(1) The election of governors shall be held annually on a date set by the board of governors. Nomination shall be by petition signed by at least 10 members entitled to vote for such nominee. Election shall be by ballot. Nominating petitions must be filed with the executive director of the bar. The board shall establish a deadline for filing nominating petitions.
(2)(a) The executive director shall mail ballots, containing the nominations for the office of governor in each region, to every eligible active member in such region. Ballots must be returned in person or by mail to the executive director on or before the day of the election in order to be counted. The executive director shall canvass the votes and record the result thereof.
(b) The board by rule may provide for electronic elections in lieu of using mailed ballots under paragraph (a) of this subsection. Rules adopted under this paragraph may provide for electronic distribution of election materials and electronic tabulation of votes.
(3) In a region in which only one position is to be filled, the candidate receiving the highest vote shall be declared elected. If a region has more than one position to be filled, the candidate with the most votes received shall be declared elected, the candidate with the next highest number of votes received shall then be declared elected, and so on until all positions are filled. The balloting shall be so conducted that only eligible active members can vote, and the secrecy of the ballot shall be preserved.
(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the board may not conduct an election for any position for which only a single candidate has been nominated. If only a single candidate has been nominated, the board shall declare the single candidate elected to the position on a date specified by the board.
(5) A vacancy in the office of elective member of the board of governors that occurs more than 24 months before the expiration of the term shall be filled for the remainder of the term by a governor elected at a special election held in the manner provided in this section as soon as possible after the occurrence of the vacancy, or as provided in subsection (4) of this section if only a single candidate is nominated. The vacancy may be filled for the period between the occurrence of the vacancy and the election of a new governor by a person appointed by the board. A vacancy in the office of elective member that occurs 24 months or less before the expiration of the term shall be filled for the remainder of the term by a person appointed by the board.
(6) A vacancy in the office of public member of the board of governors shall be filled for the remainder of the term by a governor appointed by the board. [Amended by 1973 c.114 §3; 1979 c.252 §15; 1985 c.512 §1; 1995 c.302 §2; 2001 c.297 §1; 2003 c.192 §1; 2005 c.347 §1]
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