GRACS

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====== GRACS Elections ======

About three to four weeks before end of every fall and spring semester, GRACS must run nominations and elections.  In fall, three reps are elected and in spring two reps are elected, both for one year terms.

It's a good idea for the GRACS executive committee to nominate some good candidates.  (This is often done in society elections.)

Elections also ratify or reject proposed amendments to the GRACS bylaws.  See the [[https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~gracs/gracs-bylaws.shtml|bylaws]] for details.

The procedure:
  - Call for nominations.
  - Collect nominations for two weeks.
  - Obtain nominees' information and statements (concurrently with step 2).
  - Close nominations, announce nominees, and open elections.  **//This step must happen atomically, and exactly two weeks after step 1.//**
  - Close elections.
  - Contact elected people, and confirm they accept their positions.
  - Announce results.

===== Send Call for Nominations =====

To open nominations, send a call for nominations to ''grad@cs''.  Below is an example of the call we've used in the past.  Also ask the grad office to include an announcement in the grad newsletter.

Note: To compute the first day of the term of office, go to the [[http://registrar.utexas.edu/calendars/|Registrar's calendar]] to find the first day in the semester that registration or add/drop is open, and subtract one week.

> Your CS graduate student organization, GRACS, invites nominations for <NUMBER> representatives for <SEMESTER> to <SEMESTER>.
> 
> <<Encouraging text here about why one would want to be a GRACS officer.>>
> 
> GRACS Web site: https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~gracs/
> 
> Questions?  E-mail current GRACS reps. at: gracs@cs.utexas.edu
> 
> --------
> Details:
> 
> Nominators and nominees must be students enrolled in a U.T. Computer Science graduate degree program. Self nominations are permitted.
> 
> The term of office is <DATE> to <DATE>.
> 
> GRACS elections are staggered: three representatives have a fall-spring term and two have a spring-fall term. So, the representatives that started this <SEMESTER> will continue in office through <DATE>.
> 
> If we have more than <NUMBER> nominees, we will hold an election in two weeks. If we have <NUMBER> or fewer, those nominees will take office without any election being needed.
> 
> GRACS bylaws: https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~gracs/gracs-bylaws.shtml
> 
> Please submit nominations by sending an e-mail message to gracs@cs.utexas.edu.
> Your GRACS reps:
>  <NAME>
>  <NAME>
>  <NAME>
>  <NAME>
>  <NAME>
> https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~gracs/

===== Collect Nominations and Obtain Nominee Information =====

Note: a person may be nominated without their approval. Of course, when nominated, a nominee could make their intent to not accept office clear.

As nominations are received, for each nominee:
  - Check that **both** the nominator and the nominee are a CS grad students.
    * If unsure, look the nominator and the nominee up in the UT directory: http://www.utexas.edu/directory/ .
    * Look for the two lines "Major: Computer Sciences" and "Classification: Graduate Student".
    * If someone doesn't appear in the directory, check http://utdirect.utexas.edu/registrar/degv.WBX to see if that person may have graduated and left.  If you don't find them anywhere, they could have restricted their information. Ask the Grad Office if you still unsure.
    * Note: Presence or absence of a CS Web site personal page is //not// definitive either way.  (There are non-grad student who have personal pages, and there are grad students who don't.)
  - Request the following from each nominee:
    * Preferred form of full name
    * 100 pixel high "head shot" photograph
    * UTCS username
    * Candidate statement
    * Master/Ph.D. classification and current year in program

===== Check Necessity of Elections =====

If there are as many (or fewer) nominees as vacancies, skip to the "announce new reps" step below.

===== Prepare for Election =====

  * Edit ''election/index.shtml'' to include this information.

  * Set a date and time range for the election (in the past, we've started at noon and run for 24 hours)

  * Point students at ''https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~gracs/election/'' to read the candidates' statements

  * Indicate that students should run the command ''/u/www/users/gracs/election/vote'' to vote at the specified time.

  * Note that users who are logged into CS without X forwarding won't be able to use the GUI. Have them send their 'absentee' ballots to the election rep directly for a manual count.

  * Edit ''election/Config.py''

  * ''GRACS_MEMBER_LOGIN'' is the username of the GRACS member running the election. Only this user can run the election scripts once they've been initialized.

  * Set ''SEMESTER'' and ''YEAR'' appropriately.

  * Fill in the ''CANDIDATE_NAMES'', making sure to observe Python syntax rules (comma separated list of single quoted strings).

  *  **Run a test election beforehand to check these!**

  * Announce the election

  * Run the election

===== Election Commands =====

Scripts are in the election/ directory:

  *  **''init''** creates the election

  *  **''enable''** opens voting

  *  **''vote''** brings up a GUI to cast a vote (anyone in grad group can run this)

  *  **''disable''** closes voting

  *  **''tabulate''** displays the results (you can do this at any time, even in the middle of an election)

  *  **''remove''** clears the results

===== Announce GRACS Reps =====

Notify the winners, and confirm that they accept the role. If a candidate declines the position, move to the next on the list.

If the election did not succeed in filling all the open positions, it may be re-run.

Announce the all the election results (votes, the new reps, and the continuing reps) to ''grad@cs'', cc the Graduate advisor, Grad office, and Patti.


===== Nominations and Elections Guidance from "Robert's Rules of Order" =====

GRACS is not obligated to follow //Robert's Rules of Order//, but it does offer good guidance:

> **66. Nominations and Elections.** Before proceeding to an election to fill an office it is customary to nominate one or more candidates.... When the nominations are completed the assembly proceeds to the election.... An election takes effect immediately if the candidate is present and does not decline, or if he is absent and has consented to his candidacy. If he is absent and has not consented to his candidacy, it takes effect when he is notified of his election, provided he does not decline immediately. After the election has taken effect and the officer or member has learned the fact, it is too late to reconsider the vote on the election....

The [[https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~gracs/gracs-bylaws.shtml|GRACS bylaws]] specify approval voting as the voting method and "the week prior to registration" as the date of assuming office.

----
**//See [[gracs:|GRACS Internal Start Page]] for more GRACS administrative topics.//**
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