The election process for the Miniature Hereford Breeders Association® (MHBA) and the Miniature Hereford Youth Foundation® (MHYF) takes several months to complete.  I would like to walk you through the steps that are taken to insure a proper election is provided.

The MHBA  is constantly keeping accurate records of the Associations membership roster as this is critical to our election process.  Prior to the election process beginning, the MHBA Secretary will contact the Accounting firm and complete all necessary contracting documents.  On the day the election process is to begin (Friday, March 1, 2024) the Miniature Hereford Breeders Association will make a list of all current eligible voting members who hold a paid Family Membership in the MHBA.  Each of these members will then be sent by mail an official nomination packet (as per Article II, Section 11-12 of the By-Laws). This packet will include any nomination information needed (what positions are up for election, nomination criteria, nomination form, and the nomination return deadline, etc.).

Keep in mind that there are some stipulations that apply to the MHBA and MHYF elections regarding nominating and voting eligibility.  Article III, Section 1 states that “to qualify for a position on the MHBA Board as well as one of the nine Regional Director positions, a candidate must be an individual and presently a Member in Good Standings (a MGS is an individual with a minimum of three consecutive preceding years without lapse as a paid Family member prior to the current election cycle).”  Also, according to Article II, Section 11-13, “Executive Board of Directors may be nominated and voted on by all MHBA paid members holding a current Family Membership.  Members of the nine Regions shall nominate and vote on members from their own Region to represent them as their corresponding Regional Director.”

When a member receives their official nomination packet, they are able to complete the nomination form and return to the MHBA Secretary via mail prior to the established nomination deadline.  As the nomination forms are received by the MHBA Secretary, he/she will add the names to a Nomination Roster.  After the nominee’s name is added to the roster, their vetting process begins with the MHBA and MHYF Secretaries working together to properly vet each individual nominated.   During the vetting process the Secretaries check to see if the person holds a current “Member in Good Standings” status (being a current paid member for a minimum of three consecutive years or longer prior to the current election process) according to the MHBA By-Laws.  If the nominee does not qualify, they are notified by their Secretary (MHBA or MHYF) and provided the reason for their non-qualification at that point. If the nominee does qualify to hold office, they are contacted and asked if they accept their nomination.  If they accept the nomination, their name is moved to the official ballot list; if they decline, their name is moved to a declined nomination list.  After the nomination deadline has passed, and the nominees are vetted, the MHBA Secretary will make sure that all qualified candidate names are properly placed on the Official Ballot.  The MHBA Secretary will then mail an Official Ballot packet to the independent Accounting firm, as well as to all eligible MHBA Family level memberships, with a return envelope to the MHBA’s Independent Accounting firm (Article II, Section 10-13).  As members complete his/her ballot, it is important to note that the Official ballots are not returned to the MHBA Secretary or any other member of either Board.  The ballots instead are mailed directly to the independent Accounting firm where they will be tallied.  The results are blind tallied and the MHBA Secretary will never be informed of the votes submitted by individual members.  The results of that tally will be sent directly to the MHBA Secretary only, where he/she will make record of the official results.  It is then the Secretaries duty to contact each individual who has been officially elected and inform them of their selection. Candidates that were not elected will be notified and thanked for their participation in the MHBA/MHYF elections.  The MHBA and MHYF Boards will then vote on the acceptance of the Accounting firms results of the election. The results of the election will then be made available to all MHBA members via several avenues (website, Facebook, email).  

Whew….yes, it does take that long, but it is well worth it.  The MHBA and the MHYF encourage our members to participate by placing their nominations in and voting in our election process.