Chamber board elections don’t all follow the same rules when it comes to how they do them and when. Here is some information on the different ways to conduct them and the many moving pieces.
4 Variations on Chamber Board Elections
Recently, on the Chamber of Commerce Professionals Group on Facebook a chamber exec asked about electronic voting for the chamber board. That spurred on a conversation about all the different variations in the election process. Some of the points discussed include:
Let Your Board Do It
Voting doesn’t need to involve every single member. Some chambers have a nominating committee that brings back recommendations to the seated board.
Go Electronic
Want to save on postage and printing? Many chambers conduct elections through technology like SurveyMonkey or Constant Contact. Another benefit besides cost-savings and the benefit to the environment is that you can send electronic reminders asking people to vote who haven’t yet done so. It’s not only convenient but you might also find that you have a higher percentage of return results because people spend so much time in their email inboxes.
Piggyback the Vote
Another way to save in mailing costs is by piggybacking your ballot along with something else that you normally send out such as a newsletter. However, if you normally send out flyers and other “junk mail” with your newsletter, you probably don’t want to take this approach as people may toss it without realizing its importance.
Vote Only as a Last Resort
The Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce sends out an e-blast with the slate, determined by their nominating committee and approved by the board. No actual vote takes place unless a write-in candidate receives a stipulated number of signatures from members in good standing. Only then would they have an actual vote.
What about your chamber? How do you conduct board elections? Share your process here.
