1.5.1
Regular Elections
A. Date of Election
Regular elections will be held in the January preceding the
expiration of the elected members' term of office.
B. Notice of Election
A notice of intent to hold elections to seat members of the
State employees, teacher, municipal employee and retiree groups shall be sent
by regular mail to each member of the system by September
15th of the year preceding the election. Additional
notices will be made available for posting in various State and municipal
agencies, schools, and related public offices. Each such mailing shall be made
to the last known address of the member, as provided by the member's employer
or the member's data file at the retirement system.
C. Eligibility to Vote and Candidacy
1. Each member, who is an active contributing
member of the retirement system on the date of the notice of election, or who
has attained maximum service credit and no longer contributes, or who is on a
leave of absence status without pay for up to one (1) year, shall be eligible
to vote for a candidate of his respective group or be a candidate. An official
of a State employee union, municipal employee union, or teacher employee union
may also be a candidate for election.
2. Each retired member who is receiving a
retirement benefit as of the date of notice of the election shall be eligible
to vote for or be a candidate for the retirees' representative to the
board.
D. Nomination
Papers
1. Each member who wishes to be a
candidate for the board from their respective group must file their intent for
such office and obtain nomination papers in person from the retirement
system.
2. Each candidate must
secure at least one hundred (100) valid signatures on such nomination papers
and return them to the retirement office as of the date identified within the
notice of election. Such date must be between October
15th and October 30th of
the year preceding the election.
3.
The Committee on Elections shall validate such signatures and certify to the
Retirement Board that the candidate has qualified for a place on the
ballot.
4. Signatures of members
appearing more than once on a set of nomination papers are invalid as are
signatures of non-members such as a candidate's spouse, family member or
beneficiary.
5. In the event that
only one (1) retired or municipal candidate qualifies under this section, they
shall be deemed elected and no election shall be necessary for that group. If
only two (2) active State employees or teachers qualify under this section,
they shall be deemed elected and no election shall be necessary.
6. Any candidate who does not qualify because
of invalidated signatures will be accorded a hearing by the Elections Committee
prior to the printing of ballots.
E. Ballots
1. Upon certification of the qualifying
candidates in each respective group, the Committee on Elections or its agent
shall have ballots and return envelopes printed in a coded scheme, to
differentiate between the respective voting groups.
2. Each ballot shall contain a printer's
trademark to prevent the reproduction of non-official ballots, and shall
contain a list of the candidates, identification of their department, division,
city, town, or school and instructions as to the method of correctly marking
the ballot.
3. The order of
candidates' names on the printed ballots within each respective group shall be
determined by a lottery held at the November board meeting prior to the January
election.
F. Distribution
and Contents of Ballots
1. Ballots will be
mailed to each eligible member to the address on record as of the date of the
election notice. Each mailing envelope will contain a ballot, instructions, and
a return envelope.
2. Duplicate
ballots will be distributed only upon receipt of a written notarized affidavit
certifying that the member did not receive a ballot or wishes to exchange a
mutilated or erroneously marked ballot.
G. Tabulation of Ballots
On the day following the end of the election, the Committee
on Elections or their designated agent shall tabulate the results. Any
interested person may attend the tabulation of the ballots. The Committee on
Elections shall cause the ballots to be safeguarded in an appropriate place
should the tabulation be suspended for any reason.
H. Voided Ballots
1. The following ballots shall be deemed
void:
a. Ballots received after deadline
date;
b. Ballots delivered in
person to the retirement system;
c.
Ballots not in an official return envelope;
d. Multiple ballots in single
envelope;
e. Ballots torn or
mutilated in the ballot area;
f.
Ballots containing more than one (1) selection when only one (1) is
appropriate; or more than two (2) selections when only two (2) selections are
appropriate:
g. Ballots crossed out
or erased;
h. Copies or facsimiles
of ballots;
i. Ballots with
write-in candidates.
2.
The Committee on Elections or their agent shall hold voided ballots to be
evaluated by the board in the event that they may change the outcome of the
election.
I.
Explanations, Challenges, and Recounts
Any candidate may request an explanation of voided ballots,
challenge ballots, or seek a recount of ballots by making such request to the
Chairperson of the Retirement Board in writing by certified mail within
seventy-two (72) hours of legal notification of the results of tabulation of
ballots, excluding Saturday, Sundays, and holidays.
J. Results of Election and Certification
Upon completion of the tabulation of ballots cast, the
Committee on Elections or its agent shall certify to the Board the results and
the names of the candidates elected. The Board shall then certify and publish
the results.
K. Tie Votes
In the event of a tie vote in any election, the Committee
on Elections or its agent shall order an immediate recount of ballots and a
review of all voided ballots in that election. If a tie vote still results, the
Committee on Elections or its agent shall hold a run-off election between the
tied candidates.
L.
Destruction of Ballots
The Retirement Board shall keep the ballots cast in each
election in sealed cartons for three (3) months following the certification of
election, and then destroy them.
1.5.2
Special Elections
A. Date of Election
A special election will be held within seventy (70) days of
a Board vacancy.
B. Notice
of Election
A notice of intent to hold an election to seat a vacancy on
the Board shall be sent by regular mail to each eligible member. Additional
notices will be made available for posting in various State and municipal
agencies, schools, and related public offices within ten (10) days of such
vacancy. Each such mailing shall be made to the last known address of the
member, as provided by the member's employer or the member's file at the
retirement system.
C.
Eligibility to Vote and Candidacy
1. Each
member, who is an active contributing member of the retirement system on the
date of the notice of election, or who has attained maximum service credit and
no longer contributes, or who is on a leave of absence status without pay for
up to one (1) year, shall be eligible to vote for a candidate of their
respective group or be a candidate for election. An official of a State
employee union, municipal employee union, or teacher employee union may also be
a candidate for election.
2. Each
retired member who is receiving a retirement benefit as of the date of notice
of the election shall be eligible to vote for or be a candidate for the
retirees' representative to the Board.
D. Nomination Papers
1. Each member who wishes to be a candidate
for the Board from their respective group must file their intent for such
office and obtain nomination papers in person from the retirement
system.
2. Each candidate must
secure at least one hundred (100) valid signatures on such nomination papers
and return them to the retirement office as of the date identified within the
notice of election.
3. The
Committee on Elections shall validate such signatures and certify to the
Retirement Board that the candidate has qualified for a place on the
ballot.
4. Signatures of members
appearing more than once on a set of nomination papers are invalid as are
signatures of non-members such as a candidate's spouse, family member or
beneficiary.
5. In the event that
only one (1) retired or municipal candidate qualifies under this section, they
shall be deemed elected and no election shall be necessary.
6. Any candidate who does not qualify because
of invalidated signatures will be accorded a hearing by the Elections Committee
prior to the printing of ballots.
E. Ballots
1. Upon certification of the qualifying
candidates in each respective group, the -Committee on Elections or its agent
shall have ballots and return envelopes printed in a coded scheme, to
differentiate between the respective voting groups.
2. Each ballot shall contain a printer's
trademark to forestall reproduction of unofficial ballots, and shall contain a
list of the candidates, identification of their department, division, city,
town, or school and instructions as to the method of correctly marking the
ballot.
3. The order of candidates'
names on the printed ballots within each respective group shall be determined
by a lottery held at the next available Board meeting.
F. Distribution and Contents of Ballots
1. Ballots will be mailed to each eligible
member to the address on record as of the date of the election notice. Each
mailing envelope will contain a ballot, instructions, and a return
envelope.
2. Duplicate ballots will
be distributed only upon receipt of a written notarized affidavit certifying
that the member did not receive a ballot or wishes to exchange a mutilated or
erroneously marked ballot.
G. Tabulation of Ballots
On the day following the end of the election, the Committee
on Elections or their designated agent shall tabulate the results. Any
interested person may attend the tabulation of the ballots. The Committee on
Elections shall cause the ballots to be safeguarded should the tabulation be
suspended for any reason.
H.
Voided Ballots
1. The following ballots shall
be deemed void:
a. Ballots received after
deadline date;
b. Ballots delivered
in person to the retirement system;
c. Ballots not in an official return
envelope;
d. Multiple ballots in a
single envelope;
e. Ballots torn or
mutilated in the ballot area;
f.
Ballots containing more than one (1) selection when only one (1) is
appropriate; or more than two (2) selections when only two (2) elections are
appropriate.
g. Ballots crossed out
or erased;
h. Copies or facsimiles
of ballots;
i. Ballots with
write-in candidates.
2.
The Committee on Elections or their agent shall hold voided ballots to be
evaluated by the board in the event that they may change the outcome of the
election.
I.
Explanations, Challenges, and Recounts
Any candidate may request an explanation of voided ballots,
challenge ballots, or seek a recount of ballots by making such request to the
Chairperson of the Retirement Board in writing by certified mail within
seventy-two (72) hours of legal notification of the results of tabulation of
ballots, excluding Saturday, Sundays, and holidays.
J. Results of Election and Certification
Upon completion of the tabulation of ballots cast, the
Committee on Elections or its agent shall certify to the board the results and
the name of the candidates elected. The Board shall then certify and publish
the results.
K. Tie Votes
In the event of a tie vote in any election, the Committee
on Elections or its agent shall order an immediate recount of ballots and a
review of all voided ballots in that election. If a tie vote still results, the
Committee on Elections or its agent shall hold a run-off election between the
tied candidates.
L.
Destruction of Ballots
The Retirement Board shall keep the ballots cast in each
election in sealed cartons for three (3) months following the certification of
election, and then destroy them.
