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C&M By-Laws

I. ELECTION OF C&M CHAIR, VICE-CHAIR, AND BOARD MEMBERS

Administration of Elections

The chair of the committee, or a person designated by him or her as "election coordinator," shall be responsible for the organization of the electoral process. The election shall be guided by the principles of impartiality, transparency, and certainty.

Stage A: Nomination of Candidates
In the first months of each year in which IPSA holds its World Congress, committee members may nominate themselves as candidates for the C&M Board. They may also nominate candidate slates for the chair and vice-chair (joint ticket).

All candidates register their candidacies via the Intranet of the C&M website. To be valid, nominations have to include

  1. a brief biographical statement (maximum 200 words), and
  2. a short statement of purpose (maximum 200 words). The election coordinator establishes the deadline for submissions.

Stage B: Electronic Voting

C&M members shall elect chair and vice-chair as well as ten additional board members for the next period by electronic web-based voting.

Electoral time frame: Electronic voting will be open for a period of at least two consecutive weeks. If turnout lies lower than twenty percent, the voting period can be extended (twice) at discretion of the election coordinator by one full week. The voting process must be concluded a week before the start of the IPSA Congress, at the very latest.

Active and passive suffrage: Committee members registered by the end of candidate registration period are entitled to propose candidates and to vote in the election.

Electoral formula: The Internet election is governed by plurality voting, conditional upon a minimum level of voter turnout.

1. The slate of candidates for chair and vice-chair that receives the highest number of votes is elected, granted turnout (votes / electorate) is higher than twenty percent of registered members.

In case of a lower turnout, the C&M business meeting at the subsequent World Congress has to ratify the results of election. In case of a tie, the business meeting at the subsequent World Congress will decide the winning slate by random selection (through a public toss of coin by the chairperson of the business meeting).

The votes candidates of losing slates receive will be counted as equivalent with votes for the committee board. If they earn more votes than the 10th ranking candidate for the board, they become regular board members.

2. The ten candidates to the board who receive the highest number of votes are elected, granted turnout (votes / electorate) is higher than twenty percent of registered members.

In case of a lower turnout, the C&M business meeting at the subsequent World Congress has to ratify the results of election. In case of a tie for the last position, the business meeting will decide the new board members by random selection (through a public toss of coin by the chairperson of the business meeting). 

Resolution of Disputes
Any unresolved issues about the procedures for, or outcome of, an election will be resolved by the members of the outgoing board by simple majority (allowing for electronic voting by e-mail).

II. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICIALS

1. The Committee Chair, in consultation with the board, appoints the Program Convenor to organize C&M panels at the tri-annual IPSA World Congress.
2. The Committee Chair, in consultation with the board, appoints the three members of the jury of the tri-annual C&M Award for Conceptual Innovation in Comparative Politics. 

Both appointments must be made in a timely fashion. For any of them, the chair may assemble a search committee to assist him or her in the identification of suitable candidates.

III. AMENDMENT OF BY LAWS

Amendments to the by laws may be proposed by the Committee Board or by a petition by e-mail to the committee chair, supported by at least five members. The Committee Board may incorporate minor changes by electronic majority vote without consulting committee members. Fundamental changes require the approval of at least a majority of voting C&M members in a web-based referendum. Referenda are valid only when turnout (votes / membership) lies above twenty percent.

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