Secretary

20 Senators

20 Alternate Senators

June 15 Zoom Meeting: Campaign and Election Rules

See the original UFF-UCF Nomination and Election Notice (PDF) here.

It’s time to elect our leaders.

The election of UFF UCF chapter officers, senators and FEA delegates will be conducted by mail. Election ballots should be received by the date, time, and address indicated below: 

Date: Thursday, August 6, 2020 Time: 5pm Address: UFF-UCF Elections Committee 

PO Box 622645 Oviedo, FL 32762-2645 

Anyone who is or becomes a UFF-UCF dues-paying member as of June 30, 2020 will be eligible to vote. The election ballots will be sent to eligible members by mail on July 1, 2020 and they will be required to send back their vote to be delivered to the above address by 5pm August 6, 2020. The ballots will be collected and counted at 6am on August 7, 2020 at the Oviedo Post Office, 83 Geneva Drive, Oviedo, FL 32765. 

Descriptions of these positions may be found in our chapter bylaws, https://www.uffucf.org/bylaws/.

Ballots will be mailed to members’ homes on July 1, 2020, and ballots are due back by mail on Thursday, August 6, 2020, by 5 p.m

UFF UCF Election 2020 Vote Counting

On August 7, 2020, the envelopes with ballots will be collected from the Oviedo Post Office at 6 a.m. The video recording of the envelopes’ collection will be provided shortly at the UFF UCF Election 2020 site.

The tally will be held at Fairfield Inn and Suites Orlando East/UCF by Marriott (3420 Lake Lynda Drive, Orlando 32817, phone 407-270-6480) from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., or as required. Please join us using the following zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82781752095

Campaign Rules

Developed by Dr. Nina Orlovskaya, Election Chair of UFF UCF Chapter, Verified and Approved by United Faculty of Florida

1. The Election Committee notifies candidates by email in writing of the campaign rules including: a) the right to inspect the union’s membership list; b) the right to distribute campaign literature to members at each candidate’s expense by the election committee; and c) the right to have zoom and limited onsite observers at the tally of ballots.

2. The rules will be distributed to all eligible candidates by email in writing on Saturday, June 13, 2020, along with their eligibility letters. For the interested candidates, 1 hour zoom meeting with a link https://floridaea.zoom.us/j/3914467031 to explain the rules and answer questions will be conducted on Monday, June 15, 2020, at 4 p.m.

3. The Election Committee will advise candidates, current officers, and current council members about the prohibition against the use of union and employer funds and resources (including cash, facilities, equipment, supplies, and union membership lists) for the purpose of campaigning to support any person’s candidacy. There is also a prohibition against campaigning on time paid for by the union or employer. All printed and electronic campaign materials, including but not limited to websites, provided to the members must bear the written identification of the candidate and carry an identification of their source and sponsorship, i.e. “Paid for by the Campaign to Elect _____.”

4. All candidates have a right to equitable treatment.

5. The Election Committee will solicit candidate statements from each candidate. These statements will be published on the union chapter website. The word length of the candidate statements for each office is: a) 500 words for candidates running for president; b) 250 words for candidates running for other executive offices; c) 50 words for all other positions.

The Mail Ballot Package

The six mail ballots package items are required and each member should receive the following items:

Item 1:

3 5/8” x 6 ½” (No 6 ½ envelope) Secret Ballot Envelope. This blank envelope will be used by the voter to enclose the market ballot. The words “Do not write your name or other identifying information on this envelope” might be used to advise members not to place any identifying information on this envelope

Item 2:

3 7/8” x 8 1/8” (No 9 envelope) will be used by the voter to return the secret ballot envelope with the marked ballot sealed inside. It should be preaddressed to the PO Box and contain space for the voter to print her/his name and address in the upper left corner. If we assign a voter identification #, it should appear in the lower left corner of this envelope.

Item 3:

41/8” x 9 ½ “ (No 10 envelope) will be used to mail other four mail ballot items to each member. The return address should be a post office box designated solely for the receipt of ballot packages returned undelivered.

Item 4:

Election Notice and Voting Instructions

Item 5:

Unmarked Blank Ballot will be received by each voter

Item 6:

1 page Presidential Candidate Statements – provided to the election committee 72 hours before the ballot package shipment deadline

Election Notice

A secret ballot election for the offices of president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary, as well as 20 senators, 20 alternate senators, 9 FEA delegates, and 9 FEA alternate delegates is being conducted by mail. Ballots for this election are being mailed to members on July 1, 2020. Any eligible member who has not received a ballot in the mail at home by July 7, 2020, or any member who spoils a ballot may request a new ballot by contacting Election Committee Chairperson Nina Orlovskaya at norlovsk@gmail.com or by text at 407-913-4438. Only the replacement ballot will be counted at the tally.

Instructions For Mail Voting

• Please read the following instruction carefully before marking and mailing your ballot:
• Mark an “X” or place a “√” in the box next to the name of the candidate of your choice. If you would like to vote for the full slate with one mark, mark an “X” or place a “√” in the large box labeled “Full Slate”. Do not place your name, initials, or any other identifying information on the ballot. Ballots containing any identifying information will be voided.
• Place your marked ballot in the small envelope labeled: “Secret Ballot Envelope” and seal it. Do not write on this envelope. You are asked to use the secret ballot envelope to insure that ballot secrecy is maintained.
• Insert the sealed secret ballot envelope containing your marked ballot into the return envelope pre-addressed to the UFF UCF Election Committee and seal it. Print your name and address in the returned address space on the return ballot envelope.
• Your name on the returned envelope will identify you as an eligible voter. The number in the lower-left corner of the return ballot envelope will be used by the Election Committee for sorting ballots and determining voter eligibility at the ballot count.

Important: Mail your ballot in sufficient time for it to be received at P.O. Box 622645, Oviedo, FL 32762-2645 no later than 5 pm on August 6, 2020.

Description of the positions may be found in our chapter bylaws, https://www.uffucf.org/bylaws/

Ballots

1. Before opening and counting ballots, election officials must first verify voter eligibility. The return ballot envelops will be place in order (alphabetical or numerical) which corresponds to the voter eligibility list. Void (but do not open) any return ballot envelops which does not contain sufficient information that identifies the member as an eligible voter. If the returned ballot envelope does not contain the voter’s name, but does contain a voter identification number, the ballot will be counted. If a voter uses a pre-printed return address sticker with the name, such ballot will be counted.

2. After verification of the voters’ eligibility, the secret ballot envelopes will be removed from the return ballot envelopes and mixed together to preserve ballot secrecy. If the voter has not used the secret ballot envelope, such ballots will be counted, but the precautions must be taken to preserve secrecy. If the ballot could not be found inside of the secret envelope, such envelope should be set aside.

3. Prior to the start of counting ballots, an election official should explain to observers the counting procedure that will be used, such as “stack” method. Ballots will be kept in the full view of the candidate observer at all times, but only election officials with invited helpers counting ballots and also others with recording equipment can handle the ballots.

4. Instructions on the ballots should clearly state the manner in which members should mark their ballots: For example “Mark an “X” or checkmark in the box next to “Full Slate” if voting for the slate.” or “Mark an “X” or checkmark in the box next to the name of the candidates of your choice”. The ballot should indicate the maximum number of votes allowed for each office, such as 1 for President; 1 for Vice President; 1 for Treasurer; and 1 for Secretary; 40 for Senator/Alternate Senator (first 4 Senators’ seats are reserved for elected officers); 9 for FEA Delegate and 9 for FEA Alternate Delegate.

5. The voting instructions on the ballot should advise members that any identifying marks placed on ballot will result in the ballot being voided. The entire ballot should not be voided unless it contains the voter’s name or other marks which identify the voter. Marks which could not identify the voter should not cause a ballot to be voided.

6. Candidates may be listed on the ballot according to affiliation with a particular slate. However, a voter must also be able to choose among individual candidates if he or she does not wish to vote for an entire slate. The candidates in the slate may be listed in the following order: President; Vice President; Treasurer; Secretary; 40 Senators/Alt Senators listed alphabetically; 9 FEA Delegates listed alphabetically; 9 FEA Alternate Delegates listed alphabetically.

7. The “stack” method will be used to count ballots.

8. The candidate with the highest number of votes (plurality) will be declared elected.

9. After the tally has ended and the election results have been announced, all ballots, eligibility lists, and other election related records will be placed in the box. Election officials will seal the box with tape, write their names and the date across the tape, and store the box in a safe place at least one year.

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Thank you to all of the 2020 Officer Candidates

The full list of candidates is below.