HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 Election Rules and Procedure ELECTION RULES
AND PROCEDURE
TAB 14
ELECTION RULES AND
PROCEDURES
City of Lansing
POLICEMEN'S AND FIREMEN'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM
Rules and Regulations Governing Election of
Member Trustees of the Board of Trustees of
the Policemen' s and Firemen's Retirement System.
Adopted January 19, 1965
ARTICLE I
Authority to Make Rules:
Chapter 29 of the City Charter provides in Section 3, that "The Board shall
consist of nine trustees as follows: (a) The Mayor of the City; (b) a member of
the City Council to be selected .by the City Council; (c) a member of the Board
of Police and Fire Commissioners to be selected by the Board of Police and Fire
Commissioners; (d) the City Treasurer; (e) the Mayor, by and with the consent of
the City Council, shall appoint a citizen who is a duly qualified elector and a
freeholder of the City, and who is neither an employee of the City nor eligible to
receive benefits under the provision of the Chapter; (f) two policemen, who are
members of the Retirement System, to be elected by the policemen members of the
Retirement System; : (9) two firemen, who are members of the Retirement System, to
be elected by the firemen members of the Retirement System; said election to be
held under such rules and regulations as the Board shall adopt to govern such
election."
ARTICLE II
Section (1) A primary election to determine nominees shall be held over a
four day period beginning on the Monday immediately preceeding the first Tuesday
in December.
Section (2) An election to select the trustees shall be held over a four
day period beginning on the Monday immediately preceeding the third Tuesday in
December,
All elections for the Police Department members shall be held in the Police
Department; Election for the Fire Department members shall be held at such loca-
tions as determined by the election inspectors.
Polls shall be open at such times as determined by the election inspectors.
Section (3) Paper ballots shall be used in all elections.
Nominating Petitinn:
Section (4) No candidate's name shall be placed upon primary election ballots
for nomination for the office of trustee it the department in which he is employed
is represented by a member of the Board of Trustees whose term of office will not
expire on the 31st day of December of the current year, and unless there shall be
filed with the Secretary of the Retirement System a nomination petition containing
the signatures of not less than 25 nor more than 50 members of the Retirement System.
`}a Secretary of the Retirement System shall advise the appropriate department by
written notification of nominating petition requirements at least 30 days prior to
the filing deadline.
(page 2)
Form of Nominating Petition:
Section (5) Nominating Petitions shall be furnished by the Retirement System
and shall be substantially as follows as to form:
I hereby file this nominating petition in behalf of >
who is
an active member of the City of Lansing Policemen' s and Firemen's Retirement
System, for the office of Trustee of the Retirement System to be voted upon
at the primary election to be held on 19_ I represent that
the said is now employed in the
Division of the Department.
Signed by
Dept. Employed, in
F'iln Nomnatin Petitions:
Section (6) Nominating petitions shall be received by the Secretary of the
Retirement System up to the hour of four o'clock in the afternoon of the second
Tuesday in November,
Names on Nominating Petitions to be Checked:
Section (7) The Secretary of the Retirement System shall cause to be compared
the names of persons signed to the nominating petitions with the active membership
rolls of the Retirement System and shall eliminate names of persons who are not
active members. Such comparisons shall be made in :the presence of a person selected
•p the Board of Trustees. When the comparison is completed, the eligible candidates
shall be certified to the Board of Trustees by the Secretary. Such certification
shall be made not later than the third Tuesday in November.
Withdrawal of Name from Ballot:
Section (8) After the filing of nominating petition by or on behalf of any
candidate proposed for nomination to the office of trustee, such candidate shall
not be permitted to withdraw unless written notice is served on the Secretary of
the Retirement System.not later than two days after the last day for filing such
petition.
ARTICLE III
Identifying Information on Ballot:
Section (1) Whenever there is a possibility of confusion through similarity of
names of nominees or candidates, the Board of Trustees shall add whatever additional
identification it deems necessary to avoid any confusion,
Designation Prohibited on Ballot:
Section (2) No ballot shall have printed thereon any organizational or political
designation or mark, except as specifically provided in Section (3) of this rule.
rrangement of Names on Ballot.:
Section (3) Names on the Ballots shall be arranged alphabetically according
to surname, in a vertical column.
(page 3)
Election Inspectors:
ARTICLE IV
Section (1) Not less than 10 clays prior to each election or primary the Board
of Trustees shall appoint two persons from the Police Department and/or two persons
from the Fire Department to act as election inspectors who shall serve without
compensation for such services. Said .inspectors shall perform all the duties required
to carry out said election and primary election in accordance with said Charter
provisions and rules adopted by the Board of Trustees.
11s1loting:
Section (2) The Secretary shall prepare numbered ballots for policemen and
firemen and :shall deliver to the election inspectors the number of ballots equal to
the number eligible to vote in each department. Each department shall use one
ballot box which. shall: b;e in the custody and under the direction of the election
inspectors. such inspectors: shall have copies of the poll list as prepared by the
Secretary and :shall give each member el-gible to vote an official ballot for which
h
he shall sign his' name opposite his typed name on said list. The number of eac
ballot shall be torn of prior to being deposited in ballot box. Such ballot box
Shall be taken to such places and at such times as the election inspectors shall
designate: :on Election days e At 8:15 F.M. on the last day of such election, said
ballots shall be delivered by the inspectors to the Secretary of the Board who
together with spid inspectors shall count the number of votes cast and make written
return of the results of the Election of the Board of Canvassers.
Board of Canvassers:
/ Section (3) The Board of Trustees shall act as a Board of Canvassers and shall
canvass the votes cast at each election or primary.
ARTICLE V
Who May Vote:
Section (1) Only. active members of the Retirement System who are making contri-
butions to the Annuity Savings Fund shall be permitted to vote for trustees of the
Retirement System.
Instruction Ballots:
Section (2) The Secretary shall have prepared a sufficient number of instruction
ballots showing the position of the candidates names on the ballots and shall furnish
same to all members requesting same.
ARTICLE VI
Selection of Successful Candidates for Nominatioq:
Section (1) The number of nominees for the office of policemen member trustees
shall be twice the number of,policemen member trrustees to be elected and the number
of nominees for the office of firemen member trustees shall be twice the number of
firemen member trustees to be elected.
(Page 4)
Certification of Successful Candidates for Nomination:
Section (2) After the votes are recorded and the totals verified, the Board
of Trustees, acting as a Board of Canvassers, shall certify the results of the
primary election to the Secretary of the Retirement System who shall thereupon
notify all candidates of the names of the successful candidates.
Tie Votes:
Section (3) In the event tie votes will eliminate candidate at the primary
or at the election, then such tie votes shall be decided by the Election Commission
of the City of Lansing in accordance with established procedure in handling a -
like situation.
Withdrawal of Name from Ballot:
Section (4) After any person becomes a nominee of the office of trustee, such
person shall not be permitted to withdraw unless written notice is served on the
Secretary of the Retirement System not later than 10 days after the primary election.