committees

We communicate the details of the election as much as possible, but at a minimum election information is distributed by email and announced at a monthly membership meeting. We often collaborate with our Communications Committee to get that out! Our recipients change each election, and communication lists are cut in collaboration with our data committee to ensure we reach as many eligible members as possible.

Any Student Employee at Western is, generally, eligible to run in an election, regardless of membership status. Student Employees are “nominated” to office by default, and can “accept” that nomination in order to become a candidate in the election. Specific eligibility rules are outlined in the elections policy document, and are determined in accordance with federal law and the UAW International Constitution. Nominations are open for a period of at least ten days, and generally follow this timeline:

The method of accepting nominations can change, but typically is either via direct email to elections@wawu-union.org, or through an election-specific form. Details of nomination acceptance are included in all election communications. If an incomplete nomination is submitted, the prospective candidate will be notified and will have until the revision deadline to correct / complete their nomination, or they will not be eligible to run.

Candidate statements are posted to the website for voters to view at least 7 days in advance of voting, and will be locked after the revision deadline has passed. 

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