Article VI. Terms of Office and Elections

Section 1. No member may serve on the Section Executive Committee for more than nine consecutive  years.

Section 2. Each term of office shall begin on January 1 regardless of whether the election is held at the Section Annual Business Meeting or a mailed or electronic ballot election.

Section 3. A position on the executive committee, including an officer position, may be, at the option of the Executive Committee, deemed vacant if that member: (A) Fails to attend two consecutive meetings, in the absence of an excuse approved by the chair prior to the meeting; or (B) Fails to attend four consecutive meetings, even if excused.

Section 4. Except as provided by Article IV, Section 3, and except for the office of Chair-­Elect, the Section Executive Committee shall fill by appointment until January 1 of the next year any position that becomes vacant.

Section 5. Any officer or Member-­at-­Large appointed to fill an unexpired term shall serve the unexpired period. Such members shall then be eligible at the next Section Annual Business Meeting or mail or electronic ballot election for election for a first full term, unless the member’s election to the new term will result in a violation of Section 1 of this article.

Section 6. At the Section Annual Business Meeting or a mail or electronic ballot election, the Section membership shall elect: (A) A Chair-­Elect, Secretary and Treasurer, each to serve a term of one year; and (B) Members-­at-­Large to serve terms of two years or less on the Section Executive Committee.

Section 7. The Chair-­Elect will succeed to the office of Chair on January 1 and serve a term of one year. If the office of Chair-­Elect is vacant at the Section Annual Business Meeting or a mail or electronic ballot election, then a Chair shall be elected by the members. No officer shall serve two successive terms in the same office, except the Treasurer. A Member-­at-­Large may serve no more than four consecutive years as a Member-­at-­Large.

Section 8. At least sixty (60) days prior to the Section Annual Business Meeting or a mail or  electronic ballot election, the Section Executive Committee shall appoint a nominating committee of not less than three members of the Section, no more than two-­‐thirds of whom may be on the Executive Committee. The nominating committee shall make and report to the Chair at least thirty (30) days prior to the Section Annual Business Meeting or the date of a mail or electronic ballot election one nomination for each position to be filled by election. The nominating committee shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that the members nominated reflect the diversity of the Section membership, the Oregon State Bar and community at large, taking into account all relevant factors including without limitation practice area, office location, age, gender,  race, ethnicity, disability and sexual  orientation.

Section 9. To the extent possible, no more than one person from the same law firm, company or department of a public agency may serve on the Executive Committee at the same time.

Section 10. If elections are held at the Section Annual Business Meeting, the report of the nominating committee shall be distributed to the Section membership along with the notice of the time and place of the Section Annual Business Meeting at least fourteen (14) business days in advance of the meeting. Additional nominations for any position may be made from the floor at the Section Annual Business Meeting. Elections for contested positions may be by written ballot. Each contested position shall be set forth and voted upon separately. In a contested election, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected.

Section 11. Upon approval of the Section Executive Committee, elections may be by mail or electronic ballot of the Section membership provided that: (1) write-­in votes are allowed, (2)
ballots are returned to an appropriate Section officer for tabulation, and (3) the results are certified to the Bar Center no later than November 15.