SECTION 550:1-3-4. Election of Board members

(a)   Election procedures. The following procedures shall govern the election of Board members:

(1)   Eligible nominees will be placed on the election ballot.

(2)   Members eligible to receive election ballots and their mailing addresses will be determined at least one week prior to the date the election ballot is to be mailed.

(3)   The ballot will be mailed at least three weeks prior to the date the completed ballot must be received by the certified public accounting firm. This ballot will instruct voters to return their ballot directly to the certified public accounting firm and will specify the date by which the certified public accounting firm must receive the ballot in order for it to be counted. Self-addressed, postage-paid envelopes will be enclosed to return the ballots. The ballot and return envelope will be placed in individual envelopes addressed to each active member separately in care of their mailing address on file with the System. The envelopes will be mailed First Class to the member. Mailings to retired members will be made to the address used to mail year-end tax notices (1099R). The System shall make no attempt to forward/resend any mailing returned by the United States Postal Service as undeliverable unless it is found that the mailing was sent to an incorrect address due to an administrative error on the part of the System.

(4)   Ballots will be pre-numbered and require the individual signature of the voter to be counted. Ballots will be printed on the certified public accounting firm letterhead or watermarked paper.

(5)   The nominee receiving the highest number of votes, even if this constitutes less than 50% of the total votes cast, will be elected to serve on the Board.

(6)   Votes cast for members other than nominees contained on the ballot will not be counted.

(7)   Ballots returned to the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System or some location other than the certified public accounting firm's office will not be counted.

(8)   Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.

(9)   Ballots with more than one vote will not be counted.

(10)   Ballots which are not signed will not be counted.

(b)   Certified public accounting firm procedures. A certified public accounting firm shall:

(1)   Review ballots before mailing. Judgmatically select members listed on the district mailing list and verify that they are to receive a ballot. Judgmatically select ballots and verify that members are listed on correct district mailing list.

(2)   Accumulate responses and total results.

(3)   Exclude any ballots not received by the certified public accounting firm by the cut-off date, or other spoiled ballots.

(4)   Provide the total number of votes cast for each nominee and total available votes to the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement Board.

(c)   Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System procedures. The Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System shall:

(1)   Prepare the ballot for each district holding an election. Include each nominee's biographical sketch. Photocopy and/or print the ballot on the certified public accounting firm letterhead or watermarked paper.

(2)   Copy of ballot to be posted in the office of the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System for public view during regular office hours not less than seven business days before the ballot is to be mailed.

(3)   Pre-Number each ballot sequentially.

(4)   Obtain mailing list for each district conducting an election. The mailing list should contain the name and mailing address of each member in the district eligible to receive an election ballot.

(5)   Apply the name and mailing address of each member on district mailing list on a ballot and place the ballot and a self-addressed return envelope in window envelopes.

(6)   After certified public accounting firm has audited the ballots, mail a package to each member on district mailing list.

(7)   Send notification of election results to nominees via certified mail.

(d)   Tie votes. Should two nominees tie for the most votes received, the election will be conducted again between the two nominees.

(e)   Election challenge. A nominee has 10 days from the date they receive notice of the election results to provide the System with written notice of their desire to challenge the results.

(1)   Should the election results be challenged by a nominee, procedures for determining the winning nominee will be established by the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement Board and could include but are not limited to:

(A)   Verification of a sample or all of the signatures on the ballots.

(B)   Re-perform the election with notarized ballots.

(2)   The Board may order a new election if the Board, in its discretion, finds that the previous election and/or result was affected by some material impropriety. The new election will be conducted in the same manner as provided by rules with the exception that the Board may establish a revised time frame for the new election.

[Source: Amended at 14 Ok Reg 1987, eff 5-27-97; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 2759, eff 7-1-01; Amended at 20 Ok Reg 1338, eff 6-1-03; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 1423, eff 6-1-04; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 979, eff 6-1-05; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 1985, eff 7-1-08]