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Electing Chapter Officers
Each chapter should have a written policy for the process of electing officers, Board of Directors, and Nominating Committee. Usually, election is by anonymous ballot with a teller or counting committee chosen to count the ballots. For any elected position, it is important to establish the qualifications for the job first. Job descriptions, along with the qualifications, should be given to the membership before calling for nominations. Once job descriptions have been published, chapter members can identify potential candidates. Matching potential candidates' qualifications with the needs of the job helps ensure successful candidates.

When all positions have been adequately advertised, there is a call for nominations. Potential candidates should complete a form with their name, membership number, place of employment, position desired, and why they want the position. It is helpful to match the qualifications of the individual to the job description.

The Nominating Committee proposes a slate of candidates to the chapter Board of Directors, who approves the slate and sends it to the membership for voting. Notice of the deadline for voting should be well publicized. If a mail voting system is used, the chapter should be sure members understand on what date the ballot must be postmarked.

Elections Policy Statement

• Chapters will hold annual elections in the spring (i.e., March, April, May, June) followed by an Officer Installation.
• Chapters are required to update officers at AORN Headquarters no later than two weeks after final results of the elections are known.
• A minimum of three chapter officers should be elected: President, Vice President or President-elect, and Secretary/Treasurer. Additional elected officers are specified by each chapter in the bylaws. Regardless of your officer structure please provide AORN with a contact for your chapter.
• All elected or appointed officers and committee chair must be members of the chapter and hold current membership status in the association. There are no exceptions to this policy. Before reporting officers or committee members to Headquarters, it is the chapter's responsibility to verify chapter membership and make sure memberships have not lapsed.

Elections Rationale

• Spring elections are necessary to update the IRS annually for group tax exempt participants.
• Uniform spring elections will allow a more efficient and timely distribution of the updated manual to the chapters at the start of the new fiscal year.
• A list of chapter presidents is published annually in a fall issue of the AORN Journal, which has a deadline for completion in July. This listing will not be as meaningful if election updates are not completed by this deadline.
• The delegate packet is mailed to chapter presidents in July. Delegate communications and registrations are handled more efficiently when the packet is received by the new president.

Elections Procedure

• Chapter officers can be submitted online. A chapter designee should complete the form and send it to Headquarters as soon as possible.
• When election updates are received at Headquarters, monthly correspondence will be mailed to the new president.
• New versions of the Chapter Resource Manual are distributed to all chapters every year. If the new President does not receive a current edition of the Chapter Resource Manual, he/she should check with the past President and then contact the AORN Chapter Relations Coordinator.
• Election update forms are kept in the chapter file at Headquarters for five years. It is suggested that names and addresses of all past chapter officers be retained by the chapter.

Lapsed Chapter Officers

• Policy Statement
  Chapter officers and chapter committee chairs who allow their membership to lapse will be deleted from the computer database at Headquarters.
• Rationale
  Inactive or nonmembers are not eligible to hold elected or committee positions in AORN. When chapter leaders allow their memberships to lapse it is a poor reflection on the chapter and its members.
• Procedure
  The Chapter Relations Coordinator will contact national Membership Committee representatives about officers and committee chairs whom have allowed their membership to lapse.
• Membership Committee representatives will contact the lapsed chapter leaders and encourage them to renew.
• The AORN Chapter Relations Coordinator will delete lapsed chapter leaders from the computer database when their membership has been lapsed for three months or more. The Membership Committee representative will notify the person about the deletion and follow up with the chapter president to be sure the vacancy is filled.