Election process

Overview

Council elections enable maximum participation for not-for-profit health and disability NGOs.

Health and disability sector NGOs, meeting the criteria listed below, and that are registered as Network members are eligible to participate in the election.

Registered NGOs are welcome to submit nominations for sub-sectors in which there is a vacancy.

Criteria to participate in elections

Health and disability NGOs meeting the following broad criteria will generally be eligible to register and vote:

• independent community and/or iwi/Māori organisations operating on a not-for-profit basis that receive funding through ‘vote health’ (ie: funding from the Ministry of Health and/or at least one district health board)
• conduct activities consistent with the promotion of health or the delivery of health and disability services in the relevant sector
• are non-governmental and not-for-profit
• are a clearly identified NZ organisation (which may include NZ branches of international NGOs).

Registration process

NGOs may join the register at any time, where their sub-sector interests will be recorded. Sub-sector interests are recorded for up to two sub-sectors. Once registered, NGOs remain on the register until they opt off.

Sub-sector registration will be confined to areas where the NGO is receiving ‘vote health’ funding (ie: funding from the Ministry of Health and/or at least one district health board).

Register to vote.

Nomination process

The Council has as its main task the ability to reflect key issues facing the entire not-for-profit health and disability NGO sector and to work strategically on strengthening the sector in its relationship with the Ministry of Health. Consequently, Council members are expected to be a leader within their particular agency and within the sector. Only one representative of an agency is permitted to be on the Council at any given time, no matter which sub-sector they are deemed to represent.

At least two weeks prior to the annual election, there will be a call for nominations to fill vacant positions on the NGO Council.

Any NGO on the register may nominate a person for the NGO Council.

Those accepting nomination for the Council must meet the following criteria:

• be from an agency that receives ‘vote health’ funding in the category for which they are nominated
• have their nomination formally supported and endorsed by their agency
• be prepared to make a three-year commitment to membership of the Council
• be able to attend Council meetings on a regular basis
• be able to contribute to projects and working parties

Where there are more nominations for a category than there are vacancies, the members will be selected based on votes received from NGOs registered to vote in the relevant sub-sector(s).

Be a sector representative.

Election and voting process

Elections are held every eighteen months, in either April or October. At each election half of the Council will be up for re-election.

Prior to the commencement of voting, the Council will make publicly available the list of NGOs registered to vote in each sub-sector and the people nominated for positions within them. Any challenges to registration of an NGO within a sector will be considered and decided on by the current NGO Council membership.

Where an election is necessary, voting will be open for a period of at least two weeks. An electronic ballot of all NGOs registered in each sub-sector will be conducted to determine the Council representatives from that sub-sector. Each agency will be entitled to vote only in the sub-sector(s) for which they are recorded on the register. No agency may vote in more than two (2) sub-sectors.