Annual General Assembly and Elections
Wednesday, January 18 at 7 pm
Online via the ZOOM platform
AND
in-person at Athens Hard Rock Café

In accordance with DAGR Bylaws, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held each year in the first quarter (by 31 March), but in an election year the deadline is January 31^st.  In the odd-numbered years, DAGR elects officers for the coming 2-year term.

This year’s AGM and Election is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18 at 7 pm (19:00) at Hard Rock Café Athens AND online through ZOOM

To confirm your participation:

RSVP HERE

Everyone, both in-person and remote attendees, will receive the Zoom link with their confirmation email. Those attending in-person, at the Hard Rock Café, Athens, can order drinks, snacks or a meal from the Hard Rock Menu and pay the restaurant directly for what they order.

AGENDA

ELECTIONS

Electronic ballots and candidate biographies will be available from Monday, January 9. Elections will be conducted electronically by google form beginning from Monday, January 9, 2023 at 9:00 am until Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 12:00 pm noon. 

THE NOMINATIONS AND VOTING PROCESS

The Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) was appointed by the Chair and approved by ExCom, on November 14, 2022. The NEC is soliciting nominations, collecting candidate statements, will send out ballots, conduct the Election Meeting and tally the ballots.

Nominations will close on January 5, 2023. The ballot will allow for write in candidates. The complete ballot will be available on Monday, January 9, 10 days before the AGM. Members will have until 12:00 pm noon on Wednesday, January 18 to submit their ballot. Full instructions for marking and returning ballots will accompany the ballot link on January 9.

To vote, each person must be a member of Dems Abroad when their ballot is submitted. Democratic Party rules require all elections to be open to inspection by members so, for verification, ballots must be signed by the member/voter.

Nominations are now open and will close on January 5 for the following ExCom positions:

• Country Chair
• Country Vice-Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Counsel
• At Large Representative 1
• At Large Representative 2
• DPCA Voting Representative
• DPCA Non-Voting Representative
• Athens Chapter Chair
• Athens Chapter Representative
• Thessaloniki Chapter Chair
• Thessaloniki Chapter Representative

The NEC committee’s contact information:
[email protected]

Stacey Harris-Papaioannou
Nominations/Elections Committee Chair
[email protected]
6942 90 720

Nikki Fellouris
Nominations/Elections Committee Member
[email protected]
6936 618 493

Nicholas Loisos
Nominations/Elections Committee Member
[email protected]
693 660 1244

Detailed regulations can be found posted below as well as in the DAGR Bylaws and in the DPCA Country Committee Election Procedures. Both documents can be read on the Dems Abroad wiki at https://wiki.democratsabroad.orgdisplay/home/

DAGR’s Bylaws EXTRACTS
Nominations and Election of Executive Committee (ExCom)

Article XV. Executive Committee

1. DAGR is governed and represented by the Executive Committee (Executive Committee), which is elected by the General Meeting and comprises 11 members, a number that may be increased if additional chapters are approved. The term of the Executive Committee is two years. No Country or Chapter Officer can serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.
2. The Country Officers of Democrats Abroad Greece shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Counsel. The Executive Committee is composed of the five Country Officers, the Chapter Chairs; one (1) voting Chapter Representative elected by each Chapter; and two (2) At-Large members elected from the membership for those areas of Democrats Abroad Greece not represented by a Chapter. All members of the Executive Committee shall be members of Democrats Abroad Greece at the time of their election.   
3. The Chapter Representative on the Executive Committee shall be elected at a meeting of members of the respective Chapter held within the first three (3) months of each odd numbered year. The results of such elections shall be certified by the Chapter Chair to the Country Secretary. 
4. In compliance with the rules of the Democratic Party, the Vice-Chair shall be of the opposite gender from the Chair.

Article XIX. Specific Responsibilities and duties of Executive Committee Members

5. The Chair represents DAGR with state organizations, DAGR members, and third parties, and is responsible for its operations. As the chief executive officer of the organization, the Chair_, shall call and preside at all meetings of the membership (until a General Meeting presidium is elected) and the Executive Committee, establishing the agenda of such meetings (subject to Article XIII.7), and shall have responsibility for all activities approved by the organization. The Chair, with the Secretary, validates any documents or extracts of official DAGR records. With the Treasurer, the Chair validates DAGR accounting documents and orders for payment. The Chair cannot, in his or her official capacity, be involved in events and activities counter to the purposes of DAGR. The Chair shall sit ex-officio on all committees and subcommittees of the organization, including Chapters, with full voting privileges.
6. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall call and preside at meetings of the membership and the Executive Committee. The Vice-Chair shall have such other duties as the Chair shall define in consultation with the Executive Committee.
7. The Secretary shall maintain the records and official stamp of DAGR, including the roster of members (containing all such information as Greek authorities or the DPCA may from time to time require), minutes of all meetings, and all files and administrative records of the organization. The Secretary drafts minutes of Executive Committee meetings and other reports and correspondence, in conjunction with the Chair and other members of the Executive Committee. In the absence of the Secretary, the Executive Committee may appoint one of its members to perform these duties.
8. The Treasurer shall manage the finances of the organization, handle its receipts and approved payments draft annual financial reports and the budget (in consultation with ExCom) and make and maintain such financial reports as may be required by law (including without limitation the laws and regulations of the United States and the several States applicable to political parties and contributions to them). All such records shall be open for inspection by members. The Treasurer will promptly deposit in the DAGR bank account any funds that exceed a minimum amount decided upon by the Executive Committee. Payments and cash withdrawals require prior permission from the Executive Committee. The Treasurer is accountable to the General Meeting, the ExCom, and any duly appointed control committee, in the event of any financial irregularity. In the Treasurer’s absence, the Executive Committee may appoint one of its members as a substitute. The Treasurer shall consult with the International Treasurer of Democrats Abroad from time to time on matters concerning the maintenance of financial records and financial reporting (notably to the United States Federal Election Commission).
9. The Counsel shall be available for consultation by the Executive Committee or its officers on legal and procedural questions relating to Democrats Abroad Greece and its activities. The Counsel shall consult with the International Counsel from time to time on emergent matters, including notably questions on voting issues and financial record keeping.
10. Duties of other Executive Committee members: The members of the Executive Committee play a constructive role, assisting the Country Officers in their duties. They can be assigned specific responsibilities in various areas, including in representing the Executive Committee in Standing and Ad Hoc committees, working groups, events, etcetera.

Article XX. Voting Representatives to the DPCA

1. Description: The members of DAGR are represented in the DPCA by the Chair and Vice-Chair of DAGR and by DAGR’s Voting Representatives, if any. DAGR’s votes in the DPCA are cast by the Chair, Vice Chair, and any Voting Representatives, or by their valid proxies. The number of Voting Representatives shall be established by the Executive Committee of DAGR based on DAGR’s allocation of vote numbers by the DPCA and as allowed by the DPCA Charter.
2. Duties: Voting Representatives may be, but need not be, members of the DAGR Executive Committee. Voting Representatives will attend meetings of the DAGR Executive Committee at which issues relevant to DPCA are on the agenda. They will attend all DPCA meetings at which they are entitled to vote, either electronically (using methods approved by the DPCA) or in person; if they are unable to attend, they will arrange effective proxies as allowed by the rules of the DPCA.
3. Election: Voting Representatives shall be nominated and elected in the same manner and at the same time as the DAGR Executive Committee officers. Voting Representatives may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Executive Committee present at an Executive Committee meeting upon grounds found by the Executive Committee to constitute good and sufficient cause.
4. Term: Voting Representatives shall serve for terms of two years or until successors are elected or they resign or are removed from office. No limit is placed on the number of terms a Voting Representative may serve.
5. Gender: Gender balance rules of the Democratic Party apply to the Voting Representatives. The DPCA Voting Delegation, consisting of the Chair, Vice Chair, and Voting Representatives, shall have an equal number of male and female members, unless the combined total number of male and female members is an odd number, in which case the gender imbalance shall be no greater than one. Voting Representatives whose gender is non-binary (not categorizable as male or female) are not included in this total.

Article XXI. Non-Voting Representatives

1. Description and duties: DAGR shall elect a number of Non-Voting Representatives to the DPCA equal to the number of Voting Representatives plus one. Non-Voting Representatives shall be nominated, elected, and removed in the same manner and according to the same gender, term, and other rules as Voting Representatives. Non-Voting Representatives must be able to serve effectively when required in the place of absent members of the DAGR’s DPCA Voting Delegation. Therefore, they will attend Executive Committee and DPCA meetings in accordance with the requirements for Voting Representatives stated in Article XX.2.
2. Term: DPCA Non-Voting Representatives shall serve for terms of two years or until successors are elected or they resign or are removed from office or they become Voting Representatives in accordance with Section XX.8 above.
3. Where a vacancy arises for a Non-Voting Representative before the next-following Election Meeting of the AGM, the DAGR Chair may appoint a DAGR member to fill the remainder of the term as Non-Voting Representative, subject to approval by majority vote of Executive Committee members present at the next-following meeting of the Executive Committee. This appointment must comply with the gender balance requirements that apply to the election of Non-Voting Representatives.

Article XXII. Nominations and Elections

1. Elections to select members of the Executive Committee will be conducted by a specially constituted Nominations Committee before the end of January in each odd-numbered year, at the conclusion of the respective general and chapter meetings of the Organization. In the event of a serious problem, elections can be briefly postponed by decision of the Executive Committee.
2. At least two months prior to the annual general meeting, a three-member committee to nominate candidates (the ^“Nominations Committee”) for election to country and chapter offices shall be named by the Chair with the approval of the Executive Committee. At the meeting approving the appointment of the Nominations Committee, the Executive Committee shall decide, in view of local circumstances and to promote the greatest participation, whether the elections shall be conducted (i) by mail, fax or electronic ballot; (ii) by vote in person or by proxy; or (iii) by a combination of the above and shall adopt rules with respect to the election.  The Nominations Committee shall notify its nominations to the membership no less than 30 days prior to the annual general meeting and no less than 21 days prior to a Chapter elections meeting. 
3. In the case of a special election held to fill a vacancy pursuant to Article XVI, the Nominations Committee shall be appointed immediately upon the occurrence of the vacancy and shall notify its nominations to the membership no less than 15 days prior to the meeting at which the special election will be held.
4. Members of the Nominating committee may not be candidates for election to the Executive Committee.
5. All DAGR members, apart from members of the nominating committee, have the right to nominate themselves as candidates. If the elections are to be conducted by mail, fax or electronic ballot, any member of the organization wishing to run for an office who was not nominated by the Nominations Committee shall declare his/her candidacy at least 14 days before the respective elections meeting by a letter, fax or email addressed to the Chair of the Nominations Committee. The Secretary shall send ballots by mail, fax or electronically to the membership of the organization no earlier than 13 days before the respective elections meeting and no later than 7 days before such meeting. If the elections are conducted with the use of postal or digital ballots, no nominations may be made during the course of the General Meeting, except when there is no declared candidate for an office to be filled. 
6. In order to comply with the gender balance rule in Article XV.4, the election of the country Chair shall determine the gender required for the election of the Vice Chair;  in the event that the majority of votes for Vice Chair results in the election of a candidate of the same gender as the elected Chair, such election shall be invalidated due to ineligibility to serve and the Vice Chair position deemed vacant, thereby requiring a special election for the Vice Chair position in accordance with Articles XVI and XXII.3. 
7. In the event that the election of Voting Representatives or Non-Voting Representatives produces a result that violates the gender balance rule, the election of the VR or NVR receiving the smallest number of votes will be invalidated, and a special election called.
8. The chair of the General Meeting shall yield to the members of the Nominations Committee to conduct the elections. Democratic Party rules require that ballots must be signed by the voter and open to inspection by the membership.
9. The election results shall be entered in the Minutes of the General Meeting and signed by the Presidium.