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Bylaws – Article XIV – Election of Officers, Governors & Selection of Delegates

ARTICLE XIV

(CVMA Bylaws – Current to January 2022)
(Proposed/to be adopted in April 2022)

Election of Officers, Governors & Selection of Delegates

Section 1

At its Annual Meeting, prior to installation of new Board members, the Board of Governors shall elect the President-Elect, Executive Committee Member-at-Large, and a Secretary-Treasurer for the ensuing year.
For purposes of these elections all Board members present shall cast a vote.
The President-Elect shall be elected from the Board members who have at least two (2) or more years to complete of their terms or have been elected to a second term.
The Executive Committee Member-at-Large shall be elected from Board Members who have at least one (1) year or more to complete their terms or have been elected to a second term.
The Treasurer may be elected from the Board of Governors or may be appointed by the Board.
The elections specified in this section shall be by secret ballot at said meeting and the results shall be canvassed by the Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director. If the Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director are unable to perform this duty, the canvassing shall be performed by one or more individuals designated by the Board.
To be elected, a nominee must receive more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast.In the event that no nominee receives more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast, a new election pursuant to these procedures shall be held between the two (2) nominees receiving the highest numerical vote. In all other respects the nomination of candidates and the election shall be as the Board of Governors may, by rule, direct.

Section 2

The election procedures for members of the Board of Governors shall be that procedure as herein set forth. In all other respects the election shall be as the Board of Governors may, by rule, direct.
The Board shall consist of sixteen (16) members. Eleven (11) members shall be elected from the nine districts as described in the Bylaws. An additional five (5) members shall serve At-Large and shall be elected by the Association’s Leadership Development Committee. In the case of the Registered Veterinary Technician At-Large member, the Leadership Development Committee shall select the member from up to three candidates provided by the Registered Veterinary Technician Committee.
At-Large Board of Governors Nominations:
1. Applicants for the At-Large Board positions shall not simultaneously run for an elected district Board position. After receiving letters of interest and applications from qualified Association members, the Leadership Development Committee shall evaluate candidates for the open At-Large positions.
2. Existing Governors no longer representing a geographic district shall become At-Large Members until the end of their term.
For the purpose of conducting elections of the members of the Board, the State of California is divided into constituent association districts constituted as follows:
1. District 1 comprising the county of San Diego.
2. District 2 comprising the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and that portion of Kern County in Antelope Valley.
3. District 3 comprising the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial and Kern (excluding that portion of Kern County in Antelope Valley).
4. District 4 comprising the counties of Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
5. District 5 comprising the counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.
6. District 6 comprising the counties of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo.
7. District 7 comprising the counties of Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba.
8. District 8 comprising the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa and Solano.
9. District 9 comprising the counties of San Mateo and Santa Clara, and the City and County of San Francisco.
Future redistricting of the nine (9) Association districts may be considered and accomplished as needed. Such redistricting may be necessary to provide for proper representation on the Board of Governors for all members of the Association.
Five (5) members of the Board are elected each year for terms of three (3) years each.
1. It is recognized that the geography and population distribution in the State of California make impractical exactly equal representation of members by each Governor.
2. Each geographic district shall be represented by one (1) Governor except District 2 which shall be represented by three (3) Governors.
Governors shall be elected to and shall serve for a term of three (3) years expiring at the end of the third fiscal year after election, or until a successor has been elected and qualified. No governor shall serve more than two (2) consecutive complete terms of office. After serving such a maximum term, a one-term break in service is required before a person may be considered for further election to the Board of Governors.
A person is eligible for membership on the Board of Governors if they are a licensed California veterinarian (or, in the specific case of the Registered Veterinary Technician at-large position, a California Registered Veterinary Technician), has been a voting or RVT member of the Association for three (3) or more years immediately preceding the year of application and resides in, or maintains a principal office for the practice of veterinary medicine within, the State of California.
1. A person representing a designated geographic district shall maintain a principle office for the practice of veterinary medicine or reside within the constituent association district from which that member is elected.
  1. If a voting member maintains a principle office for the practice of veterinary medicine in a constituent association district different from the district in which the member resides, such voting member may, by written notice to the Board of Governors, direct that their right to vote in any election under this Section, be assigned to the Association district in which the member resides.
  2. If the Board of Governors determines that a voting member does not have a principal office for the practice of veterinary medicine, the Board shall direct that the member’s right to vote in any election under this Section and the member’s right to seek any elective office under this Section, be assigned to the constituent association district in which such member resides, unless the Board determines that such assignment should be made to a more appropriate district upon the presentation of a written petition by such member.
  3. Any eligible member of the Association may become a candidate for the Board upon submitting to the office of the Association a petition of intention in writing, signed by ten (10) members of the Association in good standing who reside in or maintain a principal office for the practice of veterinary medicine within the Association district which the member would represent if the member were successfully elected to membership on the Board of Governors.
  4. Only voting members of the Association who reside in or maintain their principal offices for the practice of veterinary medicine in the respective constituent association district, or whose right to vote has been assigned to the respective constituent association district, shall be entitled to vote for the member of the Board of Governors therefrom.
  5. The election shall be by ballot.
    1. Notification shall be mailed to VMA officers in those districts where Board terms are scheduled to expire at least 120 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors. Notification will also be published in the CVMA Weekly and/or the January/February issue of the California Veterinarian.
    2. Candidates’ petitions shall be returned by their District to the Association not later than 75 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors.
    3. In the event there is a single nominee for the district governor position, and said nominee is nominated in accordance with the Association’s Constitution and Bylaws, the Executive Director shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot, thereby eliminating the mailing of ballots.
    4. Should more than one nominee submit the petition in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws, ballots shall be mailed to every Association member in the eligible district not later than 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting, to be received and canvassed by the Executive Director not later than 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting.
  6. To be declared, a nominee must receive more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast.
    1. In the event that no nominee receives more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast, a new election pursuant to the procedures specified in this section shall be held between the two (2) nominees receiving the highest numerical vote. In all other respects, the election shall be as the Board of Governors may, by rule, direct.
The members of the Board of Governors shall continue in office until their successors are elected and qualified.
The term of office of each member of the Board of Governors shall commence upon installation at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors next succeeding the member’s election, and that member shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified.
Veterinary Medical Student Representatives to the Board. There shall be one (1) veterinary medical student representative to the Board from each veterinary school within the State of California which is accredited by the AVMA-COE to confer the degree of DVM or an equivalent degree in veterinary medicine, for a term of one (1) year. Each such student representative shall be elected from the student membership of his or her school.

Section 3

The Board of Governors may, by an affirmative vote of at least twelve (12) members, initiate replacement proceedings against one of its members.
The procedures for removal of a Governor from office shall be as specified here in. A vacancy in office so created shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV, Section 4.
A member of the Board of Governors representing a designated geographic district may be removed without cause upon the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the members entitled to vote within the Association district from which said member of the Board was elected.
The procedure for such removal shall be as follows:

1. A petition of recall signed by at least ten percent (10%) of the members entitled to vote within the Association district from which said member of the Board of Governors was elected shall be submitted to the Executive Director.
2. Upon certification of the petition of recall, the date for the special recall election shall be set and such election shall be held within ninety (90) days from the certification of the petition of recall.
3. The election shall be by mail ballot and shall be conducted as though it were a regular election under this Article.
4. In all other respects, the election shall be as the Board of Governors, may, by rule, direct.
An at-large member of the Board of Governors may be removed without cause upon the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Leadership Development Committee.

Section 4

In the event that any member of the Board of Governors representing a designated geographic district is unable to serve a full term, the remaining members of the Board of Governors shall declare a special election to fill the vacancy.
1. The special election shall be held within sixty (60) days from the date of the creation of the vacancy.
2. During the first thirty (30) days from the date of the creation of the vacancy, candidates may be nominated from the respective region in which the member unable to serve for a full term was elected, and such nomination of candidates shall be in accordance with the regular nominating procedures as specified.
3. The special election shall be by ballot.
  1. The ballots shall be mailed to those entitled to vote at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of canvassing the ballots, and shall be returned by mail to the principal office of the Association where they shall be canvassed at least one (1) day prior to the sixtieth (60th) day after the creation of the vacancy.
  2. The count shall be certified and the results officially declared.
4. The successful candidate shall thereafter immediately assume duties as a member of the Board of Governors, and shall serve in office for the unexpired portion of the term of the member who has been replaced. If a board member fills a vacancy in the first year of a three-year term, that shall count as their first term.
5. In the event that there is only a single nominee for this special election, and said nominee has been nominated in accordance with the regular nominating procedures as specified, the Executive Director shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot, thereby eliminating the mailing of ballots.
In the event that any At-Large member of the Board of Governors is unable to serve a full term, the Leadership Development Committee shall elect a candidate to fill the vacancy.
1. The special election shall be held within ninety (90) days from the date of the creation of the vacancy.
2. During the first thirty (30) days from the date of the creation of the vacancy, there shall be a call for applications.

Section 5

The voting members of the House of Delegates shall convene as needed, to fill a vacancy for the office of Chair-Elect of the House of Delegates.
A Delegate of the House of Delegates shall be nominated for offices of the Chair and Chair-Elect of the House of Delegates unless otherwise prohibited by these Bylaws.
The nomination of a Delegate as candidate for the office of Chair-Elect shall be by oral declaration. At least two (2) Delegates must sponsor the nomination of a Delegate for said office. Upon closing of nominations, the election shall proceed immediately by secret ballot.
In the event that there is only a single nominee for said office, and said nominee has been nominated in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws, the Executive Director or their designee shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot.
In the event that there is more than one (1) nominee for the elective office, the election shall proceed in the House of Delegates by secret ballot and the results shall be canvassed by the Executive Director or their designee.
To be declared elected, a nominee must receive more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast.
In the event that no nominee receives more than fifty percent (50%) of votes cast, a new election shall be held between the two (2) nominees receiving the highest numerical vote.
Election results shall be published in the first issue, subsequent to the balloting, of the California Veterinarian magazine.
Installation of the Chair and the Chair-Elect shall take place at the first regular meeting following election.
The House of Delegates shall, in the event that the Chair-Elect is unable for any reason whatsoever to perform the duties of office, elect a successor from the membership of the House of Delegates.
Upon installation as Chair-Elect, the Association which the Delegate represents shall elect a new Delegate who shall assume the term of office when the Chair-Elect is installed as House of Delegates Chair.

Section 6

In the event that any member of the House of Delegates is unable to serve a full term, the constituent association shall elect or appoint a new Delegate to fulfill the vacancy.
This election shall be accomplished within sixty (60) days from the date of the creation of the vacancy.

Section 7

The Association’s Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the AVMA shall be elected by the Board of Governors at the meeting prior to the AVMA’s annual meeting and shall serve for a term of four (4) years to expire immediately after the AVMA’s annual meeting of that calendar year, or until a successor has been elected and qualified. No Delegate or Alternate Delegate shall each serve more than two (2) consecutive complete terms of office, except as necessary to satisfy this section. After serving such a maximum term, a one-term break in service is required before a person may be considered for election as Delegate or Alternate Delegate.
Nominees shall apply in writing to the Executive Director’s office not less than seven (7) days prior to the regular meeting at which such elections are held.
In the event that there is only a single nominee for the office of Delegate or Alternate Delegate to the AVMA, and said nominee has been nominated in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws, the Executive Director shall be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot.
In the event that there is more than one (1) nominee for such elective office, the election shall be determined by secret ballot and the results shall be canvassed by the Executive Director.
To be declared elected, a nominee must receive more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast by the Board of Governors.
In the event that no nominee receives more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast, a new election shall be held between the two (2) nominees receiving the highest numerical vote.
Election results shall be published in the first issue, subsequent to the balloting, of the California Veterinarian magazine.