40-1. Election and Procedures for Council Representatives
40-1.1 Council shall be the final judge of its own membership. It shall determine, in accordance with the APA Bylaws, the number of representatives to which each voting unit is entitled. It shall be the final judge of any dispute relative to the election of its members or the seating of alternate representatives.
40-1.2 The chief staff officer is a member of Council ex officio and shall be without vote.
40-1.3 Any question relative to the election of a representative to Council, or to a position as officer of the APA, must be raised at the time of the report by the Election Committee to Council of the results of that election. Any question, once raised, may be deferred for subsequent determination by Council, and the person whose election has been challenged shall not take office until final approval has been voted by Council.
40-1.4 As soon after January 1 of each year as information is available, the chief staff officer shall report to the Election Committee the results of the apportionment ballot for Council seats. This information, together with the current membership of Council, shall be the basis of nominating and election ballots that are sent to members of Council's voting units.
40-1.5 The Council apportionment ballot shall be sent November 1 or the next business day. The ballot period closes at the end of forty-five days.
40-1.6 In the event of the death or resignation of any Council representative or if a representative is for any reason no longer a Member of APA, the voting unit may designate another eligible member as its representative for the remainder of the term. Notice of election or appointment shall be presented to the APA Recording Secretary.
40-1.7 The APA President shall preside over Council. At the opening of an annual or special meeting of Council, the APA Recording Secretary shall call the roll of Council. Such alternates as are present and are duly qualified by appointment and by the absence of the regular representatives shall be recognized and seated. If a Council representative fails to attend a meeting of Council and does not arrange an alternate, the Recording Secretary will inform the voting unit of the failure of its representative to attend the Council meeting.
40-1.8 The appointment of an alternate representative for a voting unit shall be certified in writing to the Recording Secretary in advance of the alternate representative being seated. The certification shall be from an officer or director of the voting unit so represented or from a person authorized in writing by the voting unit to make such appointments. Consistent with the APA Bylaws, an alternate representative shall be a member of the voting unit who is also a member of APA and shall not be a member who has served as a Council representative for the six consecutive years prior to the year in which they serve as an alternate.
40-1.9 Newly elected representatives to Council shall assume office on January 1 of the year following their election to office.
40-1.10 No individual may serve more than twelve years as a member of Council when representing a Division, State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association or Ethnic Minority Psychological Association, whether as a representative or as an alternate unless an exemption has been granted by the Board of Directors. An exemption may be requested by a Division, State/Provincial/Territorial Psychological Association or Ethnic Minority Psychological Association when the entity: (1) is unable to find two candidates who do not exceed the twelve-year term limit requirement; and (2) will have only one seat on Council during the year in which the member would serve, if elected. Also, in accordance with Article V, Section 7, of the APA Bylaws, an individual who has served for six consecutive years as a member of Council shall not be eligible for election or appointment for a period of one year as a representative from any Division, State/Provincial/Territorial Association or Ethnic Minority Psychological Association. An individual’s term of office as a Council member shall be terminated when necessary to comply with the term limitations set forth in this section.
40 1.11 Since Article V, Section 4 of the APA Bylaws states that no person shall be eligible to represent more than one organization in Council at any one time, no person may be listed on an election ballot as a candidate to represent more than one voting unit in Council.
40 1.12 Unless it is an ex officio appointment, there shall be at least two nominees on the final election ballot for each office of Council representative.
40 1.13 Names of candidates running for Council seats must be submitted to the APA Election Committee before March 15 of the year in which the election is held.
40-2. Ethnic Minority Psychological Association Non-voting Delegates to Council
40-2.1 Each Ethnic Minority Psychological Association affiliated with APA shall be invited to appoint a non-voting delegate to Council if they choose not to appoint a voting member of Council.
40-2.2 Non-voting delegates to Council shall be entitled to: (a) receive all except confidential materials provided to the Council of Representatives; (b) attend all Council sessions, workshops and caucuses with the exception of the Executive Sessions of Council; (c) be seated in a portion of the Council chamber designated for their use; (d) speak to agenda items of direct concern to their constituents, if specifically invited to do so by the Presiding Officer.
40-2.3 Non-voting delegates to Council shall not be entitled to vote on matters before the Council.