march 2009 issue
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Voting begins
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The 2009 APEGGA Election is underway, with a new approach and new features in place to increase participation. Voting officially began on March 2 and continues until 12 noon MDT on Sunday, April 5.
For the second year in a row, the preferred method of voting is online. At the end of February, the Association mailed letters containing individual passwords to eligible voters.
After consulting focus groups, APEGGA has made improvements to the electronic voting system and promotion of the election. Last year, the trend towards lower voter turnout continued, with under 10 per cent of eligible members casting ballots. Not long ago, the election would attract 19 or 20 per cent.
An audio-video forum of candidates for President-Elect and Vice-President appears online. Also online are biographies of all candidates, an FAQ sheet and the voting site itself. Last month, The PEGG published the biographies in a special section.
Visit www.apega.ca and click on the hotlinks under the electronic voting icon on the home page. Also watch for an online thermometer graphic measuring voter participation.
Members can still choose to vote on a paper ballot, if they prefer. You must contact APEGGA to have one mailed to you or if you have not received your password.
Not all members are eligible to vote. If you are permitted to use the designations P.Eng., P.Geol. or P.Geoph. and are not a foreign licensee, you are eligible. Honorary life members and life members are eligible, and so are registered professional technologists, who use the R.P.T. designation.
In addition to foreign licensees, not entitled to vote are provisional licensees, members-in-training, student members, ASAP student members, exam candidates and honorary members.
“Improving voter turnout is extremely important to this Association,” said Executive Director & Registrar Neil Windsor, P.Eng. “We’re a self-regulating organization, and as such we speak and act on behalf of a large and diverse membership. We rely on members participating in their Association, and voting is one of the key ways they can do that.”
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