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Procedures for Election
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Procedures for the Election
of the

IMU Executive Committee (EC)
IMU Commission on Development and Exchanges (CDE)
Joint International Commission on the History of Mathematics (ICHM)

    The procedures for election of the IMU EC, the IMU CDE, and the ICHM, as well as the Executive of the Committee International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI), which can also be found below, were adopted by the IMU General Assembly in Santiago de Compostela, August 12-13, 2006.
  1. The Nominating Committee of the International Mathematical Union will be formed with the purpose of presenting slates of nominations to the Adhering Organizations in preparation for the elections at the General Assembly. It will consist of seven people chosen as follows:
    1. Chair — The Chair of the IMU Nominating Committee is chosen by the President of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) and must not be a current member of the IMU Executive Committee, or work in the same country as the President.
    2. President of IMU — The current President of IMU, in the year that the Nominating Committee is formed, will be a member of the IMU Nominating Committee with full voting rights.
    3. Three other persons chosen at random from nominations — The Executive Committee of IMU arranges for the choice of three people at random from nominations received from Adhering Organizations of IMU of persons who are not current members of the IMU Executive Committee, who are willing to serve, and who do not work in the same country as the Chair or President.
    4. This call for nominations should be sent to the Adhering Organizations by 1 September in the year ICM-2 (that is, two years prior to the International Congress of Mathematicians), with nominations to be received by 1 December of the same year. One person must be chosen from nominations submitted by Groups I and II, one person chosen from nominations submitted by Groups III and IV and one person chosen from nominations submitted by Group V. Each Adhering Organization may submit one name of a person who is willing to serve. If there are no nominations in one of these three categories, then a person will be chosen at random from the other two categories.
    5. Two persons with experience of IMU — Finally two persons are chosen jointly by the Chair and the President of IMU. In the event of disagreement, the Chair and President each will choose one person. These two people should ideally be former members of the IMU Executive Committee or, if such persons are unavailable, have significant experience of IMU’s affairs. In order to gain a balanced IMU Nominating Committee, the Chair and President will consider criteria such as geography, sub-field representation, and gender representation.

  2. Duties of the IMU Nominating Committee
    1. Nomination slates will be formed for the IMU Executive Committee (EC), IMU Commission on Development and Exchanges (CDE), and the Joint International Commission on the History of Mathematics (ICHM).
    2. The slates for the commissions will be formed taking advice from the current officers of these commissions, but this advice is not binding on the IMU Nominating Committee.
    3. The IMU Nominating Committee will nominate one name for the position of President of IMU, Secretary of IMU, President of CDE, and Secretary of CDE and one name for each of the two Vice Presidents of IMU. The IMU Nominating Committee will nominate at least two more names than the number of Members-at-Large of IMU and CDE, and for the ICHM representatives.
    4. Schedule — By 1 September ICM-2, the Chair of the IMU Nominating Committee accepts post. By 1 February ICM-1, the Committee is complete. A separate ICMI Nominating Committee will form slates for the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction.

  3. Calls for Nominations
    1. By 1 November ICM-2, the IMU Secretary will send a call for nominations to the Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics for the offices of President and Secretary of IMU. The Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics’ submissions must include a candidate’s declaration of willingness to serve if elected and a CV. These nominations are due 15 January ICM-1.
    2. By 1 September ICM-1, the IMU Secretary will send a call for nominations to the Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics for the offices of Vice President and Members-at-Large for the IMU EC, the Chair, Secretary and Members-at-Large for CDE and for the IMU Representatives to ICHM. The Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics’ submissions must include a candidate’s declaration of willingness to serve if elected and a CV. These nominations are due by 15 November ICM-1.
    3. The Nominating Committee is free to nominate persons for all offices.

  4. Slate — Two months prior to the IMU GA, the Secretary will send to the Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics the IMU NC slates, including candidates’ CVs, plus a list of all persons nominated. The Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics are asked to cooperate in having their delegates to the IMU General Assembly fully informed.

  5. General Assembly
    1. The Chair of the Nominating Committee will present the IMU slates to the General Assembly. If the Chair is unavailable, the President of IMU will present the slates.
    2. Further nominations can be made from the floor after the slates of the IMU Nominating Committee have been presented, provided that they are drawn from names previously offered by the Adhering Organizations and Committees for Mathematics as in item 3, signed by at least ten (10) delegates, from at least (3) three countries. In exceptional circumstances, nominations not previously offered as in item 3 can be made from the floor provided that each case be approved by a vote of the GA. Each such nomination must be accompanied by a statement of willingness to serve, a 2 page CV and be signed by at least ten (10) delegates, from at least three (3) countries.
    3. The IMU General Assembly shall then elect the following: the new President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Members-at-Large for the IMU EC; Chair, Secretary and Members-at-Large for CDE; IMU Representatives to ICHM. The vote will be taken via written ballots that include the Nominating Committee slates as well as the list of nominations from the floor as stated in 5b.
    4. Voting by the General Assembly shall be by delegations, provided that each delegation shall be free to cast the votes to which it is entitled either as a unit or divided in such a manner as it may determine. Each delegation will receive the number of ballots corresponding to its specific number of votes and one envelope. The head of each delegation will distribute a ballot to each delegate present. To record a vote, a delegate will mark an “X” in the column next to the candidate’s name and then place the ballot in the envelope provided. Each delegation must return all ballots distributed to them, even if the delegation votes as a whole, e.g., Group III will receive three ballots and must return three completed ballots, even if the ballots are identical. The head of each delegation has the responsibility to complete any ballot for which no delegate is present.
    5. A vote shall be invalid if more names are marked in any category than the number of places to be filled (i.e., IMU EC — one each for President and Secretary, one for each of the two Vice-Presidents and one for each of the Members-at-Large, CDE — one each for Chair and Secretary and one for each of the Members-at-Large, ICHM — one for each of the two IMU representatives).
    6. A candidate for IMU EC President or Secretary is elected if he or she obtains a majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the balloting will be repeated. If a tie still exists, the IMU President will decide.
    7. In the ballots for the IMU EC Vice-Presidents and Members-at-Large, the candidates respectively who obtain the largest numbers of votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie, the IMU President shall decide.
    8. A candidate for the IMU CDE Chair and Secretary is elected if he or she obtains a majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the balloting will be repeated. If a tie still exists, the IMU President will decide.
    9. In the ballots for the IMU CDE Members-at-Large, the candidates who obtain the largest numbers of votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie, the IMU President shall decide.
    10. In the ballots for the IMU ICHM representative, the two candidates who obtain the largest numbers of votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie, the IMU President shall decide.

International Commission on Mathematical Instruction
Procedures for Election

  1. Formation of the ICMI Nominating Committee
    The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) Nominating Committee will be formed with the purpose of presenting the slate of nominations for the ICMI Executive Committee (EC) to the Adhering Organizations and member representatives to ICMI, in preparation for the ICMI elections by the ICMI General Assembly (GA). The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven people, each with full voting rights. None of its members shall be eligible for nomination for the ICMI EC. In forming the ICMI Nominating Committee, due consideration should be given to balance, for example with respect to geographic region, sub-field, and gender. The ICMI Nominating Committee will be formed by the following process, which should be completed by 31 December, year ICME-2 (that is, two years prior to the International Congress on Mathematical Education).

    1. Chair of the Nominating Committee
      The Chair of the ICMI Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the President of the ICMI in consultation with the President of the IMU and must not be a current member of the IMU EC or the ICMI EC, or be working in the country of either president.

    2. President of ICMI, or his/her nominee
      The current President of the ICMI, or a nominee of the President, in the year that the ICMI Nominating Committee is formed, shall be a member of the ICMI Nominating Committee.

    3. President of IMU, or his/her nominee
      The current President of the IMU, or a nominee of the President, in the year that the ICMI Nominating Committee is formed, shall be a member of the ICMI Nominating Committee.

      The above three members shall constitute the "core members" of the ICMI Nominating Committee.

    4. One person chosen by the IMU EC
      The current IMU EC, in the year that the ICMI Nominating Committee is formed, will choose one person to be a member of the ICMI Nominating Committee. This person should, ideally, be one who is knowledgeable regarding ICMI matters and must not be a member of the ICMI EC in the year that the Nominating Committee is formed.

    5. Two persons chosen at random from nominees of ICMI/IMU member countries
      The ICMI EC will administer a random selection of two members of the Nominating Committee from a pool of nominees submitted by the ICMI member countries in good standing.(1) These nominees shall be persons who are not current members of the ICMI Executive Committee, who are willing to serve, and who do not work in the same country as any of the Nominating Committee members in categories a)-d) above. Each ICMI member country in good standing will be entitled to at most one nomination for the Nominating Committee. The call for such nominations should be sent by the ICMI EC to the Adhering Organizations and the member representatives to ICMI, by 1 September in the year ICME-2.(2) Nominations, submitted to the ICMI EC, should be received by 1 December of the same year.

    6. One person experienced with the work of ICMI, chosen by the core members of the ICMI Nominating Committee
      One further member will be chosen by the core members of the ICMI Nominating Committee. This person should, ideally, be a former member of the ICMI Executive Committee.

  2. Duties of the Nominating Committee — the ICMI Nominating Committee Slate
    A nomination slate, to be called the "ICMI Nominating Committee slate," will be formed by the ICMI Nominating Committee for the election of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI EC). This slate shall consist of a unique candidate for each of the four ICMI officers (President, Secretary-General, and two Vice-Presidents), plus at least seven nominees for the remaining five members ("Members-at-Large") of the ICMI EC to be elected. When forming this slate, the ICMI Nominating Committee, in addition to taking into consideration the nominations received in response to the call made in accordance with item 3 below, is authorized to nominate any duly qualified person for each position.

  3. Call for Nominations
    By 15 November ICME-2, the ICMI Secretary-General will send a call for nominations — to the Adhering Organizations and member representatives to ICMI — for each of the ICMI EC positions: President, Secretary-General, Vice-Presidents, and Members-at-Large. Each nomination in response to this call must be accompanied by the proposed candidate’s CV and declaration of willingness to serve if elected. These nominations must be received by 1 April ICME-1 for President and Secretary-General, and by 1 June ICME-1 for the other positions, in order to be assured of official consideration. Only member countries in good standing are eligible to submit nominations.

  4. Presentation of the Nominating Committee Slate
    Two months prior to the ICMI GA, the Secretary-General will send to the Adhering Organizations and member representatives to ICMI the ICMI Nominating Committee slate (see item 2 above). This will be accompanied by a CV for each of the candidates on the slate, plus a list of all nominations submitted to the ICMI Nominating Committee (and meeting the conditions in item 3 above).
    If, subsequent to presentation of the slate, and before the General Assembly election, a candidate becomes suddenly unavailable, the core members of the ICMI Nominating Committee shall have the responsibility to propose a replacement candidate, with appropriate documentation, in time for the General Assembly election.

  5. Nominations from the Floor of the General Assembly
    From the floor of the General Assembly, delegates may present additional nominations, subject to the following prior conditions.

    1. The nomination must be for a specified position, and come from a member country in good standing, with the written endorsement of at least ten other member countries in good standing.
    2. The person nominated must be among those proposed by the Adhering Organizations and member representatives to ICMI in response to the call for nominations made in accordance with item 3 above.
    3. The nomination must be accompanied by a CV of the nominee and a reconfirmation of the nominee’s willingness to be so nominated, and to serve if elected.
    4. In case the nominee is already on the ICMI Nominating Committee slate, but is now being nominated for a different position, that person's name will then be withdrawn from consideration for the position proposed in the ICMI Nominating Committee slate. In short, no person may run as a candidate for more than one position.
    5. The intention to make such a nomination from the floor, together with the above supporting materials, must be communicated to the Secretary-General of ICMI prior to the General Assembly, in time for possible advance dissemination of the documentation to the General Assembly delegates.

  6. Election by the General Assembly
    1. The Chair of the Nominating Committee will present the ICMI Nominating Committee slate to the ICMI General Assembly. If the Nominating Committee Chair is unavailable, the President of ICMI will present the slate.
    2. Further nominations may be made from the floor, subject to the requirements in item 5 above. This will complete the formation of the ICMI slate.
    3. The election of the ICMI EC, based on the ICMI slate, will be conducted as follows. The election shall be presided over by the President of ICMI, or, should the President be not available or be on the ICMI slate, by a member of the ICMI EC, designated by the ICMI EC, who is not on the ICMI slate. Separate elections (with written ballots) shall be taken in the following order, each member country in good standing, represented by its delegate to the GA, having one vote in each election:
      • President [vote for one]
      • Secretary-General [vote for one]
      • Vice-Presidents [vote for two]
      • Members-at-Large [vote for five]
      A ballot will be considered invalid if more names are marked than the number of places to be filled.
    4. A candidate for ICMI President or Secretary-General shall be considered elected if the candidate either is unopposed or receives a majority of the votes cast. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a second ballot shall be taken for the two or more candidates receiving the largest numbers of votes. The winner of the second ballot shall be the candidate receiving the largest number of votes cast. If there is more than one such candidate, the winner shall be chosen by the presiding officer from among those candidates receiving the largest number of votes.
    5. For the election of Vice-Presidents, the two candidates receiving the largest numbers of votes shall be considered elected. If more than two candidates qualify by this criterion, then a second ballot shall be conducted for these candidates to elect the one or two positions not yet determined by the first ballot. If this second ballot leaves the election still unresolved, then the presiding officer shall choose the winner(s) from among those receiving the largest number(s) of votes.
    6. For the election of Members-at-Large, the five candidates receiving the largest numbers of votes shall be considered elected. Should more than five candidates meet this criterion, a second ballot shall be conducted for those candidates meeting this criterion, to elect the one or more positions not yet determined by the first ballot. If this second ballot leaves the election still unresolved, then the presiding officer shall choose the winner(s) from among those receiving the largest number(s) of votes.

  7. Changes in the Election Model
    The above terms for the structure and formation of the ICMI Nominating Committee (items 1 and 2 above) form part of the Terms of Reference of ICMI as a Commission of the IMU. As such, any changes in them should be proposed to the IMU EC, for possible submission to the IMU GA for approval. On the other hand, the above election procedures are part of the operating rules of ICMI, and, as such, are under the jurisdiction of the ICMI GA. Proposed changes to the election procedures (items 3, 4, 5, and 6 above) should either be submitted to the ICMI EC, for possible consideration by the ICMI GA, or they may be proposed from the floor of a GA meeting. In the latter case, action on the proposal can be taken only at the following meeting of the GA. Any proposed changes adopted by the GA will apply starting with the election following that meeting of the GA.

Notes
(1) "Good standing" is defined by two requirements of the ICMI member country: 1. Being current in dues payments; and 2. Having clearly identified a member representative who, in turn, has established effective contact with the ICMI Secretary-General.

(2) The letter of solicitation of nominees for the Nominating Committee from the ICMI member countries in good standing should contain some explanation of the functioning of the Nomination Committee, and of the desired qualifications of members of the Nominating Committee.

Transition Process

  1. The new ICMI EC nomination and election model has been approved by the IMU EC in 2004, along with similar proposed changes in its own nomination and election processes. This model has two parts: (1) Formation and function of the Nominating Committee; and (2) Election by the General Assembly of ICMI. In light of IMU EC approval, part (1), the new model for formation of the ICMI Nominating Committee, and the fulfillment of its duties, have been implemented for the 2006 election. The existing Statutes of IMU remain in force at this time, so that the slate submitted by the 2006 ICMI Nominating Committee shall have the status of advice to the IMU EC. This slate shall be communicated to the EC’s of both ICMI and IMU and will, with IMU EC approval, be presented by the ICMI Nominating Committee Chair to the IMU General Assembly in Spain.

  2. The election of the ICMI EC shall then take place at, and by, the General Assembly of IMU, at ICM-Madrid in 2006. The ICMI Nominating Committee Chair, and the President of ICMI, will attend the IMU GA to be available to explain the slate, and to answer questions about it that may arise. If the General Assembly of IMU approves the new election procedures, the terms of the ICMI EC at this election will be for three years, 1 January, 2007 – 31 December, 2009. Exceptionally, the President elected in the 2006 election shall be eligible for nomination for a second term.

  3. The next election of the ICMI EC will be at, and by, the ICMI General Assembly at ICME-11, in Monterrey, Mexico, July 2008. This election will be conducted according to the above model, with the exception that the then elected EC will assume office only on 1 January, 2010, and for a term of only three years, ending 31 December, 2012.

  4. The subsequent ICMI EC election will occur at, and by, the ICMI General Assembly at ICME-12, in 2012, fully in accord with the above model. The ICMI EC elected on that, and future occasions will serve four-year terms, beginning 1 January of the year following the election.

 
last update: 2007-11-24 © IMU http://www.mathunion.org