Merge pull request #80 from UKPythonAssociation/ballot

Add trustee election policy

source/meetings/trustees/2023-03-04.rst

@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ Decisions
 ---------
 
 - :doc:`../../decisions/2023-03-04-invocation-of-clause-15.1.2`
+- Creation of :doc:`../../policies/trustee-ballot-policy`

source/policies/trustee-ballot-policy.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+Trustee Election Ballot Policy
+==============================
+
+Section 13.1 of our constitution requires that one-third of the elected trustees
+retire at each Annual General Meeting and that the members have the opportunity to
+fill the resulting vacancies (and others that may exist).
+
+Nomination
+----------
+
+Nomination to stand for election must be received by the trustees at least 30
+days prior to the date for the election.
+
+The trustees have no obligation to provide publicity for any candidate.
+
+In the event that there are the same number of candidates (or fewer) than vacancies
+available, then the election of those candidates shall be via `acclamation <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acclamation>`_
+
+If there are more candidates than vacancies, then an election via ballot will be carried
+out using `sequential proportional approval voting <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequential_proportional_approval_voting>`_
+
+Election via Acclamation
+------------------------
+- Each candidate is named and presented to the members present at the meeting.
+- For each candidate, the meeting chair asks for a show of hands for those in favour and those against
+  the election of the given candidate.
+- The meeting chair may declare the candidate elected or not if the result of the show of hands is obvious.
+- If there is any reasonable doubt in the result of the show of hands, the meeting chair must order that a ballot be carried out.
+
+Election via Ballot
+-------------------
+- Each member present is provided with a ballot paper listing the candidates.
+- The meeting chair instructs the members that they may cast any number of votes.
+- The meeting chair informs the members that casting more votes than the number of vacancies
+  renders the ballot paper void.
+- The meeting chair informs the members that casting the same number of votes as the number
+  of vacancies, whilst permissible, is equivalent to casting no vote at all.
+- Members who make a mistake when casting their vote may exchange their ballot paper for
+  a fresh but must surrender the original.
+- Ballot papers are collected from members and held securely until counting commences.
+- At counting, ballot papers are grouped by the combination of votes cast and the total number in
+  each group recorded.
+- The counts will be recorded according to the :doc:`../../policies/decision-making`.
+- From the number in each group, the number of votes for each candidate is then calculated
+  and the candidate with the highest total is duly elected.
+- For those groups which include a vote for the winning candidate, any remaining votes count for one half
+  of a vote. The total for each group is recalculated and is the resulting total for each candidate and the
+  candidate with the highest total is duly elected.
+- The process is repeated until all vacancies are filled with each subsequent round reducing the 
+  remaining vote value to one-third, one-quarter etc.
+- In the event of a tie at any point, the candidate whose nomination was received by the trustees earliest shall be elected.