(Following content was emailed to the eligible voters of the Nov 1-4 2023 elections)

Request to the General Body to whom the Election Committee reports to:

Please review the report from the Fact-Finding Committee that was made available to the General Body earlier. The Election Committee would like to ensure that the General Body is fully aware of the new information and the feedback that FFC provided and seeks to validate the suitability of these Board candidates against whom complaints have been filed. The Election Committee asks the General Body to vote Yes or No for each of these candidates on the following question:

‘Do you believe this individual is qualified to contest as a candidate for the Board of TAGDV?’

We are giving a one-week deadline from today to the joint Board-Executive Committee for the validation process to be completed by the General Body. The Election Committee will assist with the online voting logistics.
Click here for the FAQ on polling and the polling schedule.
and the proposed schedule. Please note we will continue to update the FAQ section. We are also asking the candidates to provide their own feedback on the FFC report which will be added to the FAQ.

Background information:

The Election Committee depended on the Joint Board – Executive committee to validate the eligibility of the Board candidates. The Election Committee was not aware of any background. The damaging background of one of the candidates (not sharing financial documents needed for tax filing) was brought up during the campaign period. We understood these accusations had emerged earlier in 2021. We also understood that they surfaced with an email communication on April 11, 2022, during the tax filing period.

The Election Committee asked the Board to initiate legal consultation and the associated DUE PROCESS of the Board candidates against whom complaints were filed.  We gave two weeks to complete the process and delayed announcing the Board Results.

Subsequently, the Board appointed a Fact-Finding Committee of Past Presidents to examine the allegations submitted to the Election Committee.  As FFC progressed, FFC requested documents from two of the candidates: one was submitted within a day, while the other never submitted.  Thus, the Board requested an additional week’s time. Therefore, we extended the deadline by another week and notified the Board candidates on November 18, 2023.

The Fact-Finding Committee has reported that offenses have been committed, including a very serious one. This report has been shared with the General Body by the Board of Trustees.

With the new information that has emerged, and following the legal opinion given, the Election Committee is unable to announce the earlier polling results. Let me refer you to TAGDV Bylaws:
TAGDV ByLaw:
6.7 Once the Election Committee is formed, the Election Committee shall act as an independent autonomous body without the influence of anyone in the Association. The Election committee shall have full rights and authority to make effective decisions during the election period in the best interest of the Association. They shall have access to a mechanism or process to communicate directly with the general body and to verify eligible members for contesting and voting.

As several members of the current Executive Committee are unwilling to participate in the decision on ‘Good Standing’ of the candidates, the Election Committee is taking the decision directly to the General Body.

Regards,
T. Justin
Chair, Election Committee 2023
Click here for the FAQ on polling and the polling schedule