It is time to elect the 2023-2025 Leadership Board of Democrats Abroad China!
We, the 2023 DACN Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC), are pleased to be calling for nominations of candidates for Democrats Abroad China Leadership Board positions:
- Executive Committee: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Director, IT Director
- Officers: GOTV Coordinator, Events Coordinator (Member-At-Large), Onboarding Coordinator (Member-At-Large), General Member-At-Large, General Member-At-Large
Term: Two (2) years
Notes: DACN has four (4) DPCA Voting Representatives at this time. According to DACN Bylaws, the four (4) DPCA Voting Representatives are the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. If one of these positions is vacant, or gender parity cannot be reached, the DPCA Voting Representative will follow the order of elected positions, firstly to the Executive Committee, then to the Leadership Board Officers.
Bylaws: Democrats Abroad China Bylaws and Rules outline the roles for each Leadership Board position, as well as guide the DACN election process. Members are invited to view DACN Bylaws, Meeting Minutes and more on the DACN Wiki.
Election Schedule
May 12 – Call for nominations, endorsements and candidate statements begins.
June 1 – Call for nominations, endorsements and candidate statements ends.
All eligible candidates and candidate statements will be posted to the DACN website. On a rolling basis, the NEC will verify all candidates are DACN members eligible to run for office. Final edits to candidate announcement page on DACN’s website. The candidate announcement page will be made as soon as nominations come in, and this page will be edited and updated by an NEC Officer/Site Administrator until and no later than June 3.
June 8 – all DACN members will be sent their unique Democrats Abroad voting ID via email along with other relevant AGM and election announcements. Alternately, you can log in to Democratsabroad.org and find your DA member name and ID number there. To access your ballot on Election Day and vote, you will be required to enter your name as listed with DA and your DA member ID number.
June 18 at 5 PM China Time – Election during Democrats Abroad China’s AGM. Ballots will be distributed, collected and counted by the NEC. Results will be announced during the meeting. Results will be sent to the Regional Vice Chair and International Secretary. Results and certified Meeting Minutes will be sent to the membership via email, as well as be published to the DACN website and Wiki.
June 28 – Democrats Abroad China’s AGM Part II (as-needed date to complete any unfinished DACN AGM business).
Rules
Announcements:
Announcements will be published using Democrats Abroad China’s official platforms, which include DACN’s website and Wiki pages. There may also be membership e-mails. Social media platforms used may include the DACN Announcements group on WeChat, as well as the official DACN Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
Note that any/all candidate information will only be posted on the Website and within a special WeChat group, with express permission of the candidate.
Official Democrats Abroad and DACN platforms may not be used for campaigning.
How To Vote!
E-mail and Google Forms will be official platforms used to receive nominations.
To ensure your ballot is counted on Election Day, you will be required to enter your name as listed with Democrats Abroad and your Democrats Abroad member ID number. Every member will receive an email ten (10) days in advance of the election. Alternately, you can log in to Democratsabroad.org and find your DA member name and ID number there.
E-mail and Google Forms will be official platforms used to vote. Ballots will be distributed during the election.
As needed, NEC Officers will be available to troubleshoot live during the AGM using the Zoom chat box and WeChat.
Eligibility Requirements:
The eligibility requirements for DACN Leadership Board Members are as follows:
- Be a citizen of the United States.
- Be a member of Democrats Abroad residing within mainland China.
- Adhere to the principles of the Democratic Party of the United States.
Campaigning:
Once events are finalized, the NEC will post a list of all candidates on the DACN website “News” page. Any NEC approved events will be listed here as well.
FAQs
1) I see my name on the candidate list, how can I confirm or withdraw my nomination? We will email everyone that was nominated and you can respond to that email saying “yes, I accept” or “no, I decline”.
2) Is there anything else candidates need to do prior to the election? Candidates can email a statement of 500 words or less, but it is not required. Endorsements of under 300 words can be submitted by verified DACN members, but this is not required.
3) How will the election speeches be handled at the AGM - how much time do candidates have and who will get to speak first? We will call on candidates in alphabetical order. Each candidate will receive 2 mins.
4) Will there be a special Zoom session prior to the election for candidates to give their speeches? No.
5) Is there early voting? No. There will be no early voting, as we may be taking nominations from the floor. Anyone who wishes to vote MUST be present at the meeting.
6) How will voting on the election day be handled? All DACN members will be emailed their Democrats Abroad ID 10 days before the election with a short explanation on how it will be used to vote on the day of the election.
7) Will there be any live events in any of our constituent cities? No.
8) Will members nominated from the floor be given a prescribed and limited amount of time to make a statement? Yes, each nominee will receive 2 minutes.
9) Will there be an opportunity at the meeting for members to ask questions of any and all candidates or will that all happen at prior scheduled forums only with candidates who filed? We will allow 2 minutes for speeches and 2 minutes for questions on the actual day of the election. Questions for candidates nominated in advance of the AGM can be sent to the NEC via [email protected].
10) How long do people have to accept/decline the nomination? Nominations can be accepted/declined until the election.
11) Where are these candidate statements supposed to be uploaded to? We will upload them to the Democrats Abroad China website: www.democratsabroad.org/CN_News.
12) Am I allowed to campaign in official Democrats Abroad China WeChat groups? No, candidates cannot campaign inside official DACN WeChat groups.
NEC Officer Information
Elections announcements regarding Bylaws, Memeber-At-Large positions, and members of Democrats Abroad China’s Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) were announced by DA China Chair on the DACN website and DACN Wiki. The NEC oversees the election of the 2023 DA China Leadership Board. DACN’s 2023 NEC Officers are Patrick Cranley, Brian Kloosterman, and Albert Walker. They will be assisted by the AP Regional Vice Chair and the International Helpdesk. The NEC can be reached via email: [email protected].
We look forward to your participation – please come and vote, and help decide the future of Democrats Abroad in China!
All the best,
Patrick Cranley
Brian Kloosterman
Albert Walker
The 2023 DACN Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC)
