Cooperative Election Handbook

7/22/2019 Cooperative Election Handbook

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CooperativeElection

Handbook

Survey & Ballot Systems7653 Anagram DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344-7311800-974-8099surveyandballotsystems.com


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1Cooperative Election HandbookSurvey & Ballot Systems

Poudre Valley Rural Electric

Association staff has nothing but highpraise and positive marks for SBSwork. Relationships are important toour organization and we feel that wehave that with the SBS staff.Brad GaskillChief Executive OfficerPoudre Valley Rural Electric Association

Dear Reader,

Since 1990, our primary goal has been to help cooperatives connectwith membership. Clearly, successful elections and voting eventsare keys to reaching this goal.

Between the relationships we have established and our knowledgeof the cooperative market, we have become aware of the industrys electionchallenges. More than ever, co-ops are under pressure to show that fair,non-biased voting is available to all members.

Due to our distinct position as a provider of election services to cooperatives,we feel it our duty to share what we have learned. The Cooperative ElectionHandbookcollects findings from our years of experience and shares benefitsof well-run voting, common election misconceptions, and how to implementbest practices.

We hope you find this content useful in planning your voting eventsand, as always, encourage you to reach out to us with your questionson the best ways to run your cooperative election.

Sincerely,

Survey & Ballot Systems7653 Anagram DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344-7311

800-974-8099surveyandballotsystems.com

Contents

Benefits of Well-RunElections ...........................................2

Common ElectionMisconceptions .................................6

Best Practicesfor Cooperative Elections................12


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3Part One: Benefits of a Well-Run Election

PartOne:BenefitsofaWell-RunElection

2 Survey & Ballot Systems

Part One: Benefits of a Well-Run ElectionElections play an important role in cooperatives, giving members the powerto select leaders and influence the direction of the organization. By definition,cooperatives are groups of people who are voluntarily united to work togethertoward a common goal using a democratic process. For the democraticprocess to happen, cooperatives must run fair, transparent elections that areopen to all members.

Well-run elections enable co-ops to comply with the cooperative principlesand provide numerous other benefits.

Member satisfaction:Open elections give members a say on whowill lead their cooperative. This type of outreach and dialogue canhelp increase member and customer satisfaction. Up-to-date votingmethods can reach members who dont usually vote, making theco-op approachable to new and/or younger members.

Increased participation:A well-run election encourages memberparticipation and response. A healthy election response rate indicatesan informed and engaged membership. When members are active,it shows that they care about the future of the co-op and are committedto its success.

Protection:Good governance practices, including well-run elections,defend cooperatives from costly litigation, false allegations, corruption,and fraud. Business as usual and Thats the way we have alwaysdone it are poor excuses for poor practices and wont hold up in court.Transparent voting systems and an auditable election process makeit clear to the community that your co-op is run scrupulously and forthe benefit of its members.

Resource conservation:A poorly run voting process can be a financialnightmare for your cooperative, resulting in wasted staff time, costlyrecounts, huge legal fees, and negative media coverage. Compared tothe cost of a streamlined, professionally run election, it is clear thatan ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The rewards of a well-run, open election are clear: improved membersatisfaction, greater participation, increased transparency, and cost savings.By making your election the best it can be, you give your cooperative the perfectopportunity to engage its members while practicing good corporate governance.


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5Part One: Benefits of a Well-Run Election4 Survey & Ballot Systems

Cooperative Elections: A Shifting Landscape

Over the past few years, cooperatives have experienced a shift in thelandscape in which they operate. Today, cooperatives face the challenges ofkeeping costs low for their member owners, implementing new technologiesfor greater efficiencies, and complying with increased regulation.

In addition, cooperatives are under increasing pressure to practice goodgovernance and demonstrate that fair, unbiased elections are availableto their members. Pat Mangan, Director of Governance Education at theNational Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), points out thatthe current economic climate has prompted co-ops to take a fresh look attime-honored practices, such as voting. Board members keep telling methat their electric cooperatives are under more scrutiny than at any period inhistory, says Mangan. Its prompting many to ask themselves, Are we as

open and democratic as we can be? (Garlock, Jody. Getting Out the Vote.RE Magazine Apr. 2012: 24-27. Print.)

In some cases, cooperatives have no choice but to change. During May 2010,Colorado enacted legislation (Colorado House Bill 10-1098) to encourageelectric cooperative governance transparency. This legislation forcedcooperatives to make it easier for members to receive timely informationand participate in important decisions. Colorado law also requires co-opsto let members vote by mail.

Cooperatives have a choice: put in place good governance practices thatdemonstrate transparency or put the organization in jeopardy by stickingwith the way we have always done it.

A Call for Open Elections

Cooperatives are at a crossroads: They must adapt to the changingenvironment by engaging members through open elections or face scrutinyand possible legal action. Headlines abound with examples of cooperativesthat have been charged with bad business practices, mismanagement,and even fraud.

The good news is that many cooperatives are well aware of the numerousbenefits of a transparent voting process and willingly comply with industryrecommendations regarding elections. Cooperatives around the country aretaking steps to encourage participation and give their members a biggersay in the decision-making process.

As Joe Miller, public relations director for the Dakota Electric Associationin Farmington, Minn., notes, Its all about ensuring transparency and

integrity. We want our members to view the election process as open,honest, and fair with results that are quickly verifiable and accountable(Garlock, 25).

Unfortunately, not all cooperativesmake their election process apriority. Some co-ops, eitherknowingly or unintentionally,ignore the standards for democraticelections. By failing to comply withthe established conventions forwell-run elections, these co-opsput themselves in jeopardy. Poorlyrun elections can result in legal battles over the outcome and negativemedia coverage following alleged fraud. The cost to fight these battlesand counteract the organizations poor image can be quite significant,especially when compared to the relatively small cost of an up-frontinvestment in a good election.

This begs the question, Why would a cooperative choose not to providemodern and open voting methods to its members? Most likely, it isbecause of a fear of change. Proposed changes are often met withreluctance and trepidation. Some co-op leaders mistakenly believethat changing long-held election practices will somehow be detrimentalto their organization.

Thats just one of several common perceived challenges to changingco-op election methods. Read on to learn more about preconceivednotions regarding election changes and the truths behind them.

Keeping costs low for theirmember owners, implementing

new technologies for greaterefficiencies, and complying withincreased regulation are just a

few of the increased challengescooperatives are facing.

The current economicclimate has promptedco-ops to take a freshlook at time-honoredpractices, such as voting.


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6Survey & Ballot Systems

7Part Two: Common Election Misconceptions

Part Two: Common Election Misconceptions

Misconception 1: It costs too much

Often, co-op boards investigate the possibility of establishing new electionmethods or hiring a third party to handle the election but then dismiss theidea because of budget concerns.

However, when co-ops compare prices, taking all costs into consideration,they may find that they can actually save money by either outsourcing theirelections or changing their voting methods. When cooperatives add upwhat an election actually costs including employee time, travel expenses,paper and postage, event space, voting supplies, meals, and more and compare that to the price of a vendor or a new solution, it often turnsout that the dreaded extra cost of making the change simply isnt there

and that new option is actually more economical than the current process.Outsourcing an election can be a particularly efficient option forcooperatives. A professional election vendor can help cooperativesbecome more efficient by:

Reducing the financial risk to the co-op by taking on the roleof third-party administrator and manager

Reducing postage and printing costs through the use of full postagesort services and expert, efficient mailing and printing services

Decreasing travel costs by replacing an on-site electionwith a mail-in or online voting method

Decreasing printing and postage costs by implementing an onlinevoting system in place of a paper ballot election

PartTwo:CommonElectionMisconceptions

Boards often opt to outsourcetheir organizations elections forthe same reasons they outsourceaccounting or auditing services.

Boards often opt to outsource their organizations elections for thesame reasons they outsource accounting or auditing services: competenceand accuracy, third-party autonomy and independence, and improvedinternal operations. An outsourced election assures an independent,objective perspective and provides additional consulting services thatadd value by improving the election process. Professional electionvendors can help cooperatives accomplish their objectives by providinga systematic, disciplined approach to the evaluation and improvementof their election efforts.

Establishing new voting methods or hiring outside help need not bean all-or-nothing proposition. Cooperatives can implement changes

to their election processes on an individual basis, selecting only thoseservices that meet their needs and budgets.

Taking all costs into consideration,a co-op might find they can actually

save money by changing theirelection method.


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Cooperatives often mistakenlybelieve that outsourcing their

election process or adding a new

voting method will compromisethe security of their elections.

9Part Two: Common Election Misconceptions

Misconception 3: It wont be secure

The security of the election and the privacy of member data must beparamount in any voting process. If something goes wrong, members maylose trust not only in the election process but in the cooperative itself.

Cooperatives often mistakenly believe that outsourcing their election processor adding a new voting method will compromise the security of their elections.In fact, the opposite is true; an established election vendor will usually havesecurity precautions in place to protect member and voting data that a co-opcant offer in-house. These security measures include:

An auditable election process that provides defensible results in theevent of a legal challenge

A secure chain of custody for all ballot materials that controls exactly

where voting information is at every point in the election process In-house programmers and support staff to assist with electronic

voting needs (if applicable)

An enterprise-level data center that protects election projects fromonline and offline threats and provides co-location for the data

Fail-safe, notarized election results guaranteed by advancedtechnologies, trained staff, stringent security, and rigorous testingprocedures

The core competency of your cooperative staff should be serving members,not administering elections. A professional vendor can offer a secure electionprocess that delivers guaranteed and auditable results.

Misconception 2: Our staff can handle it

Another reason that co-ops may be reluctant to change the way theirelections are run is that they already have internal staff in place to do thework. The truth is that election work can put a heavy burden on staff whenvoting time rolls around.

Often, elections become a major distraction for staff. They requireso much effort that everyone from the general manager to memberservice representatives have to pitch in to help with planning, mailings,and ballot counting.

In addition to utilizing thousands of dollars worth of staff time, elections cantake co-op staff members away from their primary role of serving memberowners. Take the time to evaluate how effectively your cooperative deals withits election. If running an election monopolizes your staff resources, your

cooperative might benefit from outsourcing. Staff productivity often riseswhen the bulk of election work is taken off the task list.

While your staff members may do a fine job of running your elections, its nottheir primary role and its not their area of expertise. As a result, they mayfind it overwhelming and they may not be terribly efficient or skilled at it. Inparticular, they may not know the best way to work with the voter database.A professional election vendor will thoroughly review the database, identifyingduplicate records, checking for proper formatting, ensuring that all fields arecomplete, and making sure it contains the most accurate list of eligible voters.

Vote tabulation is another part of the election process that can be extremelytime-consuming for co-op staff. Most cooperatives that run their electionsin-house rely on some sort of hand-counted tabulation system. Buthuman ballot-counting is surprisinglyinaccurate. The average error ratefor hand-counted election resultsis between 1 and 2 percent. While

that might seem low, in a closelycontested race, that margin of errorcan make all the difference (HandCounts of Votes May Cause Errors.Science Daily. Web. 13 Feb. 2013).

Take it from Ashley Valdez, Communications Manager at San Isabel ElectricAssociation, commenting on getting professional help with her co-opselection: From an annual meeting attendees standpoint, it probablydoesnt seem like much has changed. But from an internal standpoint,it has made a huge difference. Were able to keep doing our jobs insteadof becoming poll workers (Garlock, 24).

Election work can puta heavy burden on staffwhen voting time rolls

around. Often, electionsbecome a majordistraction for staff.


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Misconception 4: Its fine the way it is

One of the most common and dangerous misconceptions in thecooperative community regarding changes to election processes is,Weve been doing it this way for years; its just fine the way it is.

Whether this predisposition comes from fear or apathy, the reality is thatthe cooperatives with this attitude are those that havent had problems yet. Elections can be contentious and passionate events for those involved.All it takes is the concern of one candidate, the miscalculation of a few ballots,or community gossip to tarnish the reputation of a well-meaning co-op.

A proactive approach is best. Cooperatives are under increasing pressure toshow that their elections are fair and unbiased. When cooperative governanceprocesses arent transparent, rumor and conjecture can take over.

Brian Krambeer, President and CEOof Tri-County Electric, says his organizationshifted to a new election method whenmembers grew apprehensive that electionresults might not reflect their true voicedue to low levels of annual meetingattendance and voting participation less than 3 percent. The worry was thata special-interest candidate who didnttruly represent the co-op could potentially win a seat on the board, notesKrambeer. Today, member turnout in director elections has risen to about30 percent, nearly all from mail-in ballots (Garlock, 27).

NRECAs Mangan suggests that co-ops consider conducting a member surveyto determine whether they should push forward with updating their electionpractices. Red flags pointing to the need for such a survey include:

A downward trend in voter turnout

A nominating committee appointed by the board rather than members

Annual meetings held on days and at hours that are inconvenientfor most members

Voting that only occurs at the annual meeting

A requirement that members gather an unreasonably high numberof signatures on a petition to get their names on the ballot

Whether it means hiring a vendor so that co-op staff can stay hands-offor adjusting the election process to make it easier for members to casttheir ballots, open voting promotes transparency, forward thinking, and bestpractices for cooperatives.

Misconception 5: It will completely change our cooperative

Possibly the biggest misconception in the cooperative community regardingchanges to election processes is that those changes will dramaticallyalter the composition of the board and thus affect the way the organizationoperates. This concern may stem from fear of the unknown, a comfort levelwith the status quo, or a feeling of protectiveness among board membersregarding their positions. Fortunately, this concern is unfounded.

Data from a Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS) study of first-year cooperativeelection projects from 2002 to 2012 indicate that 89 percent of incumbentdirectors and board members were re-elected to their positions followinga significant change in their organizations election processes. Thesechanges included outsourcing the elections or switching to entirely newvoting methods.

Rather than overhauling their leadership teams or restructuring theirorganizations, the co-ops that revised their elections by establishing adefensible voting process empowered their members to confirm theircooperatives future course and ultimately strengthened their positionsas democratically run organizations. Best-practice cooperative electionsenhance organizations by building trust and increasing memberengagement, and there is no evidence that such methods lead to radicalchanges in board leadership.

When we talk about best-practice cooperative elections, what do we reallymean? In the next section, well explore practices that have been found toimprove election processes for cooperatives and explain why they are soimportant to maintaining the vibrancy and integrity of these organizations.

First Year OutsourcedElection Results

Challenger Elected:11%

Incumbent Re-elected:89%

Part Two: Common Election Misconceptions

Cooperatives areunder increasingpressure to showthat their electionsare fair and unbiased.

11%

89%


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13Part 3: Best Practices for Cooperative Elections12 Survey & Ballot Systems

Consider Members and Determine Voting Methods

Recent economic conditions have encouraged cooperatives to downsize thescale of their annual meetings, where voting has traditionally taken place.This trend has made mail and web voting excellent, cost-effective publicrelations efforts for many co-ops. Rather than hosting a party and mealfor the few who are able to attend, cooperatives are choosing to implementvoting options that reach more members.

At Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation in Lenoir, N.C., mail-inballots have dramatically boosted participation in director elections. Until lastyear, co-op members could only vote in person at the annual meeting, whichwas a travel hardship for some, especially since the co-ops territory extendsthrough seven counties. With the addition of a mail-in option, the numberof votes cast increased from about 1,000 to 9,500 the vast majority arriving

via the U.S. Postal Service (Garlock, 24).Members served by the Dakota Electric Association dont even have to pickup a pencil and paper to vote, let alone drive to a meeting. In 2003, the co-opbecame the first in the nation to approve electronic balloting. Members cannow simply turn on their computers or mobile devices and vote on a securesite linked to the co-ops web page (Garlock, 25).

Both of these cooperatives recognized the importance of putting theirmembers first. Through careful planning and anticipation of member needs,they established successful balloting methods that made voting convenientfor members, thus increasing engagement and transparency.

Keep your members in mind when planning any event at which voting willtake place. Encourage member attendance at these events by schedulingthem at times and locations that are convenient for all members, not justboard members. Holding meetings during hours when members areusually working will discourage attendance, as will hosting meetingsat inconvenient locations.

If you exclusively hold voting in person or at the annual meeting and arestruggling with election participation, its time to consider moving beyondan on-site election. Think about whats convenient for your members,not just what was done in the past.

Also consider the demographics of your membership when designing yourelection. Older members from rural communities may be partial to tried-and-true mail-in ballots or on-site voting methods, while younger members andthose living in cities and suburbs may prefer online voting options. Some mayfavor the expediency of voting by phone. Cooperatives are also conductinghybrid elections that include some combination of on-site, mail, online,and phone voting options. When choosing your options, make sure yourselections fit the attitudes, needs, and demographics of your cooperative.

Fair elections lead toincreased voter turnout,engaged members, andstronger organizations.

Part 3: Best Practices for Cooperative ElectionsThe benefits of open elections are clear: Fair elections lead to increased voterturnout, engaged members, and stronger organizations. The next few pagesoutline the key elements of transparent elections and the steps for applyingthem to your co-ops election process.

Election Goals and Budget

The first step in changing your election process is to set out your goals.Take a look at your election process and identify its weaknesses or areaswhere you think major improvements should be made. Do you need to:

Take the election out of the hands of the co-op staff?

Add convenient voting methods for members?

Increase participation?

Reduce election costs?

Increase security to ensure one vote per member?

Having a clear list of objectives will help you define the specific changesyou need to make to your election process.

It is also helpful to have an understanding of your election budget. Youravailable funding will determine the degree to which you will realistically beable to modify or enhance your election process. Defining the costs involvedwill also aid in your future budget planning and assist your accounting andfinance department when it comes time to pay for materials or services.

Part3:BestPracticesforCooperativeElections


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A key element of an opencooperative election is making

sure that all members areaware of the upcoming

election, when it will occur,and how to participate.

Election Communications and Promotion Planning

A key element of an open cooperative election is making sure that allmembers are aware of the upcoming election, when it will occur, and howto participate. This requires a comprehensive communication and promotionstrategy targeted to your members.

Your first step in any communication and promotion plan wil l be toeducate and inform. Facilitate nominations by providing clear and s implecommunications throughout the year via emails, newsletters, webannouncements, and other means. Announce upcoming board vacancies,explain the procedures for nominating leaders, and publicize the date ofthe next election. You should also provide information about board memberresponsibilities and compensation.

Consider the most effective ways of reaching members and tactics for

encouraging response. Whether you promote your elections throughthe mail, at events, by phone, or using electronic methods, set up a definitive,well-thought-out schedule for when these announcements will be made.For example:

Six to eight weeks before the election, compile the information thatmembers will need in order to vote, including nominee profiles, ballots,and concise voting instructions.

Next, arrange for your members to receive this voting information twoweeks before the election. This applies to information that is deliveredby regular mail, email, and other media channels.

Finally, remind your members to vote. Reminders increase thevoter response rate and can take the form of postcards, email blasts,or phone calls. As a general rule, the more reminders you send,the greater the turnout you will get.

Accuracy and Security

Handling your ballot information and election data is serious business.Youll need to take steps to ensure that members voting experienceand personal data are protected. If something goes wrong, membersmay lose trust in the election process.

When managing your election, it is vitally important to safeguard dataand materials at every stage of the process.

The first step in ensuring the integrityof your election system is to create anaccurate voter database. The success ofyour voting effort will largely be basedon the quality of your member data. Its agood idea to identify a specific staff person

to verify that each eligible voter is presentand listed only once in the database.This person should also update allmember contact information and collectany missing member data so that the information in the voter databaseis accurate and useful for the election. Successful elections depend onthe availability of valid member data, so voters can receive ballots, logininformation, instructions, reminders, and confirmations. Here is a shortchecklist for ensuring that your database is up to the task:

Delete duplicate records

Check that member information is properly formatted and complete

For filtered or regional balloting, make sure that all necessary fieldsare included

Neglecting your member database may result in hours of additionallabor assisting members whose information is out of date, dealing withfrustrated members who havent received voting information, and re-

entering member data.

If your election is paper-based, you will need to plan exactly where votinginformation and ballots will be during the entire process. You will alsoneed to know exactly who will be in contact with ballots and the rolesthese people will play in the election. Mapping the process and creatingan accountability procedure establishes a secure chain of custody forthe ballots.

(Continued on next page)

Part 3: Best Practices for Cooperative Elections

When managingyour election, it isvitally important tosafeguard data andmaterials at everystage of the process.


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16 Survey & Ballot Systems 17

If you are running a web-based election, dont take the security of your onlinevoting system for granted. You must take steps to ensure that each membersvoting experience and personal data will be protected; its vital to safeguardelection data at every stage of the process. Key elements of secure onlineelections include:

Exclusive usernames and passwords

An election website that utilizes secure sockets layer (SSL)

A modern web framework

Data backup

Quality control procedures

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you must have a data backup

plan. What if something happens to your election data? Employing theuse of an enterprise data center can help you monitor your web voting,provide co-location of voting records, and protect your data from beinglost for any reason.

By carefully handling member data, forming a chain of custody, establishingappropriate security measures, and backing up voting data, you will createan auditable, defensible election process. The gold standard for an auditableelection process is SSAE 16 audit and certification. Certification accordingto the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 ensuresthat your process meets an auditable standard established by the AmericanInstitute of Certified Public Accounts. This auditable trail helps increase voterconfidence and the validity of election results.

Preparing Your Staff

An election is only as good as the staff that runs it and the procedures theyfollow. Once you have identified your election goals, chosen your electionmethods, planned your communication strategy, and employed securitymeasures, you will need to assign election roles to your staff. Select a reliablestaff member to take charge of each of the following tasks:

Database management:Updating and ensuring correct membercontact information.

Coordinating voting materials:Creating all election materials,including nominee profiles, proposed policy/bylaw changes, votinginstructions, and the ballot.

Delivery of ballots:Ordering mailing materials, filling mailing packets,

arranging for postage, and mailing the packets on schedule. Forelectronic elections, email invitations will need to be coordinated withthe database manager.

Registration and credentials:If part of the election is held on-site, youwill need to assign staff to facilitate the vote and results tabulation.This includes check-in, distributing ballots, and providing votinginstructions.

Analyzing results:Tabulating the final ballots, compiling voting data,reporting the results, and analyzing trends.

Employing a well-prepared team where all members know their responsibilitieswill go a long way toward ensuring a smooth, successful election.


Employing the use of an enterprisedata center can help you monitor

your web voting, provide co-location

of voting records, and protect yourdata from being lost for any reason.


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Conclusion

Cooperatives across the country are under increasing pressure todemonstrate that their elections are fair and unbiased. Failing to adaptto the changing landscape of cooperative elections puts your organizationat risk. Co-ops that take the time to establish well-run, transparent electionsbenefit by having auditable results and processes that they can use to counterunwarranted allegations.

Rather than running elections in-house, many cooperatives are opting tooutsource some or all of their election processes. Cooperatives that usereputable third-party vendors to help run their election processes are ableto save money, increase transparency, boost participation, and streamlinetheir voting efforts, all while increasing staff productivity and reducing stresslevels. By adding more options for voting and promoting elections via multiple

channels, cooperatives can increase participation in elections and providea process that is fair and open to all members.

Reports containing informationbeyond the basic electionresults can be extremely

helpful when trying to analyzethe results and make decisions

for future elections.

Announcing Results

The final step in planning your election is deciding when and how to announcethe results. You should also determine the type and quantity of data reportingyou want to obtain from your election effort.

The announcement of voting results is an important event for yourcooperative. The conclusion of an election may provide the co-op with newleaders that will shape it for years to come. It is important to plan and executethis step flawlessly. Take the extra time to vigilantly judge, review, process,and tabulate your election data.

Reports containing information beyond the basic election results can beextremely helpful when trying to analyze the results and make decisionsfor future elections. When planning your election, be sure to include all thefields necessary for your reports in your voter database. Doing so will allow

you to filter the results and analyze voting trends by region, section, anddemographic attributes. This quantitative data will provide you with valuableinformation about your participating membership and will be extremely usefulin planning successful awareness campaigns in the future.

When announcing your election results, its essential to be prepared.Details, plans, information, voting choices, and results are often scrutinizedby interested parties. Everyone expects things to run smoothly, and if theydont, your members and leaders will want answers.

The best way to react to any issue that arises with your election is witha carefully thought-out response. Being prepared with a plan and messagecan have a calming effect on members and executives alike. Here are threeways to be prepared for anything that might disrupt your election:

1. Create a crisis communication plan.Imagine the possible situationsthat could occur during your election and carefully consider howyou would communicate the facts to your members, leaders, andcommunity. Use this as the basis for your crisis communications plan,

which you will execute in an emergency. Practice the steps in your plan,so you will be ready to act if necessary.

2. Review deadlines and processes.Do you have tight reporting turnaroundsor other deadlines that might put your organization in a risky situation?Consider these demands and do what you can to manage them up front.You might be better off proposing changes to your schedule or processrather than knowingly setting yourself up for a severe time crunch.

3. Always be honest.Whether you are dealing with public criticism of thevoting process or a full audit of election results, carefully strategize andplan your actions. Be honest, be truthful, and avoid jumping to conclusions.Deal with the facts and carefully share what needs to be known. Neverattempt to cover tracks or withhold necessary information. If disasterstrikes, dont deny it. Recognize that your members will look to you forguidance and will expect you to take appropriate action. Act in the bestinterests of the organization and deal with the challenges accordingly.



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References:

Garlock, Jody. Getting Out the Vote. RE Magazine. April 2012: 24-27. Print.

Hand Counts of Votes May Cause Errors. Science Daily. 13 Feb. 2013. Web.

The Institute of Internal Auditors. IIA Position Paper: The Role of Internal Auditingin Resourcing the Internal Audit Activity. 2009. PDF file.

2013 By Survey & Ballot Systems

All rights reserved. May not be copied or distributed without prior permission.

We significantly increased ourelection response rates goingfrom just a couple hundred voteswith our previous process to 3,575ballots returned with our newmail-in voting method.Erika NeffCommunications CoordinatorKootenai Electric Cooperative

About SBSSince 1990, SBS has excelled in managing and administering elections forassociations, businesses, cooperatives, credit unions, and other member-based organizations.

SBS has put scanning and imaging, laser printing, mailing services, securedocument storage, web development with hosting services, and clientsupport under one roof. Our election services center covers 20,000 squarefeet custom-built for SBS. Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn., SBS 40employees fully understand the companys mission: to deliver the highestquality election services available.

SBS offers complete, secure, turnkey election management solutions thatinclude traditional paper-ballot elections, online voting, telephone voting,and hybrid voting systems. SBS offers guaranteed and certified results.If your cooperative could benefit f rom the highest quality election available,please visit www.surveyandballotsystems.com for more information.Our election experts would be glad to discuss popular election optionsor present your board with the best voting methods for your organization.

Business Card Area(Does Not Print)


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Survey & Ballot Systems|7653 Anagram Drive|Eden Prairie, MN 55344-7311800-974-8099|surveyandballotsystems.com

Cooperative Election Handbook

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