Join us for our ELECTIONS & VOTING educational conference and annual meeting in Middleborough, MA. The George Demeter Unit is sponsoring the conference. As parliamentarians, we will focus on a variety of election and voting issues, including:
- Proxy & Absentee Voting
- Counting Ballots and Alternative Methods of Voting
- Preventing Nonprofit Voter Fraud and Electronic Voting Safeguards
- Understanding Caucus Voting and History of the Current Voting Process in Presidential Elections
- …and more!
About the Event
Date: Saturday, May 14, 2016
Time: 8:30am – 3:30pm
CEU: 4.5 hours
Cost: $75 members / $90 non-members [Regular Rate] – 50% discount for full-time students
Venue: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Middleboro Raynham – 43 Harding Street, Middleborough, MA
Accomodations: $149/night for Friday/Saturday (based on availability)
The hotel is just thirty minutes away from historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. Come early and check out Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower, Pilgrim Hall, and much more.
Our Faculty
Michael E. Malamut, Esq., PRP, CPP-T (Massachusetts)
Michael was NEAP parliamentarian (2013-15) and currently serves as Bylaws Committee Chairman. He is a Massachusetts-based attorney with extensive experience with non-profit governance, affordable housing and community development. He has been active in the nonprofit sector for many years working with the American Bar Association and the New England Legal Foundation. He received his undergraduate degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.
Kathleen Montejo, RP (Maine)
Kathy serves as NEAP’s Membership Committee Chairman. Kathy has served as the City Clerk for Lewiston, Maine since January 1999. She has obtained her state and national certifications as a municipal clerk and is also a Registered Parliamentarian. Kathy currently serves as the state Legislative Policy coordinator for the Maine Town & City Clerks’ Association and is a past state president of that organization.
Carl Pease, RP (Maine)
Carl serves as NEAP’s parliamentarian since 2015. He has extensive experience with political party conventions and methods of voting & elections. His interest in parliamentary procedure began when he was a student at the University of Maine, Orono in the mid-1970’s. He has a Masters in Public Administration and has served as a small Town Manager. He has been the Parliamentarian of the Maine Democratic State Committee, the Maine Democratic State Convention and has been hired as a Moderator for Town Meetings and Regional School Unit Budget Meetings.
Evan A. Lemoine, MBA, CPA, CFE, CGMA, PRP (Connecticut)
Evan has been NEAP President since it was founded in 2013. He has extensive experience with managing elections of student organizations and professional associations, and creating controls to mitigate potential fraud. He is a Connecticut-based certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, and professional parliamentarian serving individuals and non-profit organizations across the country.
Schedule of Events
Tentative – Subject to Change
Friday, May 13
3:00pm – 9:00pm Offsite Board of Directors Event
Saturday, May 14
7:30am – 8:30am Registration
8:30am – 9:00am Welcome & Opening Ceremony
9:00am – 9:55am Electronic Methods and Absentee Voting: Preventing Fraud and Abuse by Evan A. Lemoine, MBA, CPA, CFE, CGMA, PRP
This workshop will discuss the rules of absentee voting including the ever-popular electronic methods. Participants will learn how to mitigate problems by using absentee methods of voting and preventing fraudulent voting.
10:00am – 10:55am Proxy Voting: What you don’t know could surprise you by Michael Malamut, Esq., PRP, CPP-T
This workshop will discuss when proxies can be used in deliberative bodies, and what provisions need to be made for proxies in organizations that use them. Participants will learn when a proxy may be used even if proxies are not mentioned in the bylaws We will review the key elements of a model proxy form.
11:00am – 12:15pm NEAP Annual Business Meeting
12:15pm – 1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm – 1:55pm Counting Ballots and Counting Delegates by Carl Pease, RP
This workshop will discuss the use of ballot voting in organizations and how to count and record votes in accordance with Robert’s. Additionally, participants will receive an overview of the history of the national political parties nominating conventions, and how conventions operate with an emphasis on voting for the nominees of their party.
2:00pm – 2:55pm Case Study from Maine: Primary Election or Town Caucus – What is the best way to select a Presidential nominee? by Kathleen Montejo, RP
This workshop will explore the situation that the Maine Legislature is currently addressing – should Maine voters make their choice for a presidential nominee through an election process or the caucus process? This workshop will review the pros and cons of each method of selecting a nominee.
3:00pm – 3:30pm Panel Discussion and Closing Remarks
Registration
Registration form is handled through EventBrite and can be purchased below. Those who are full-time students (under age 24) should enter the promotional code “NAPstudent” to receive a 50% discount on fees, though proof of status will be requested.
Annual Meeting Considerations
Bylaw Amendments
There are four bylaw amendments for consideration at the annual meeting.
Proposal #1—Eliminate Term Limits
Amend Article V—Officers by striking:
| Current Language:
Section 2. Term of Office. Officers shall assume their duties at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. Officers shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors are elected. No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. |
Proposed Changes:
Section 2. Term of Office. Officers shall assume their duties at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. Officers shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors are elected. No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. |
If adopted, would read:
Section 2. Term of Office. Officers shall assume their duties at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. Officers shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors are elected. |
Proposed By: Bylaws Committee
Rationale: It has been hard to recruit volunteers for leadership positions in NEAP because so many members have other commitments. The Bylaws Committee is concerned that with strict term limits, important positions may go vacant, or attract candidates without sufficient experience. The Bylaws Committee recommends striking out the strict term limit provision, and instead urging that length of service and a spirit of rotation be taken into account in the nominating process.
Recommend: Be Adopted
Proposal #2—Financial Policy Clarification
Amend Article IV—Dues and Finances by striking:
| Current Language:
Section 3. Budget. A proposed budget shall be submitted by the treasurer annually to the NEAP board of directors prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. The treasurer shall be authorized to disburse funds of the association in accordance with the adopted budget. |
Proposed Changes:
Section 3. Budget. A proposed budget shall be submitted by the treasurer annually to the NEAP board of directors prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. The treasurer shall be authorized to disburse funds of the association in accordance with the adopted budget. Approval of the budget shall be deemed authorization to spend within its limits, providing funds remain available. |
If adopted, would read:
Section 3. Budget. A proposed budget shall be submitted by the treasurer annually to the NEAP board of directors prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. Approval of the budget shall be deemed authorization to spend within its limits, providing funds remain available. |
Proposed By: Bylaws Committee
Rationale: The Bylaws Committee suggests making this change to Article VII, § 2, for consistency with the change proposed in 2.a. to conform the Bylaws with current check signing policy in OPP 1.3, Authorized Signers. This change to the Bylaws would address any concerns about the effectiveness of OPP 1.3, but would allow the Board the opportunity to make changes to the check signing policy readily in the future if needed.
Recommend: Be Adopted
Proposal #3—Financial Policy Clarification
Amend Article VII—Board of Directors by inserting new subsection D and retitle remaining subsections:
| Current Language:
None |
Proposed Changes:
D. Adopt policies and procedures for the regular operation of the affairs of the association, including, but not limited to, a check signature authorization policy granting an officer or officers authority to sign checks for authorized expenditures of the association. |
If adopted, would read:
D. Adopt policies and procedures for the regular operation of the affairs of the association, including, but not limited to, a check signature authorization policy granting an officer or officers authority to sign checks for authorized expenditures of the association. |
Proposed By: Bylaws Committee
Rationale: The Bylaws Committee suggests making this change to Article VII, § 2, for consistency with the change proposed in 2.a. to conform the Bylaws with current check signing policy in OPP 1.3, Authorized Signers. This change to the Bylaws would address any concerns about the effectiveness of OPP 1.3, but would allow the Board the opportunity to make changes to the check signing policy readily in the future if needed.
Recommend: Be Adopted
Proposal #4—Nominating Committee Tie Procedures
Amend Article V—Officers by adding:
| Current Language:
Section 6. Nominations. A nominating committee of three members shall: |
Proposed Changes:
Section 6. Nominations. A nominating committee of three members shall: |
If adopted, would read:
Section 6. Nominations. A nominating committee of three members shall: |
Proposed By: Bylaws Committee
Rationale: The Bylaws Committee suggests this procedure as the optimal means of choosing a Chair for the Nominating Committee when more than one candidate for the Committee receives the highest number of votes, in response to a situation that happened last year. While this may lengthen the meeting, it is the most democratic way of addressing the issue.
Recommend: Be Adopted
