Elections

Submitted by the Rules-Elections Committee in accordance with Article V of the CTU Constitution and By-Laws. Approved by the Executive Board on June 4, 2018.

Download these delegate election rules in Word format.

1. VACANCIES
   1. Vacancies Occur When:
      1. A Delegate or Associate Delegate’s term expires in accordance with the Constitution and By‑Laws
         (General election for Delegate and Associate Delegate shall be held every three (3) years.)
      2. 1. A Delegate or Associate Delegate:
            • is no longer a member of the CTU.
            • resigns from the position of Delegate or Associate Delegate.
            • is no longer a member of the unit from which he/she was elected.
         2. Upon petition of at least five (5) members at a school to the Rules-Elections Committee, a Delegate who is absent from three (3) consecutive meetings of the House, without explanation made to the Financial Secretary, shall be considered to have vacated his/her position.

         * The Union must be notified when a vacancy occurs in any of these circumstances.

      3. A Delegate or Associate Delegate is on a Board approved leave for more than one (1) month.  The Union shall be notified when this occurs.  A temporary delegate shall be elected to replace the Delegate on leave.  All rules for the election of delegates shall be followed.  The term of office of the temporary delegate shall expire when the regular delegate returns from the leave or when the term expires in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws.
      4. Regular Members Each school (Charter and District) or citywide representative unit shall have at least one (1) Delegate and additional Associate Delegates to the House of Delegates as follows:

Number of Regular Members at the School or Citywide Representative Unit.	House of Delegates Members from that School or or Citywide Representative Unit
1 to 59	1 Delegate
60 to 99	1 Delegate and 1 Associate Delegate
100 to 139	1 Delegate and 2 Associate Delegates
And one additional Associate Delegate for every forty members thereafter

*The Union must be notified when additional representation is required due to an increase in the Unit membership.

2. NOMINATIONS
   1. Notice of Nominations and Election
      1. When a vacancy occurs, the Delegate or Union designee shall post in two or more prominent places,  and distribute in each eligible voter’s school mailbox or send via email, a notice of an existing vacancy, the nominations meeting and election, if necessary, at least 15 calendar days prior to the date of the nominations meeting.  The notice shall include the following information:

Nominations:

2. 1. 1. 1. Time and date of nominations’ meeting
         2. Place of meeting
         3. Indication that nominations will take place at the meeting
         4. Signature of Delegate or Union designee

Election:

2. 2. 2. 1. Date of election (Election date shall be no less than five (5) days and no later than 10 days after the nominations meeting)
         2. Place of voting
         3. Hours polls will be open
         4. Signature of Delegate or Union Designee
      3. The nominations meeting and election shall be called for a time that offers maximum participation by Union members of the unit.
   3. Eligibility for Nomination
      1. Candidates must be members in good standing.
      2. Candidates must be members of the unit they will represent (e.g., only teachers may represent teachers; only school clerks may represent school clerks, etc.).
      3. Union members employed in the school unit (except city‑wide groups, Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel members and teacher members who are not assigned to a school unit) are eligible to be nominated for the position of school Delegate or Associate Delegate.
   4. Nomination Procedures

At the Union meeting, nominations of Union members to fill vacancies shall be made in accordance with the following:

2. 4. 1. Nominations shall be opened
      2. Nominations shall be seconded
      3. Nominations shall be closed, when no further nominations are offered

Nomination of Delegate and Associate Delegate shall be made on separate days.

2. 4. Notification to Financial Secretary

The Financial Secretary must be notified by the Delegate or Union designee, in writing, of candidates nominated for Delegate and Associate Delegate positions.  This information must be submitted to the Financial Secretary via email to NormaAlbor⊛ctulocal1.org within two (2) school days after the nominations meeting.

The Delegate or Union designee shall:

2. 5. 1. Return the completed CTU Delegate Nomination Election Verification Form For Teacher School Delegate and all delegate election materials to the Union office, if there is ONLY ONE (1) NOMINEE.
      2. Conduct an election with official materials if there is more than one (1) candidate.
   6. Write-in Candidates

Write-in candidates shall be disallowed.

3. ELECTION OF DELEGATES AND ASSOCIATE DELEGATES

Election of Delegate and Associate Delegate shall be made on separate days.

3. 1. Election Materials

An election shall be held, if necessary, on the date set forth in the notice of nomination, which shall be no less than five (5) days and no later than 10 days after nominations have been made USING MATERIALS SUPPLIED BY THE UNION OFFICE.

3. 2. Election Procedures
      1. The Delegate or Union designee shall post in two (2) or more prominent places and distribute in each eligible voter’s school mailbox or send via email, a reminder notice of the Delegate’s election at least three (3) calendar days prior to the vote.  This notice shall include the following information:
         1. Purpose of election
         2. Date of election
         3. Hours polls will be open
         4. Place of voting
         5. Signature of Delegate or Union’s designee
         6. Names of candidates
      2. The newly elected Delegate shall conduct the election of Associate Delegate(s) in the same manner as the Delegate election.

3. 3. Eligibility to Vote

Only Union members employed in the school unit (except city‑wide groups, PSRP members and teacher members who are not assigned to a school unit) may vote in the election of the school Delegate and Associate Delegate.

3. 4. Hours of Election

The hours polls will be open shall offer sufficient opportunity for members to vote.  If polls must be closed and reopened during the day, all voting materials must be secured and placed under the jurisdiction of the Judges.

3. 5. Election Officials
      1. The Delegate or Union designee shall be the judge in charge of the election.  He/she shall secure at least one (1) additional judge to be present at all times during the voting and the counting of ballots cast.  Judges shall not be nominees for this position.  In the event the Delegate is a nominee, he/she shall appoint an alternate who is not a candidate to be in charge of the election.
      2. Each candidate shall be entitled to have an observer present during the voting and counting of ballots.
   6. Voters’ Signature List

Each eligible Union member must sign the Voters’ Signature List before receiving his/her ballot.

3. 7. Ballot Box Envelope

Each ballot cast shall be placed, by the voting member, in the ballot box envelope.

3. 8. Report of Election
      1. After the polls are officially closed, the Judges shall count the ballots and enter, on the Election Report Sheet, an accurate report of the election.
      2. The Judges shall sign the Election Report Sheet.
      3. The Delegate or his/her designee, shall deliver to the Union office, immediately after the election:
         (NECESSARY IN THE EVENT OF A PROTEST)
         • all election materials including the Voters’ Signature List,
         • the Election Report Sheet, the Ballots cast, and
         • the notices of nomination meeting and elections.
   9. Election Results

The Delegate shall post the results of the election in two (2) or more prominent places, within two (2) school days after the election.

4. UNOPPOSED CANDIDATES

5. CITY-WIDE GROUPS

PSRP, teacher and retiree members who are not assigned to a school unit, shall elect delegates to the House of Delegates in accordance with the following:

5. 1. Procedures

Under the direction and supervision of the Rules‑Elections Committee the procedures for nomination and election for Delegates of PSRP, retirees and teacher members who are not assigned to a school unit are:

5. 2. 1. Notice of the dates, time and location for nominations and elections shall be posted on the CTU website, in the Chicago Union Teacher and received via email at least 15 calendar days prior to the nominations meeting. PSRP and teacher members who are not assigned to a school unit who cannot attend the nomination meeting may have someone else in their functional group make a nomination for them.  Nomination forms will be available at the meeting and at www.ctunet.com.
      2. Nominations for retiree Delegates are taken at the December retiree luncheon.  A notice of the nominations meeting is mailed to members and placed in the Chicago Union Teacher to provide at least 15 calendar days notice.Home addresses on record in CTU files are used.  Members who cannot attend the luncheon may have someone else in the retiree group make a nomination for them.  Nomination forms will be available at the luncheon and at www.ctunet.com.
      3. If the number of eligible candidates nominated does not exceed the number of Delegate positions to be filled, the nominated candidates are declared elected.
      4. If more eligible candidates are nominated than the number of Delegate positions to be filled, a ballot is prepared and mailed to each member.  Home addresses on record in CTU files are used.  Voted ballots are returned in sealed envelopes to the Rules-Elections Committee.
      5. The returned voted ballots are tallied by the Rules‑Elections Committee and the elected Delegates are certified.
      6. Names of the elected delegates are published in the Chicago Union Teacher and posted on the CTU website.

6. CHALLENGE OF NOMINATIONS OR ELECTION
   1. 1. Any protest to the conduct of nominations, or to the eligibility of any nominated candidate, must be filed in writing within 72 hours of the close of nominations.
      2. Any protest to the conduct of the election must be filed in writing within five (5) calendar days after the announcement of the election results.
      3. All protests must be received by the Rules-Elections Committee by the above deadlines, and may be filed either by mail to 1901 West Carroll Avenue, Chicago IL, 60612-2401, ATTN: Norma E. Albor or by email to NormaAlbor⊛ctulocal1.com. The protester shall provide all evidence and argument in support of the protest when filing the protest. The Rules-Elections Committee will consider the protest and may, at its option, direct that a hearing be conducted in the matter.
      4. The Rules-Election Committee’s decision on the protest shall be final, and it shall inform the protester and the challenged party in writing of its decision.