Guide to Voting in the Congregational Poll
Your congregation’s vote matters!
With the adoption of new bylaws for our social witness process, your vote matters more than ever! For ANY proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues (CSAIs) to appear on the General Assembly (GA) 2008 agenda, a 25% quorum is required. That is, 25% of all certified congregations must participate in the Congregational Poll. We’re hoping for 100%.Who can vote?
Any congregation that
- submits their completed membership certification form (online or hardcopy) between November 15, 2007 and 5:00 p.m. EST on February 1, 2008 and
- made a financial contribution to our UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007
can vote and will have their vote counted in the Congregational Poll.
What’s the deadline?
5:00 p.m. EST on February 1, 2008! You can vote anytime between November 15, 2007 and 5:00 p.m. EST February 1, 2008, but the deadline is firm!
Where will you find the Congregational Poll ballot?
It’s connected to the online Congregational Certification form, for which a login is required. You can vote in the poll at the same time that your congregation certifies its membership numbers, or later, up to the deadline. Go to http://dyn.uua.org/congregation to begin. Log in with your congregation’s four-digit ID number and password. (The person who certifies your congregation’s numbers and updates your congregation’s membership information should know the password. There’s also a “Forgot your password?” link on the login form.) Click the “Begin Certification of Membership 2008” button to display the certification form, which includes the Congregational Poll ballot.
What are you voting on?
What proposed Congregational Study/Action Issues does your congregation want to appear on the Agenda of GA 2008? For each proposed CSAI, you have the option of voting Yes, No, or Abstain. Up to ten proposals will appear on the Congregational Poll; only five can appear on the agenda of the subsequent GA. You can only cast up to five Yes votes, even when there are more than five proposed CSAIs on the poll. This allows your congregation to determine which issues you think should be considered by the General Assembly. If you can’t decide, vote to abstain. This way, your congregation’s vote will count in reaching the requisite quorum!
Where will you find the texts of the proposed CSAIs?
Go to www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissues. If your congregation wants to vote on a paper ballot and wants to certify on a hard copy form, contact Nick Rafeal in Data Services at the UUA (617-948-4654 or data_services @ uua.org) and request hard copy forms and hard copy texts of the proposed CSAIs.How many votes does a congregation get?
One! One congregation, one vote!
Can you change your mind once your vote has been cast?
Yes, as long as you cast your final vote before the deadline. Go to http://dyn.uua.org/congregation and log in with your congregation’s ID number and password. Click the "Begin Certification of Membership 2008" button and recast your vote.
How does a congregation decide how to vote?
You have many options for making your decision. Some of them might include:
- Hold a congregational meeting after posting a hard copy of
the congregational poll ballot and the text of the proposed CSAIs. Introduce the process (see A Summary of
How the Process Works at www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/process) Allow time for discussion. Ask for a vote on each proposed
CSAI—yes, no, or abstain. If you go
with a majority for each proposed CSAI, make sure that the minority have been
heard.
- Designate a Sunday to make your congregational
decision. Announce it
beforehand in orders of service and in the service that day. Stay in your worship space to
conduct this process. At the
conclusion of your service, post sheets of newsprint on the walls of your
sanctuary, each with the title of a proposed CSAI and a few summary
sentences. Make copies of the full
text available as well.
Invite participants to walk around to all posted items, with each person
checking no more than five for inclusion on the GA agenda. Submit the top five as your
congregational vote.
(Thanks to Fred Muir of Annapolis, MD
for this option.)
- Delegate the decision process to a congregational body that
addresses social justice, denominational affairs, and/or congregational
governance. Ask that body to solicit input from the rest of the congregation
through your newsletter, emails, and/or alternative posting of the
information. Publicize to the whole
congregation how you voted.
- Solicit individual votes through your newsletter, including the text of the proposed CSAIs and the options of Yes/No/Abstain. Tally these and cast your congregational vote accordingly.
Be sure that you VOTE either online or in hard copy form as described above!
Send us your suggestions for improving the process at csw @ uua.org.
How will you know that your congregation has been certified and that your Congregational Poll vote has been recorded?
Once you certify, you receive a confirmation email. This goes to your congregational address in the database and to the email address entered on the certification form. Your vote on the CSAIs is confirmed in this same communication. A list of certified congregations, with an indication of which have voted in the poll, is at http://dyn.uua.org/congregation/certlist.php .
Why should our congregation vote?
Because you can! Ours is a democratic process of participation in our Unitarian Universalist Association. The quality of our democracy depends on your participation! Your participation in the Congregational Poll is part of the process for deciding on what and how our Association of congregations should take action.
What if I have other questions?
Read the information about CSAIs at www.uua.org/socialjustice and the instructions for voting at http://dyn.uua.org/congregation. If you have other questions, email data_services @ uua.org.For more information contact socialwitness @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
