Publications

When Are Elections Held?

The time for holding Sub-Chapter elections must be spelled out in the Sub-Chapter constitution.

While the constitution need not name a particular day, it should indicate that "all regular elections shall be held in the month of September," or whatever month the Sub-Chapter regularly uses. If the officers are elected for one-year terms, that is all the language that is needed.

If the Sub-Chapter has, by proper vote, established two-year terms for its officers, the constitution should indicate that elections are held in a specific month "in each odd-numbered year" or "in each even-numbered year." If three-year terms are established, the constitution should call for elections in a specific month "every third year, beginning in 1986," or some similar language to indicate a starting point for measuring the terms of office.

Elections must be held in the regularly scheduled month, even though the previous election and/or installation of officers was delayed. Such a delay might have come about because of a run-off election, a valid protest which resulted in a re-run of the election, or perhaps because of an "Act of God," such as a snow storm or a flood which made it impossible to conduct the previous election on the scheduled date.

Print Version