TO: All Interested Parties
FROM: L. Joy Williams, National Election Supervisor
DATE: August 17, 2015
RE: Mailing of Election Materials Delayed

In the [letter above], I was informed that the Pacifica stations did not have the necessary funds to make the required deposit for the postage and printing of the election materials and therefore the mailing of the ballot materials will be delayed.

[Listener activists estimate that the total cost to mail ballots is between $60-80 thousand dollars with additional money needed to pay the National Election Supervisor and Local Supervisors at each station.]

In the next few weeks, Pacifica will provide me with an estimate of when the stations will have the required funds to move forward after which I will update the election calendar.

The remainder of the election activities will proceed. The Local Election Supervisors are working with the candidates to record their candidate carts, schedule candidate forums and educate the Pacifica electorate about the upcoming election.

Additionally, we will use this opportunity to promote the availability of online voting to Pacifica voters, which will help reduce the cost of the election. Eligible Pacifica voters will be encouraged to opt-out of receiving ballot materials by mail. We will educate the Pacifica electorate about the online voting process and the security features through carts played on-air, emails and other election promotional methods.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will ballots be mailed?

At this time, we do not have a specific mail date as the National Election Supervisor (NES) needs to receive information from Pacifica as to when they will have the funds necessary to proceed with the printing and cover the postage of the election materials. Once the NES receives this information she will update the election calendar accordingly.

Will the candidate nomination period be reopened?

No. It is not necessary to reopen the candidate nomination period due to this delay.

Will the voter date of record change?

Yes. Article 3, Section 10 of the Pacifica bylaws specifically tie the voter date of record to the mail date of the ballot materials stating that the voter date of record is;

“…45-60 days before the day on which the first written ballot is distributed or made available to members (based on the reasonable discretion of the National Election Supervisor) …”

All voters previously eligible under the previous date of record of July 14, 2015 will remain eligible voters.

Will online voting still open on August 29th?

No. To maintain fairness in the process, online voting will begin at the same time in which ballots are mailed.

How do I opt-out of receiving my election materials by mail?

To register to complete your vote online and opt-out of receiving a ballot by mail, visit http://elections.pacifica.org/wordpress/vote-online/ and complete the registration form. Your membership will be verified and matched against the eligible voter list and a confirmation email will be sent to confirm your registration.

I am a confirmed candidate, what does this delay mean for me?

The delay in the ballot mailing extends the campaigning period for candidates giving them the opportunity to garner more support. Confirmed candidates are still subject to the Fair Campaign Provisions and must govern themselves accordingly.

This announcement can also be found on the elections website.

—
L. Joy Williams
National Election Supervisor (NES)
Pacifica Foundation
(347) 699-2914
nes@pacifica.org
http://elections.pacifica.org

Posted by the United for Community Radio Website Committee