WARNING: Avoid Election Fraud

Disclaimer:
This is a bomb shell posting of sort. So read no further unless you are open minded about this subject matter. The only purpose is to avoid future mistakes and help to uphold the highest ethical standard and integrity in every District elections. This is not fictional but no names or dates or venues will be mentioned.

There are many election rules and guidelines to ensure fair and open election at every District elections.

1) For District elections, only a club member can act as proxy of their own club when neither the Club President nor VPE can attend. A Club President or VPE can cast both votes on behalf of the Club if either one is absent.

Unfortunately, there is temptation for a non-club member from the same Division to be asked to be a proxy voter. Many excuses are made like to achieve the minimum meeting quorum or ensure better regional representation or improve an election success.

Unexpected things do happen like delays in flights or delegates are not back from a shopping spree or sight-seeing. But if a legimate proxy holder is not present at the meeting, that proxy cannot be transferred to a non-club member.

2) Each delegate can only cast a maximum of two votes even if they belong to more than one club. Current District Officer can have a maximum of three votes including the vote as a District Officer.

So it is important for ballot counter when collecting voted ballots to verify that only two votes maximum from each non-District Officer and 3 votes maximum from each District Officer.

3) There must be strict control in printing and distributing of voting ballots. Perhap serialized ballots can be even be used.

It had happened before where in a very heated close contest of many candidates at the District election level, the total number of casted votes had significantly exceeded the official quorum to the shock of many. Phantom ballots had been added. Another very closely scrutinized re-voting had to be redone immediately after a severre warning was given by the Chair to all.

Bottomline, it is everyone's responsibility to avoid election fraud.