Faculty Senate Elections

1. An election committee along with caucus chairs shall conduct an election each year and certify the results with the aid of such offices as are necessary. This election committee shall be composed of the chair or co-chairs of the faculty affairs committee, the chair or co-chairs of the professional staff affairs committee, the president, and the secretary of the senate. Approximately 11 weeks before the first meeting of the new senate, the caucus chair from each unit shall confirm with the Office of Faculty Senate a list of those in the unit eligible to vote and eligible to serve in senate elections. The election committee shall adjudicate any questions of voter eligibility, the unit in which a person should vote, and the eligibility for election to the senate, according to Article II, Section A.1.
2. All eligible voters shall have the opportunity to vote by secret ballot for representatives from their respective unit.
3. Nominees for membership in the senate shall be chosen approximately nine weeks before the first meeting of the new senate by a preliminary ballot of those entitled to vote. The caucus chair in charge of unit elections or a member of the election committee shall ascertain the willingness to serve of those nominated from each unit, in order of number of votes each received, and shall certify twice the number to be elected as the official nominees of the unit. In the event of ties, those receiving the same number of votes shall be included on the ballot for election; eligible voters shall be directed to vote for, at most, the necessary number of senators.
4. Senators shall be chosen by secret ballot in a final election supervised by the caucus chair and election committee. In the event of a tie in the final election, a coin will be tossed to determine the winner. Elections shall be conducted seven weeks before the first meeting of the new senate.
5. A complete summary of the election shall be kept on record for at least three years in the Office of Faculty Senate. Election results shall be forwarded to the president of the senate.
   
   As a vacancy occurs in the senate, the caucus where the vacancy occurred will appoint to the senate for the unexpired term the individual who received the next highest number of votes in the most recent election within the unit. In the case of a vacancy in the Term Appointment caucus, this same procedure will be used, except that the required composition of the caucus will be maintained when filling the vacant seat (see Article II, Section A.1.b.) In the case of a vacancy within the General University caucus for the senator from Olathe, the individual who received the next highest number of votes for that seat in their most recent election will be appointed for the unexpired term. Notification of the replacement will be provided at the next regularly scheduled executive committee and Faculty Senate meetings.
   
   Each caucus shall go back no further than the final ballot to find replacements for vacancies. When the names on the final ballot are exhausted, a special election will be called at the time of the vacancy to fill the vacancy. In the event the names on the final ballot are exhausted and yearly elections are in process, the vacancy may be filled utilizing the current elections. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the caucus chair and election committee.
6. In the event of reorganization of the colleges, extension, the library, or the general administration, representation on the senate of these groups will remain unaltered until after the next regularly scheduled election.

Each year in May, there is what is affectionately known as the "turnover" Faculty Senate meeting. The first portion of that meeting is for the outgoing senate. Then, once that meeting is adjourned, outgoing members depart and incoming members begin their voting role as the first meeting is called to order.

At that first meeting of the new senate, the president-elect assumes the presidency, and a new president-elect and secretary are elected by the senate from its membership or the membership of the immediately preceding senate. If one person does not receive a majority of the votes, there will be a runoff election between the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes. This is the only vote taken by ballot, unless there is only one nominee.

With the assistance of the Faculty Senate Leadership Council, the president and past president are charged with identifying and encouraging individuals to become candidates for officer positions.

During their terms, the president-elect, president, and past president shall serve as senators-at-large with voting rights and not as representatives of their unit.