Returning Officer Report SHA Elections 2025
SHA Elections were called on 17th January 2025.
Three officer posts (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer), 4 Vice Chair posts and 15 Central Committee posts were advertised, and nominations invited. The closing date for nominations was 12 noon on February 9th 2025.
Criteria for eligibility and the nomination process was stated, with a link provided to the online nomination form. An email address was provided for any queries.
All nomination forms came directly to me and to SHA Administration. I maintained a log of nomination forms as they were received against the post for which they were being nominated.
At 12 noon on February 9th I declared the nomination period closed.
I forwarded my list to SHA Admin, and asked for confirmation that it corresponded with their list. I requested validation of each candidate against the stated criteria. I agreed that any candidate appearing to fail criteria should be given 48 hours to submit evidence to the contrary.
At 12 noon on 11th February I declared that stage of the process closed, and moved to the next stage, which was to call for any necessary elections.
Validated nominations were received for all of the advertised posts, officers, vice chairs and central council – 22 posts in total. For each of the declared vacancies, the number of nominations matched the number of posts, with none to be contested. I therefore declare the successful candidates in each category to be as shown on the list appended (Appendix 1).
I would like to state my thanks to the candidates who have put themselves forward for what can be quite challenging and demanding roles.
I would especially like to place on record my grateful thanks to Jamie Penquite-Green for her assistance in setting up the election, and patiently testing, re-testing and debugging the system used.
Gary Clifford
Returning Officer
Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Socialist Health Association will take place on Sunday 23rd February 2025 by zoom. This will be the date that the term of office of the current nationally elected Officers, Vice Chairs and all member representatives on to the Central Council comes to an end. SHA branch representatives to the CC are elected at branch AGMs. We are writing to invite you to stand in the 2025 elections for the following roles:
Chair, Secretary & Treasurer
These 3 officers meet weekly or more frequently and deal with day-to-day issues. Time commitment is at least 24 hours a month. Tasks: in addition to own role, representing the SHA in public events, attendance at Labour Conference. Officers need to be able to respond promptly to day-to-day issues. The SHA is a registered company, the officers, with the vice-chair team are all company directors. Officers are members of the SHA Central Council (CC) and report to it.Vice-Chairs x 4
These vice chairs are part of the team of 7 directors which includes the officers. The directors meet monthly or sometimes more frequently. Directors lead significant functional areas of work with fellow CC members in various working groups. Time required at least 8 hrs a month. Tasks: representing the SHA at public events and may need to be available labour movement conferences. They report to CC meetings.Central Council members x 15
As well as Central Council delegates elected by Scotland and Wales (at their AGMs) and by English branches, there are 15 Central Council seats elected from the whole of the SHA. There is no difference in role irrespective of how you are elected and SHA members can only be delegates to Central Council in one capacity. The Central Council meets at least quarterly, and it is expected that all delegates will participate in work streams to support the SHA.Elections 2025
The deadline for submitting your nomination to stand in the election for one of the above posts is 12 noon 9th February 2025. You need to be a SHA member on the freeze date, 29th December 2024 to vote and / or be nominated. You may include a 300 word election address indicating how you could contribute to the role you are standing for. If our systems permit passport style photos can be submitted. You may only submit your self nomination and election address on line through an on line form which will be provided. Late submissions will not be accepted, submissions over 300 words will be cut at 300. Your name will appear on the ballot in the form you submitted it (we suggest first name, SURNAME). The order of the candidates will be randomised. Candidates can only stand for one position (eg you can’t stand as Secretary and Vice Chair and Central Council member). The count is largely computerised but candidates may attend the count themselves or appoint a representative to be present.
Nomination form here: https://sha2025.doitdns.net/app/sha-nomination-form-2025#/nominate/apply/
This election will take place electronically. To maintain the integrity of voting; ballots will be sent to unique email addresses (so couples sharing an email address will only get one ballot). Those who have not registered an up-to-date email address with the SHA will not get a vote. Please notify our admin before close of nominations if you wish to amend your email address. admin@sochealth.co.uk
In the week following the close of nominations if there are contested elections emails with links to the ballot will be generated and sent out in batches to those who were SHA members on the freeze date. If you have not received a ballot by 16th February please check your spam folder. If you have not been sent a ballot please contact the returning officer by email with evidence that your membership was paid up in full as of the freeze date (a few payments on our membership record do not identify the originator).
If elections for some roles are uncontested then within 24 hours of close of nominations SHA members will be notified of these results (this is to try to ensure the work of the SHA continues smoothly).
Result The Returning Officer will declare the results at the start of the Annual Meeting.
A more detailed agenda for the AGM will be sent in due course.
Reminder
Eligibility to stand and/or vote in the elections
Only members who were fully paid up on the freeze date (29th Dec.) are allowed to be nominated, attend and have full voting rights at the meeting. The SHA is a grassroots organisation and members of different parliaments and assemblies and their staff, staff of the Labour Party or other affiliated socialist societies while welcome to be SHA members are unable to stand for office in the SHA. (section 3e of our constitution)
The Returning Officer can can be contacted here: https://sha2025.doitdns.net/embed/sha-nomination-form-2025/apply#/nominate/contact
Central Council previously approved the use of Election Buddy as the electronic tool for voting. We plan to continue to use this software.
We look forward to your involvement in these national elections. Please reserve the date of the AGM in your diaries.
Our Constitution (adopted 2021)
TIMELINE
- You must have been a fully paid up member on 29th Dec 2024 to vote in, or be nominated and stand for the election.
- 9 Feb. 12PM – 2025 deadline for submitting self nomination.
- 11 Feb. Ballot distribution by email starts if there are contested elections.
- 16 Feb. No ballot? Check spam / junk email folder then contact admin@sochealth.co.uk to request ballot be issued / reissued.
- 21 Feb., 12PM – Ballot closes
- 23 Feb. Returning Officer presents report of election and results to AGM.
