Election Committee Reports Violations of Campaign Guidelines

The following report was prepared by APA's Elections Committee, chaired by Sheldon I. Miller, M.D., for publication in Psychiatric News.

The Elections Committee section of the Operations Manual states in part that "the Elections Committee reports in Psychiatric News, on an annual basis, a summary of violations of the campaign guidelines, and notes by name those members whose violations are deemed egregious by the committee and the Elections Oversight Board." In the 1998 election, the committee did not deem any violations "egregious" but did identify two minor violations to be reported in Psychiatric News.

1. A candidate who was the speaker at grand rounds at a medical school was introduced by the chair of the department as one of the nominees for president-elect of APA. The department chair further explained why he personally supported this person's candidacy. The other candidate was not mentioned.

   The opening paragraph of Section A reads, "If a professional forum is used for campaigning, the opponents must be given the same opportunity; otherwise, the candidate should decline such an invitation."

   Letters were sent to the candidate and to the department chair. The candidate responded that he had had no notice that the department chair would introduce him as a candidate; the department chair apologized but noted he was unaware of the guidelines.




2. An unknown number of postcards were sent on which the reverse side, the address side, in the space for a return address, read:

   American Psychiatric Association
   (3 candidates' names)

   The use of the APA name in this space makes the card appear to have been sent from APA, which was not true and would not have been allowed. There seemed to be no intent on the part of the designers or mailers of the card to violate the guidelines.

   At least one person signed the card using his district branch title.

   Section B.1 of the guidelines states, "APA/Area/District Branch funds or services cannot be used to endorse, support, or promote any candidates. . . . Candidates/supporters who hold appointed or elected APA/Area/DB positions may refer to their titles in the body of the letter, but if they choose to sign the letter, they may not do so over their APA organizational title."

   One of the candidates stopped the mailing before the Elections Committee got involved. It is not known how many cards were sent.