Q 1.
Where can I get a package of information and petitions for becoming a candidate?

A. Candidate nomination information packages, with all necessary forms are available from the Local Election Supervisor for your station, or at the station itself, or on-line at pacifica.org/elections

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Q 2.
What will be the powers and responsibilities of the Local Station Board that we are electing?

A. There is a two page description of this “job description,” derived from the bylaws, in the candidate nomination package (available at www.pacifica.org/elections)

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Q 3.
How many seats are up for election?

A. There are actually two elections happening in parallel. One of the elections is for the 18 Delegate seats on the new Local Station Board to be elected by the Listener-Sponsors. The other a election is to fill the six staff Delegate seats to be elected by station staff.

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Q 4.
Who can vote or run in the Listener-Sponsor election?

A. The requirements for being an eligible voter or for being a candidate are the same – an individual must be a listener-member in good standing of the foundation (but not be part of the station staff). The bylaws define a listener-member as an individual who has contributed $25 or more within the past 12 months or has contributed at least 3 hours of volunteer labor during the same period. The cutoff point for the 12 month period is November 21, so the contribution must have been made between November 21, 2002 and November 21, 2003.

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Q 5.
Are there any people who are disqualified from running or voting?

A. Yes. Non-managerial station staff (whether paid or unpaid) may only vote in the staff election, and not in the listener election. Station management may not vote in the staff election but may join the same as any other listener to participate in the listener election. Individuals who are running for or who currently hold a political office (electoral or appointive) at any level government are disqualified from running or serving on a Local Station Board. This exclusion does not apply to those with civil service jobs.

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Q 6.
What if an individual can't afford the $25 and is unable to offer volunteer help to station?

A. In future elections listeners with financial hardships who cannot make the minimum financial contribution, nor volunteer contribution, will be able to apply for a waiver from the Local Station Board, which may grant a waiver at its discretion. However, since no Local Station Board has yet been elected in accordance with the Bylaws, the Bylaws do not authorize any individual or group to grant waivers to the normal membership requirement for this transition election. We are awaiting a legal opinion from a Pacifica attorney on whether there is a legal way that waivers can be granted in this first transition election before the election of Local Station Boards. Check back later for details about a waivers.

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Q 7.
How are nominations made?

A. Nominations are by petition. 15 signatures of members for the Listener Delegate election and 5 signatures of staff members for the Staff Delegate election. Petitions forms are available from the Local Election Supervisor, your station, or on-line at pacifica.org/elections The petitions must be received by the Local Election Supervisor by December 5, 2003 according to the court decision.

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Q 8.
Is a petition all I need to become a candidate?

A. No. candidates will also need to submit a form with some demographic information, a candidate statement (of up to 500 words) that will be posted on the elections web site and mailed with the ballots, and a signed statement that they have read and understood the fair campaign provisions. Candidates may also submit responses to a candidate questionnaire, which will also the posted on elections web site.

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Q 9.
What are the “fair campaign provisions?”

A. The Bylaws require every candidate and staff member (paid and unpaid) to sign a statement that they have read and understand these fair campaign provisions.

1. No Foundation or radio station management or staff (paid or unpaid) may use or permit the use of radio station air time to endorse, campaign or recommend in favor of, or against any candidate(s) for election as a Listener-Sponsor Delegate, nor may air time be made available to some Listener-Sponsor Delegate candidate(s) but not to others.
2. All candidates for election as a Listener-Sponsor Delegate shall be given equal opportunity for equal air time, which air time shall include time for a statement by the candidate and a question and answer period with call-in listeners.
3. No Foundation or radio station management or staff (paid or unpaid) may give any on-air endorsements to any candidate(s) for Listener-Sponsor Delegate.
4. The Board of Directors may not, nor may neither any LSB nor any committee of the Board or of an LSB, as a body, endorse any candidate(s) for election as a Delegate. However, an individual Director or Delegate who is a Member in good standing may endorse or nominate candidate(s) in his/her individual capacity.
5. In the event of any violation of these provisions for fair campaigning, the local elections supervisor and the national elections supervisor shall determine, in good faith and at their sole discretion, an appropriate remedy, up to and including disqualification of the candidate(s) and/or suspension from the air of the offending staff person(s) (paid or unpaid) for the remainder of the elections period.
6. All candidates, programmers, and staff members (paid and unpaid) shall sign a statement certifying that they have read and understood these fair campaign provisions.
   In addition to the foregoing bylaws provisions, the National Elections Supervisor, with authorization of the interim Board of Directors, has adopted the following additional rules to assure that station resources do not unfairly benefit some candidates over others.
7. No station resources, including, but not limited to, services, and meeting space may be provided to some candidates but not equally to all candidates.
8. Website endorsements: All members and programmers that maintain a website utilizing Pacifica or station logos or call letters and/or references to their own Pacifica or station programming that could be mistaken for an official web site, are subject to and shall be bound by these rules:

   a. Endorsements of candidates on such web sites are not permitted. Any such Website reference to a specific candidate or slate of candidates is not permitted, either explicitly or via hyperlink to another web-page. This directive includes all programmer Websites linked through official station web sites. Any web site may generically encourage voting and contain links to official election web sites.
   b. Endorsement emails (web-based & list serve) using private email lists not from station or Pacifica sources are permitted.
   c. Email endorsements shall be fact based, and contain no personal attacks

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Q 10.
What about during the period before a member officially becomes a candidate? Do the fair campaign provisions limit on air time for prospective candidates?

A. The National Elections Supervisor has adopted the following rules on when the Fair Campaign Provisions begin:

A listener member will be deemed a candidate (subject to the fair campaign provisions) once the individual has submitted his or her petition signatures to the Local Election Supervisor. The Local Election Supervisor will provide the General Manager, and post on the elections web site, a list of all Listener-Sponsor Delegate Candidates. Staff will be expected to check this list before scheduling any guests, or participating in a call-in show, etc. in order to assure compliance with the fair campaign provisions.

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Q 11.
Do the restrictions on staff endorsements only cover candidates who have submitted their petitions, or are staff also restricted on endorsements of prospective candidates?

A. The National Elections Supervisor has adopted the following rule:

Pacifica and station staff and management are prohibited from making endorsements on the air, or on any Pacifica or station-identified web site, or at any other Pacifica controlled venue or facility, of either prospective candidates before the nomination deadline, or actual candidates after the nominations are closed.

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Q 12.
How are listeners who want to run going to be able to find other listeners to sign their petition?

A. the station will offer several avenues to facilitate listeners’ ability to gather signatures. The local election supervisor will set up several community gatherings were listeners and prospective candidates can meet. Other groups independent of the station may also set up “meet the candidate” nights on their own and have them advertised on the air as long as they are open to any listeners, are handicap accessible, and don’t endorse or raise money for candidates. Prospective candidates may also submit a statement of up to 500 words to the local election supervisor immediately, which will be posted on the elections web site to allow listeners with Internet access to browse through the statements, contact the prospective candidates with questions, or offer to sign their petition. Stations have also been asked to create a list of listeners who have agreed to offer themselves for solicitation by prospective candidates. Sort of the opposite of a “do not call list,” listeners who want to make sure they will have candidates to their liking to vote for may contact the station to have their names added to the candidate solicitation list.

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Q 13.
Can listeners organize their own community meetings for gathering petition signatures and have them announced on the station?

A. Any listeners may organize community meetings to bring together listeners and prospective candidates for the purpose of learning about prospective candidates and collecting petition signatures. Any such events shall be announced equally on-air provided they have been approved by the Local Election Supervisor, are open to any listener, are in a handicap-accessible location, do not endorse any candidates, and do not raise money for any candidates, or promote events to raise money for any candidates.

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Q 14.
Can candidates or prospective candidates get the station's member mailing list in order to get petition signatures or campaign?

A. To protect member privacy from commercial or other abuse, access to the member list is limited. Any member who requests access to the member list in advance and who has a legitimate Pacifica foundation purpose (such as to contact fellow members about the election), will be provided with some means of fulfilling their purpose. For example, the Foundation can provide the mailing list (or certain zip codes) to an independent mailing company that will mail a piece at the member’s expense, without giving the member the actual list.

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Q 15.
When do petitions and the accompanying paperwork need to be filed?

A. December 5, 2003. The petitions and forms must be received by the Local Election Supervisor by this date – a post mark is not adequate.

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Q 16.
Where should candidates submit their petitions and other paperwork?

A. Post office boxes are being set up by the local election supervisor for each station. Petitions should not be mailed or delivered to the station itself. Contact your local election supervisor to get the P.O. Box number, or check back later.

KPFA Elections Supervisor - Les Radke
P.O. Box 13349
Berkeley, CA 94712-4349
(510) 669 - 1842
les@ix.netcom.com

KPFK Elections Supervisor - Casey Peters
P.O. Box 74596
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(213) 385 - 2786
elections@pcmagic.net

KPFT Elections Supervisor - Dennis Fetters
2450 Louisiana, Box 400-616
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 526 - 4000 x.305
DennisAFetters@aol.com

WBAI Elections Supervisor - Joy Williams
c/o BYD
P.O. Box 23725
Brooklyn, NY 11202
(718) 453-1721
(347) 724 - 3315
joywilliams@att.net

WPFW Elections Supervisor - Rashad Robinson
PO BOX 45
College Park, MD 20741
(301) 270-4616 (Work)
rashadny@yahoo.com

National Elections Supervisor - Terry Bouricius
(802) 864 - 8382 [home]
elections@pacifica.org

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Q 17.
How are the nominating petitions validated?

A. The Local Election Supervisor will verify the names from station database records, and may contact signers to verify their authenticity.

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Q 18.
How do we know if the nominator is a member eligible to vote?

A. Nominators (petition signers) must be eligible voters, which means people who have donated at least $25 or 3 hours of volunteer labor between November 21, 2002 and November 21, 2003, and thus appear on a list of members generated from the station database. The Election Supervisors have ultimate authority over the voter lists. We expect to have a system set up any day now that will allow individuals to conveniently check whether they are on the eligible voter list on-line. Check back again later.

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Q 19.
What if it turns out that some of a prospective candidate’s nomination signatures aren’t valid, and just misses the 15 signature requirement? Will there be a grace period to remedy this?

A. No. The deadline is firm. Prospective candidates would be well advised to gather a surplus of signatures to provide a cushion.

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Q 20.
Can an eligible voter sign nominating petitions for more than one candidate?

A. Yes. a member can sign any number of petitions. In fact a member could sign every single candidate's petition if the member thought they were all worthy candidates.

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Q 21.
Can more than one candidate (i.e. a slate) be included on the same nominating petition?

A. No. The bylaws require the signatures to be on a form supplied by the election supervisors. The form the National election Supervisor has adopted has space for only one candidate per sheet. It may seem like unnecessary paperwork, for those who have already organized slates, but the petition was not designed with the interests of slates in mind, but with interests of voters in mind, allowing a voter to sign petitions for certain members of a slate and to opt NOT to sign the petition for other members of a slate, by keeping each candidate petition separate.

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Q 22.
The nominating petition requests the signer's phone number, but those with unlisted numbers might not want to enter them. Is the phone number required?

A. signature will not be automatically rejected due to failure to include a phone number. If a member has no phone number then the signer should write "no phone" or some such message. Listeners with unlisted phone numbers should include them so that forgeries can be detected. The election supervisor may contact by phone, or by other means, any signer to confirm the member actually signed the petition. Signatures without phone numbers simply warrant extra attention when checking for forgeries.

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Q 23.
What are the remedies for complaints about election and nominating procedures?

A. The Local and National Election Supervisors have a range of remedies up to and including disqualification of the candidate(s), and removal of offending staff from the air until the end of the election. Complaints should be sent to the Local Election Supervisor. A complaint about the Local Election Supervisor should be sent to the National Election Supervisor.

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Q 24.
Can candidates and potential nominees join Pacifica now to run or must they already be members?

A. New members may join the Pacifica Foundation by contributing to a station and be eligible voters and candidates up until November 21, 2003.

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Q 25.
What about nominators, can they join Pacifica anytime before the election or must they be already members before they sign a nominating petition?

A. Petition signers must be members in good standing on the “date of record” which is November 21, 2003.

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Q 26.
What is considered proof of being a member?

A. Inclusion on member lists maintained by the station. If there is evidence of tampering, Elections Supervisors may attempt to verify the accuracy of the records, and have ultimate authority over the lists.

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Q 27.
Who are the local election supervisors for each station and how do I contact them?

A.
KPFA Elections Supervisor - Les Radke
P.O. Box 13349
Berkeley, CA 94712-4349
(510) 669 - 1842
les@ix.netcom.com

KPFK Elections Supervisor - Casey Peters
P.O. Box 74596
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(213) 385 - 2786
elections@pcmagic.net

KPFT Elections Supervisor - Dennis Fetters
2450 Louisiana, Box 400-616
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 526 - 4000 x.305
DennisAFetters@aol.com

WBAI Elections Supervisor - Joy Williams
c/o BYD
P.O. Box 23725
Brooklyn, NY 11202
(718) 453-1721
(347) 724 - 3315
joywilliams@att.net

WPFW Elections Supervisor - Eric Swalwell
PO BOX 45
College Park, MD 20741
(301) 404 - 1378
eswal001@umaryland.edu

National Elections Supervisor - Terry Bouricius
(802) 864 - 8382 [home]
elections@pacifica.org

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Q 28.
As a listener, how can I find out about prospective candidates seeking petition signatures?

A. listeners who are seeking petition signers a post a statement on elections web site that other listeners can browse through, allowing listeners to contact prospective candidates with questions or offers to sign their petition. Also, listeners may give the station permission to release their contact information to prospective candidates, allowing prospective candidates to mail or phone willing to listeners. To add your name to the “please contact list” call 000-0000(coming soon), or click here.

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Q 29.
Are there any campaign contribution or spending limits?

A. No. However, because of the nature of the proportional voting method (as opposed to a winner-take-all election), and since all candidates will receive equal access to airtime, station web sites, and have their statements mailed with the ballots, it is not anticipated that money will play a dominant role.

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