Last Revised: February 19, 2021
Introduction
Principles and general rules for elections are outlined in AMAPCEO's Constitution, while detailed rules are codified in our Elections By-law.
Nominations and elections at AMAPCEO are overseen by the Elections & Credentials Committee, and independent, arm's length, non-partisan body. Committee members are prohibited from being nominated as members of the Board of Directors during their term of office.
The Committee also uses its best efforts to make accommodations available to voters or candidates who self-identify to the Chief Returning Officer. To request an accommodation, please email nominations@amapceo.on.ca.
Appointments to Board committees are governed by the Board Committee Principles policy and each Board Committee’s Terms of Reference.
Eligibility for participation
In order to participate in an AMAPCEO election, you must be a signed member in good standing. To participate in a specific election, you may sign a membership form at any time up to the nomination deadline for the election.
Only signed members in good standing are eligible for appointment to a Board committee.
While membership dues are deducted by your employer from your pay, you are not automatically a signed member of AMAPCEO. Under our Constitution, we distinguish between being a member of your bargaining unit (which is compulsory), and active, signed membership in our union, which is voluntary.
Associate members and retired members are not eligible to participate.
The importance of your home position
Election rights flow from your home position. If you wish to participate as a voter, nominator, or candidate in a District or Community election, your home position must be located in that District or Community. Even if you are seconded to a workplace in another District, you are eligible to be nominated or vote in your home position's District.
If you're not sure which District (or Community) you are in, signed members will see it listed under your name on your Member Dashboard (sign-in required). Unsigned members can check by calling the AMAPCEO office.
If you are seconded into a position outside an AMAPCEO bargaining unit (e.g., to another bargaining unit or a management-excluded position), you may participate as a nominator or voter. If your secondment extends longer than six months after the election or appointment, you are not eligible to be elected as a Delegate or Alternate Delegate.
Candidates for District Director are not eligible for election if they have a secondment outside their home District if the secondment extends longer than six months after the election.
Delegates
AMAPCEO has two types of Delegates:
- District Delegates, who represent their geographic District; and
- BPS Delegates, who represent their Broader Public Sector bargaining unit.
Delegates serve two-year terms, and positions are staggered. Incumbents are always eligible for re-election.
The number of District Delegates is determined by the number of signed members in the District as of March 1 of each year, using a ratio of one Delegate for approximately every 50 members.
For more information on the roles and responsibilities of a Delegate, please see the AMAPCEO Governance & Structure page.
- Nominations for District Delegates open in April. Elections (as required) take place in May.
- Nominations for BPS Delegates open in May. Elections (as required) take place in June.
Delegate Nominations and Elections
Nominations
Calls for nominations are announced on the AMAPCEO website and in our Member News e-newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed, consider signing up by updating your member information on your Member Dashboard.
Nomination Form
If you are interested in serving as a Delegate (for Delegate eligibility, please refer to Educational Requirements for Delegates), you must submit a nomination online before the deadline. Although there is an option to be nominated by someone else, self-nominations are typical.
Nomination forms received after the deadline will not accepted for any reason, including technological failure. Candidates are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last minute to submit their form or rely on someone else to submit your nomination on your behalf.
Once submitted, nominations are not confidential.
Candidates may withdraw their nomination at any time before a ballot is issued.
Candidate Statement
Candidates are entitled to have a one-page candidate statement posted on the AMAPCEO website to publicize their background and views. While candidate statements are not required, they are strongly encouraged to help voters make informed decisions.
Candidate statements must be:
-
no larger than a 8½" x 11" sheet of paper and in Word or PDF, DOC, or DOCX format;
-
uploaded with your online nomination form, uploaded separately, or emailed to nominations@amapceo.on.ca; and
-
received no later than the nomination deadline.
Candidates who have not submitted a candidate statement by the nomination deadline will not be permitted to submit one afterwards.
Elections
If there are more nominated candidates than there are open Delegate positions, an election will be held by online ballot in that District (or Community, where required) and/or BPS unit.
In the event of an election:
- ballots will be sent to eligible voters at their personal email address, and
- voting will be open for at least five working days.
Elections are conducted for AMAPCEO by an independent, third-party firm.
Delegates' terms of office begins immediately upon election (whether by acclamation or balloted election).
Alternate Delegates
The Elections By-law gives District Executive Committees the authority to appoint Alternate Delegates to fill District Delegate vacancies, including:
- permanent vacancies (either no one was originally elected to the position, or the incumbent has left part-way through a two-year term), and
- temporary vacancies (there is an incumbent who was elected to the position, but is temporarily unable to fill the duties of the position, including temporarily being unable to attend a specific Delegates' Conference).
Alternate Delegates have the same rights and obligations of District Delegates, but the term of office only extends to the end of the Delegates' Conference immediately following the appointment, no matter if the Alternate Delegate was appointed as a result of a permanent or temporary vacancy.
The process for appointing Alternate Delegates is announced before each Delegates' Conference.
District Directors
Each of AMAPCEO's geographic Districts has a District Director who sits on our Board of Directors. Directors serve two-year terms.
Positions are staggered, with six Districts electing their Directors in one year:
- Bay Street
- Front
- GTA North
- Midtown
- Northern Ontario
- Western Ontario
and five electing their Directors in the alternate year:
- College Park
- Eastern Ontario
- Frost/Wellesley
- Jarvis
- University/Toronto South
Incumbents are always eligible for re-election.
For more information on the roles and responsibilities of a District Director, please see the AMAPCEO Governance & Structure page.
- Nominations for District Directors open in late September. Elections (as required) take place in October.
District Director Nominations and Elections
Nominations
Calls for nominations are announced on the AMAPCEO website and in our Member News e-newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed, consider signing up by updating your member information on your Member Dashboard.
Nomination Form
If you are interested in serving as a District Director, you must submit a nomination online before the deadline. Although there is an option to be nominated by someone else, self-nominations are typical.
Nomination forms received after the deadline will not accepted for any reason, including technological failure. Candidates are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last minute to submit their form or rely on someone else to submit your nomination on your behalf.
Once submitted, nominations are not confidential.
Candidates may withdraw their nomination at any time before a ballot is issued.
Candidate Statement
Candidates are entitled to have a one-page candidate statement posted on the AMAPCEO website to publicize their background and views. While candidate statements are not required, they are strongly encouraged to help voters make informed decisions.
Candidate statements must be:
- no larger than a 8½" x 11" sheet of paper and in Word or PDF format;
- uploaded with your online nomination form, uploaded separately, or emailed to nominations@amapceo.on.ca; and
- received no later than the nomination deadline.
Candidates who have not submitted a candidate statement by the nomination deadline will not be permitted to submit one afterwards.
Campaign Video
Candidates are also entitled to prepare a campaign video for posting on the AMAPCEO website.
Campaign videos must be:
- prepared using the candidate's own resources;
- saved as a .mp4 or .mov file;
- submitted by email to nominations@amapceo.on.ca; and
- received no later than the nomination deadline.
Elections
If there is more than one candidate for a District Director position, an election will be held by online ballot in that District.
In the event of an election:
- ballots will be sent to eligible voters at their personal email address, and
- voting will be open for at least five working days.
Elections are conducted for AMAPCEO by an independent, third-party firm.
District Directors' terms of office begin on January 1 following the election (whether by acclamation or balloted election). Directors who are not already Delegates are entitled to attend the ADC immediately following their election as non-voting Delegates-at-Large.
Candidate Questions & Answers
If there is an election, the Elections & Credentials Committee will allow candidates to provide written responses to questions collected from members and vetted by the Committee. These responses will be posted for voters on the AMAPCEO website.
Executive Officers
AMAPCEO's four Executive Officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer) are elected by Delegates at the Annual Delegates' Conference (ADC). They serve on the Board of Directors. Executive Officers serve two-year terms.
Positions are staggered, with the President and Treasurer elected in one year, and the Vice-President and Secretary elected in the alternate year.
Incumbents are always eligible for re-election.
For more information on the roles and responsibilities of the Executive Officers, please see the AMAPCEO Governance & Structure page.
- Nominations for Executive Officers open in late September. Elections (as required) take place at the ADC.
Executive Officer Nominations and Elections
Nominations
Calls for nominations are announced on the AMAPCEO website and in our Member News e-newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed, consider signing up by updating your member information on your Member Dashboard.
Nomination Form
If you are interested in serving as an Executive Officer, you must submit a nomination online before the deadline. Although there is an option to be nominated by someone else, self-nominations are typical.
Nominations for Executive Officers must contain the names of five other AMAPCEO members endorsing the nomination.
Nomination forms received after the deadline will not accepted for any reason, including technological failure. Candidates are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last minute to submit their form or rely on someone else to submit your nomination on your behalf.
Once submitted, nominations are not confidential.
Candidates may withdraw their nomination at any time before a ballot is issued.
Candidate Statement
Candidates are entitled to have a one-page candidate statement posted on the AMAPCEO website to publicize their background and views. While candidate statements are not required, they are strongly encouraged to help voters make informed decisions.
Candidate statements must be:
- no larger than a 8½" x 11" sheet of paper and in Word or PDF format;
- uploaded with your online nomination form, uploaded separately, or emailed to nominations@amapceo.on.ca; and
- received no later than the candidate statement deadline.
Candidates who have not submitted a candidate statement by the candidate statement deadline will not be permitted to submit one afterwards.
Elections
If there is more than one candidate for an Executive Officer position, an election will be held at the ADC.
Elections are conducted for AMAPCEO by an independent, third-party firm.
Executive Officers' terms of office begin on January 1 following the election (whether by acclamation or balloted election).
Campaigning
If there is an election, Executive Officers are entitled to sign a confidentiality undertaking in order to receive a list of Delegates and their personal email addresses and/or personal phone numbers to use for campaign purposes.
When registering for the ADC, Delegates are asked which contact information (if any) can be shared with candidates.
Campaign material (physical or electronic) may not be distributed at any time after candidate speeches have begun.
See the campaign rules below.
Candidate Speeches and Questions & Answers
If there is an election, the Elections & Credentials Committee will allow candidates to deliver a speech of up to 15 minutes at the ADC and to participate in a question-and-answer session with Delegates.
ADC Committees
The Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) has a number of committees with specific terms of reference.
Members on these committees serve two-year terms, and positions are staggered. Incumbents are always eligible for re-election.
For more information on the roles and responsibilities of these committees, please see the AMAPCEO Governance & Structure page.
- Nominations for most ADC Committees begin in late September. Elections for these Committees (as required) take place at the ADC.
- Other ADC Committees may have nominations which open at other points in the year. Elections for these Committees (as required) take place by electronic ballot.
ADC Committee Nominations and Elections
Nominations
Calls for nominations are announced on the AMAPCEO website and in our Member News e-newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed, consider signing up by updating your member information on your Member Dashboard.
Nomination Form
If you are interested in serving as on an ADC Committee, you must submit a nomination online before the deadline. Although there is an option to be nominated by someone else, self-nominations are typical.
Nomination forms received after the deadline will not accepted for any reason, including technological failure. Candidates are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last minute to submit their form or rely on someone else to submit your nomination on your behalf.
Once submitted, nominations are not confidential.
Candidates may withdraw their nomination at any time before a ballot is issued.
Candidate Statement
Candidates are entitled to have a one-page candidate statement posted on the AMAPCEO website to publicize their background and views. While candidate statements are not required, they are strongly encouraged to help voters make informed decisions.
Candidate statements must be:
- no larger than a 8½" x 11" sheet of paper and in Word or PDF format;
- uploaded with your online nomination form, uploaded separately, or emailed to nominations@amapceo.on.ca; and
- received no later than the candidate statement deadline.
Candidates who have not submitted a candidate statement by the candidate statement deadline will not be permitted to submit one afterwards.
Elections
If there are more nominated candidates than there are open positions on an ADC Committee, an election will be held amongst Delegates. Most ADC Committee elections will take place at the ADC, although others may be by electronic ballot.
Elections are conducted for AMAPCEO by an independent, third-party firm.
Most ADC Committee members' terms of office begin on January 1 following the election (whether by acclamation or balloted election), although others may begin during the year.
By-Elections
From time to time, the Elections & Credentials Committee may be required to conduct by-elections to fill vacancies that arise.
For more information, please consult the Elections By-law.
Board Committees
The Board of Directors has a number of standing committees, each with specific terms of reference. The Board may also establish ad hoc committees as required.
Generally, interested members are invited to apply through an application process. The Board of Directors may identify specific appointment criteria in a committee’s terms of reference. Some committees’ members may be appointed by virtue of another position they hold.
For more information on the role of each standing committee, please consult the committee's terms of reference.
- Applications for three Board committees are now open.
Campaign rules
In submitting a nomination form for any election, candidates are required to acknowledge their willingness to accept the nomination and to certify that the information in the form is accurate.
Candidates must also pledge to comply with the relevant election campaign rules (outlined in By-law #1) and the Activist Code of Conduct (By-law #9).
All candidates must observe the Activist Code of Conduct with regard to behaviour towards other members, including the content of submitted candidate statements, videos, speeches, and commentary in any other campaign material or activity.
The Elections By-law stipulates that candidates, as well as any other member, including those supporting or opposing a candidate are prohibited from using employer or AMAPCEO resources to communicate with voters for campaign purposes (except as provided in the by-law [e.g., using the AMAPCEO website to post candidate statements]).
Prohibited resources include the use of:
- funds,
- supplies,
- equipment,
- services,
- membership lists,
- staff,
- facilities, and
- the Employer's IT or email system.
In addition, in elections conducted at a Delegates' Conference, campaign material (physical or electronic) may not be distributed at any time after candidate speeches have begun.
Any violation of the campaign rules drawn to the attention of the Elections & Credentials Committee may be referred for investigation and potential discipline, as outlined in By-laws 4 and 10.
For more information
For further information on the role of the Board of Directors and ADC Committees, please see AMAPCEO's Governance & Structure page, which also includes the union's Constitution and By-laws.
If you still have questions, please contact Jennifer Sherwood, Director, Membership Services, who serves as staff advisor to the Elections and Credentials Committee, at extension 2132 (416.595.9000 or 1.888.AMAPCEO) or by email at nominations@amapceo.on.ca.
If you wish to communicate directly with members of the Elections & Credentials Committee, please do so by email to nominations@amapceo.on.ca.