21 NCAC 52 .1302             PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING ELECTIONS

The procedures to be followed in the conducting of elections to fill podiatrists' positions on the Board of Podiatry Examiners are as set forth in this Rule:

(1)           At least 30 days prior to the expiration of the term of a board member, written notice of the holding of an election shall be sent to every podiatrist with a current North Carolina license residing in this state using a mailing or electronic address as contained in the board's official records.

(2)           The notice shall have with it a list of at least two, but no more than three nominees proposed by the Board of Podiatry Examiners for the board member position to be filled.

(3)           The election or voting for the board member position shall take place annually prior to July 1 of each year. Additional nominations may be received from the floor or as write‑in nominations on a ballot and may be received from any licensed podiatrist residing in North Carolina.

(4)           Ballots shall be prepared by the Board of Podiatry Elections and distributed or mailed to all North Carolina licensed podiatrists who reside in North Carolina.  Any podiatrist who is eligible to vote and who wishes to vote and who will not be in attendance at the election meeting may request a written ballot from the executive secretary or secretary-treasurer and shall return the ballot prior to the election meeting. Each voting podiatrist shall cast his or her ballot in the ballot box or other designated receptacle or return the ballot to the board's offices located as set forth in Rule .0101 by the specified deadline for receipt of ballots. Late ballots shall not be counted.

(5)           The executive secretary, secretary-treasurer, or such other member of the board as may be designated by the president of the Board of Podiatry Examiners shall conduct a tally of the ballots, record the two names receiving the highest number of votes and their respective percentages, and submit to the president of the board the names of the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes and their respective percentage of votes.

(6)           The president of the board shall in turn submit to the Governor the two names receiving the highest number of votes and their respective percentage of votes with biographical data on the two podiatrists being submitted.

(7)           It shall not be necessary for an individual podiatrist to receive a majority of votes of those North Carolina licensed podiatrists participating in the election.  All licensees shall be notified of the results of the election.

(8)           To be eligible for board membership, a podiatrist must have practiced podiatry in North Carolina for the period of time prescribed by G.S. 90-202.4(a).  A vote for any licensed podiatrist not holding a North Carolina license for that period shall not be counted.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 90-202.4;

Eff. September 1, 1982;

Amended Eff. May 1, 1983;

Legislative Objection Lodged Eff. May 11, 1983;

Curative Amended Eff. May 13, 1983;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2005; December 1, 1988;

Readopted Eff. September 1, 2016.