Has Earlier Deadline for Petition Candidates in APA's 1997 election, voting members passed an amendment to APA's bylaws that shortens the amount of time in which candidates for national office and Area trustee can campaign. It also shortens the voting period from six weeks to one month.

The amendment changes the deadline for receipt of nominating petitions from November 15 to October 15, or 30 days after the Nominating Committee reports its slate of candidates to the Board of Trustees, whichever is later. This year the Nominating Committee will report to the Board on September 15. In subsequent years, that reporting date may be earlier or later, depending on the schedule for the fall component meetings.

The earlier deadline permits APA to adopt a shortened election schedule that was approved by the Board of Trustees in December 1995, pending passage of the amendment. This election cycle, which ends in February instead of March, is expected to reduce campaign activity and the accompanying demands on candidates' time and finances.

The new deadline for nominating petitions is also the deadline for candidates to submit information for the ballot and the Psychiatric News election issue. The election issue will be published on the first Friday in December instead of January, and the ballots will be mailed January 5. The deadline for returning the ballots to APA is February 5, which under the old schedule was the mailing date (see below).

The number of signatures needed to be nominated by petition remains the same. The current procedure requires signatures from 400 APA voting members to nominate a candidate for national office (except for member-in-training trustee-elect, which requires 100 signatures) and signatures from 100 voting members to nominate someone for Area trustee.

October 15 is also the deadline for receipt of petitions to place a referendum on the ballot. Signatures from 500 voting members are required on referendum petitions.

New Election Schedule

The following is the new schedule for APA's annual election.

September: Meeting of the Nominating Committee to finalize a slate of candidates for the next election (date to be determined).

October 15 (or 30 days after the report of the Nominating Committee, whichever is later): Deadline for receipt of petitions nominating candidates for office and deadline for receipt of candidates' inform-ation for the ballot and the election issue of Psychiatric News. October 15 is also the deadline for receipt of petitions for referenda.

First Friday of December: Annual election issue of Psychiatric News.

January 5: Ballots mailed to APA voting members.

February 5: Deadline for receipt of ballots to be included in vote count.

The Tellers Committee will meet on or soon after February 5 to certify the results of the election. Candidates are notified of the results after the tellers' meeting. The results are considered public but not official until the Board of Trustees accepts the report of the Tellers Committee. The Board may take that action at its next scheduled meeting or by a mail ballot.

(Psychiatric News, May 16, 1997)