Ballots Counting starting at 6pm at Fire Station 71 Fontana
Voting Procedures for November/December 2019
The main envelope shall have the current available address on file on the envelope with the Union return label on the outside of the envelope. The main envelope shall contain the ballot, ballot envelope, and instructions. The ballot envelope shall only be marked as the ballot envelope. Instructions shall declare the receive day for inclusion in the ballot counting and instruct the voter to submit the ballot into the ballot envelope and to seal it. Place ballot envelope in the return envelope and mail back to Local post office box ensuring it arrives by the time stated below. BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:00 DECEMBER 9, 2019 AT THE UNION P.O. BOX OR HAND DELIVERED TO SECRETARY MIESCHER BY THE SAME TIME. The ballot envelope shall be placed in the return envelope. The date, place, and time of ballot counting must be clearly marked. BALLOTS WILL BE COUNTED AT 6:00 P.M. MONDAY DECEMBER 9 2019, AT STATION 71 IN FONTANA. All instructions shall be posted on the website and e-mailed to members’ personal email addresses on file with the webmaster. BALLOTS WILL BE PREPARED AT FIRE STATION 10 IN PHELAN STARTING AT 0900 AND MAILED OUT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2018. The return envelope shall have the Local as the addressee and the return address label shall contain the current available address on file of the voter. All ballots received after the date for inclusion at the P.O. Box shall be destroyed. ANY BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER DECEMBER 9, 2019 WILL BE DESTROYED. All ballots arriving on or before the date due, must be retained unopened until the counting day. The mailbox must be emptied at 5:00 p.m. on the receive day (DECEMBER 9, 2019). Members must notify the Secretary (BEFORE DECEMBER 9, 2019) if they have not received their ballots and make their own arrangements for receipt and delivery of provisional ballots by the due date. The provisional ballots shall be identical as above except by the addition of “provisional” on the return envelope. Returned envelopes with the wrong addresses may not reach members in time if re-mailed. It is the members’ responsibility to keep a current address on file with the Secretary and Treasurer and to vote by provisional ballot if the original does not arrive on time.
BALLOT COUNTING PROCEDURE 1800 ON DECEMBER 9, 2019 at STATION 71. No ballots shall be opened before the counting day (DECEMBER 9, 2019). The entire bundle of ballots received on and before the receive day shall considered at the appointed date, place and time.
Two members shall inspect each return envelope and make sure that there are no duplicate return address labels and all labels are from union members in good standing. Each voting member shall be recorded.
After all return envelopes are validated, the provisional return envelopes shall be included if the original member envelope is not found and the provisional members name shall be recorded. Ballots must be embossed with the seal of the Local to be valid.
The valid return envelopes (both original and provisional) shall be separated from the ballot envelopes.
A new team, who are not part of those who opened return envelopes shall open the ballot envelopes and examine each ballot for validity.
Each ballot that is clearly marked shall be piled together. Disputed or controversial ballots shall be reviewed by the counting committee for disposition. If there is a tied vote regarding validity, the condition/decision of the ballot shall be decided by coin toss.
After all ballots are determined valid, the votes shall be tallied.
All members in good standing may monitor the entire procedure. Challenges or questions can only be raised by members of the ballot counting committee or candidates (or their single designated representatives).
All ballots and materials shall be bundled together and retained for a period of two years.
