Election Frequently Asked Questions - Candidacy

Send your declaration to the our Elections officer at elections-chair@transformativeworks.org. Please include a statement that you are over 18, the committee(s) on which you served a total of at least one term, and your legal name. If you have been serving on that committee under a pseudonym, the Elections officer will confirm with the chair of Volunteers & Recruiting that you did serve a term with that committee, and will confirm with the chair of Development & Membership that you are a current paid member. The chairs will hold your pseudonym in confidence.

If there is only one candidate per open seat by the eight weeks’ deadline, the deadline will be extended by two weeks. If by the six week deadline, the number of declared candidates is still exactly equal to the number of open seats, then no election will be held: the declared candidates will fill the open Board seats.

If there are fewer declared candidates than open seats by the eight weeks’ deadline, the deadline for declaring a candidacy will be extended by two weeks. If a seat still has no candidates six weeks before the election, the Board may appoint members (even if they have less than a year’s committee service) for seats that cannot be filled in any other way. As with an uncontested election, no election will be held in these circumstances.

Yes! However, in order to vote, they must be verified paying members of the OTW a minimum of a month before the election.

Candidates are required to provide a brief public statement summarizing their philosophy, their goals for the organization, and their view on future directions for the organization, among other topics if desired.

Candidates are also encouraged to participate in a public chat at a mutually agreed time. If the candidates are unable to agree upon a time, our Elections officer will declare one, considering the preferences of all involved parties.

Candidates’ official statements will be posted by Elections on the organization’s website, crossposted to all other sites currently in use by the OTW. Those statements can include links to their own website or community. A chat forum will also be provided for a public chat between candidates and voters.

Yes, whether you win or lose. There are no term limits for Board members.