October 6, 2020

Delegates will elect three statewide officers and eight Executive Board members in a special statewide election that will take place without any in-person voting.

At a special Sept. 25 virtual Delegate Assembly, delegates approved a temporary constitutional amendment that allows UUP’s statewide election to take place without any in-person voting—an unprecedented step caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Nominations are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 21. Ballots will be mailed out Oct. 28 to seated delegates; they must be returned by 5 p.m. Nov. 25. Ballots will be counted Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The election was originally scheduled to be held at the 2020 Spring DA in April. That event was canceled due to the pandemic.

Delegates will cast mail-in paper ballots to elect a president, secretary/treasurer, membership development officer, and eight Executive Board members. All elections are for three-year terms.

If the membership ratio of academics to professionals remains the same as the present ratio, of the 11 people to be elected, six must be academics and five must be professionals.

In accordance with DA policy, candidates running for statewide elective positions may have statements printed in The Voice, UUP's official membership magazine. The Voice is mailed to all bargaining unit members. Statements are also posted on UUP’s Statewide Elections webpage.

The following provisions apply:

• Candidates may submit a statement of up to 500 words and a photo for publication. If a candidate submits a lengthier statement, it will be set in smaller type to give all candidates equal space.
• Send statements and photos to the attention of UUP Director of Media and Publications Michael Lisi. They must be received at the UUP Administrative Office, P.O. Box 15143, Albany, N.Y. 12212, no later than 5 p.m. Friday, October 23. Email versions may be sent to Lisi at mlisi@uupmail.org (please CC to kmattiso@uupmail.org).
• Statements will be published by order of election and in alphabetical order in even-numbered years and reverse alphabetical order in odd-numbered years.
• Candidates are urged to submit statements and photos by email.

Note: UUP policy prohibits the use of UUP or state equipment or resources (including email) to produce or distribute campaign material for UUP elections.

Statements will be published in the Fall 2020 issue of The Voice and HERE on the UUP website.

Copies of the policy on the distribution of campaign material can be found at chapter offices, or by contacting Secretary/ Treasurer Jeri O’Bryan-Losee at jobryan@uupmail.org, at (800) 342-4206 or at uupinfo.org/elections.