2023 ELECTIONS ORGANIZER
aka Chief Returning Officer (CRO)
Timeline: Election related work begins on March 1st and must be finished by April 5th.
Contract: $600 for up to a maximum of thirty (30) hours of work
Application deadline: @ 9:00 pm on Friday February 24th, 2023
Availability requirements:
- Interviews: Will take place on Monday February 27th. All candidates must be available for an interview on that day.
- First day of work: The successful candidate must be available to work on March 1st, the day nominations open.
- Annual General Meeting: The successful candidate must be available to attend the AGM on March 29th at 6:00pm.
Who can apply: Applicants must be members of OPIRG Guelph (See below for details)
Description of Responsibilities
- Meet with the Organizational and Policy Development Coordinator to review Elections Planning Binder and related documents.
- Work with the Organizational and Policy Development Coordinator to organize promotion/notification of the elections to our membership (both within the University of Guelph community and the broader Guelph community membership list. This is to include at minimum: an advertisement in the Ontarion, email notice to the OPIRG Guelph volunteer list, & posting on relevant websites including Cannon.ca.)
- Work with the Organizational and Policy Development Coordinator to update the Candidate Profile Questions as needed (these need to be approved by the Board of Directors).
- Acquire from the Organizational and Policy Development Coordinator a list of people who have opted out of membership (students who have refunded their fees and are not eligible to vote) — see bylaws for details.
- Acquire from the Organizational and Policy Development Coordinator a list of community members (this is a list of people who have purchased/been granted a membership who are not the levy paying students). This should be done 1 week before the elections, when sale of memberships is suspended.
- Receive nomination forms (may be hard copies or e-copies).
- Contact candidates by email to let them know their nomination form was received.
- Contact the candidates/nominees to confirm their attendance/availability for the Candidate Orientation meeting.
- Organize and facilitate the Candidate Orientation meeting (or meetings) to explain the election guidelines and the election process to all candidates. It is mandatory for all candidates/nominees to attend an Orientation meeting.
- Collect the mandatory Candidate Profiles from each candidate. Work with OPIRG Guelph staff to disseminate the profiles on our volunteer list and post to the organizational web site and social media.
- Ensure that the election guidelines and Candidate Information Package is updated and prepared for each candidate in advance of the Orientation meeting.
- Meet again with OPIRG Guelph staff and/or Board members to check in on the process and to address any issues of concern.
- [If applicable] Find and train poll clerks for in-person ballot stations.
- [If applicable] Collect and count paper ballots.
- [If applicable] Host the Election online during OPIRG’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 29th.
- Attend OPIRG’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 29th to answer questions about the Election and deliver the results.
- Provide written and signed results that can be presented to the media, the membership, and the Board of Directors for ratification.
- Create a final report on the nomination and election process, including recommendations for future elections.
- Attend any preceding or following Board of Directors meetings to discuss reports made regarding the elections.
- If necessary address any appeals filed in relation to the election process.
Qualifications and skills
- Must be a member of OPIRG Guelph
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- General knowledge of OPIRG Guelph’s mandate and programs
- Time management and work organization skills
- Ability to take initiative in completing tasks
- Great attention to detail
- Aptitude for understanding and interpreting complex documents
- Experience promoting events
- Willingness to ask for assistance when needed
- Participation in an OPIRG Guelph or similar anti-oppression training is an asset
- Must be available for interviews on Monday February 27th, 2023
- Must be available to start on Wednesday March 1st, 2023
- Must be available for OPIRG’s AGM on March 30th, 2022, in the early evening
OPIRG Guelph welcomes the contributions that individuals from marginalized communities bring to our organization, and invites Indigenous people, people of colour, poor and working class people and those on social assistance, women, LGBTQI2S+ people; single parents, members of ethnic minorities, immigrants, people from non-academic backgrounds and people with disabilities to apply.
We encourage applicants to describe the contributions and experiences they would bring to OPIRG Guelph in their cover letter. All applicants are asked for a brief statement on their views of power and oppression.
How to apply:
Send a copy of your resume, cover letter and brief statement on power and oppression to: organizational@opirgguelph.org
Only PDF or Word documents will be accepted.
Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
If you have any questions about the position or the application process please contact mandy at organizational@opirgguelph.org.