Theos-Talk Archives (January 1996 Message tl00003)

APPENDIX

A: Biographical Data of Presidential Candidates

Each candidate shall submit to the Secretary biographical data
not exceeding two hundred words.

The following information shall be included : (a) date and place
of birth (b) education (c) past and present occupations (d) date
of joining The Theosophical Society (e) work done for The
Theosophical Society.

Other information may be included but must be factual and shall
not contain statements of opinion or policy.

The biographical data for circulation shall be drawn up by the
Election Committee on the basis of the information supplied by
the candidates, and shall be approved by the Executive Committee
(excluding any candidates for election) before being issued.

B: Voting Procedure for a Presidential Election

Note: Where the term 'General Secretary' is used, it refers also
to Regional Secretary, Organizing Secretary, and Presidential
Representative. Where the term 'Section' is used, it refers also
to National Society, Regional Association, and Presidential
Agency.

(a) The Section shall print the voting papers and biographical
data as soon as the names of the nominees are announced.

Where practicable, in the view or the General Secretary, all the
papers should be in the language(s) of the area.

It shall be the responsibility of the General Secretary, to
ensure that the voting papers together with the biographical
data in full are sent to each member.

Other material concerning the candidates shall not be
circulated.

(b) The voting papers shall consist of two parts: the voting
slip, and the letter form which the member signs and addresses
to the General Secretary.

Each member shall be given two envelopes, a small one in which
he will place only the voting slip and seal it, and a larger one
addressed to the General Secretary, in which he will enclose the
small sealed envelope and the letter form signed by him.

(c) As the papers are received, the General Secretary, with the
scrutineers appointed by the Executive Committee of the Section
(preferably not members of that committee), shall open the
larger envelopes addressed to him to ensure the validity of the
votes by checking the eligibility of the voter who has signed
the letter form.

He shall then put the small sealed envelopes containing the
voting slips into a sealed box.

This box shall be opened on the appointed day by the
scrutineers. Voting papers received after this date shall be
treated as invalid and shall be destroyed unopened.

The scrutineers shall open the small envelopes and count the
voles given to each candidate (or the number of 'For' or
'Against' votes if there is but one candidate).

(d) The General Secretary shall record the result of the count
on Form C which will he supplied from the Secretary's Office at
the same time as the list to be voted upon.

He shall place Form C in the small envelope labelled 'Voting
Result. . . . .  Section', seal the envelope and enclose it in
the larger envelope addressed to the Secretary.

This must be sent by airmail or other expeditious means to reach
the Secretary within fifteen weeks from the date of issue of the
voting list by him.

(e) The small envelope containing the voting results of the
Section shall be kept unopened in a sealed box by the Secretary
until the close of voting.

It shall then be opened by the Election Committee.

The larger envelope shall be kept separately and shall not be
destroyed until after the voting results are announced, and
under the authority of the Executive Committee.

(f) If the voting returns have not been received by the
Secretary within twelve weeks of the date of issue of the voting
list by him, he shall cable the General Secretary concerned,
informing him of this fact.

The General Secretary shall immediately send to the Secretary by
airmail or other expeditious means a second (duplicate) voting
return in a sealed envelope marked 'Duplicate'.

Cabled results will not be accepted.

Voting results received after the closing date will be destroyed
unopened by the Secretary in the presence of three members of
the Executive Committee, nominated by the said Committee, and
the particulars of the Section from which the voting results
were received and the date on which they were received, shall be
recorded in writing, and the Secretary and the three members of
the Executive Committee shall affix their signatures thereto.