# Elections Policy of the Uttar Pradesh American Football Association (U.P.A.F.A.) **Status: DRAFT — v0.1 — not yet adopted by the General Body** *This is a working draft prepared as a starting structure. It must be reviewed by legal counsel familiar with the Societies Registration Act / applicable registration statute and Indian sports governance norms before being placed before the General Body for adoption.* --- ## 1. Scope and Authority 1.1. This policy governs elections to the Executive Committee under Constitution Article 7, and is adopted by, and amendable only by, the General Body. 1.2. Elections are held every four (4) years, aligned to the Olympic cycle, per Constitution Article 6.3, or earlier to fill the Executive Committee following a dissolution or mass resignation under this policy or the Constitution. 1.3. The seven (7) offices contested are: President, Secretary General, Treasurer, Chairperson–Women's Commission, and three (3) Executive Members, per Constitution Article 6.2. The first four offices are each contested as a separate single-seat election. The three Executive Member seats are contested at-large: the three candidates receiving the most votes among all Executive Member candidates are declared elected. --- ## 2. Election Officer 2.1. The Executive Committee shall appoint an Election Officer for each election, who must be independent and impartial, must not be a candidate in that election, and must not be a current Executive Committee member. The appointment is ratified by the General Body before the election timetable in Section 3 begins to run. 2.2. If the General Body declines to ratify the Executive Committee's nominee, the Executive Committee shall propose a replacement within 7 days, for ratification at a meeting called for that purpose. 2.3. The Election Officer is responsible for: publishing the election timetable and nomination form; receiving nominations; scrutinizing nominations for eligibility; publishing the list of valid nominations and, where applicable, the final candidate list; conducting the poll; counting votes; and declaring results. The Election Officer's count and declaration of results is final, subject to Section 5 (Election Disputes). --- ## 3. Election Timetable Counting backward from Election Day ("Day 0"): | Day (relative to Election Day) | Milestone | |---|---| | Day −30 | Nomination window opens | | Day −15 | Nomination window closes (23:59 IST) | | Day −15 to Day −12 | Scrutiny of nominations by the Election Officer (up to 3 days) | | Day −12 | List of valid and invalid nominations published, with reasons for any rejection | | Day −12 to Day −10 | Withdrawal window: validly nominated candidates may withdraw (up to 2 days) | | Day −10 | Final candidate list published | | Day 0 | Polling and counting | 3.2. The Election Officer shall publish the election timetable, with actual calendar dates, and the nomination form, at least 45 days before Election Day — i.e., at least 15 days before the nomination window in Article 3.1 opens. --- ## 4. Candidate Eligibility and Nomination 4.1. To be nominated for any Executive Committee office, a person must: - Hold Ordinary Membership or Life Membership, or be the designated representative of a District Member, continuously for at least the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the close of nominations; - Be in good standing, with no outstanding fees owed to the Association or any District Unit or Club; - Not be under an active disciplinary suspension under the Code of Conduct; - Meet the age limit and, for a person seeking re-election, the tenure and cooling-off requirements in Constitution Article 6.4; and - Meet any other eligibility requirement stated in the Constitution. 4.2. Prior Executive Committee experience is not required for any office. 4.3. A nomination must be proposed by one voting member and seconded by another, on the nomination form (Annexure A), and submitted to the Election Officer within the nomination window. 4.4. The Election Officer verifies each nomination against Article 4.1 using the Association's membership and fee records and, where a disciplinary matter is relevant, records from the Grievance & Ethics Committee. A nomination that fails to meet Article 4.1 is rejected, with written reasons given to the nominee, who may raise the rejection as an election dispute under Section 5. 4.5. A candidate may withdraw only during the withdrawal window in Article 3.1, by written notice to the Election Officer. A withdrawal after the final candidate list is published is not permitted except with the Election Officer's consent for a documented medical or compassionate reason, in which case the seat is contested by the remaining candidates without a fresh nomination round. --- ## 5. Election Disputes 5.1. A dispute concerning a nomination decision, the conduct of the poll, or the counting of votes must be raised in writing within 5 days of the decision, act, or result being disputed. 5.2. **First appeal** lies to the Grievance & Ethics Committee, which shall hear the matter and issue a decision within 10 days, per the process in the Code of Conduct. 5.3. **Final appeal** lies to the General Body, whose decision is final. Where a dispute over an election result is pending, the office in question is held in abeyance and the outgoing office-holder (or, if none, a person co-opted by the remaining Executive Committee under Constitution Article 6.6) continues to act until the dispute is resolved. 5.4. A dispute may not be raised to delay an election indefinitely: if the Grievance & Ethics Committee or General Body does not resolve a dispute within 30 days of it being raised, the election result stands provisionally pending final resolution, and any consequent correction takes effect from the date of the final decision without invalidating acts taken by the Executive Committee in the interim. --- ## 6. Voting 6.1. Elections are conducted by secret ballot, per Constitution Article 7.2, unless a resolution to the contrary is passed unanimously for a specific election. 6.2. Each voting member under Constitution Article 5.1 — being the authorized representative of a District Association, or an individual Life Member — casts one vote per contested office. No District Association is entitled to more than one vote regardless of its size or membership count; there is no weighted voting. 6.3. Voting is conducted in person at a General Body meeting called for that purpose, unless the Executive Committee resolves to permit electronic voting for a specific election, in which case the Executive Committee shall also approve the electronic voting method and its safeguards for voter authentication and ballot secrecy before the nomination window opens. Postal voting is not permitted unless specifically authorized by General Body resolution in advance of the election it applies to. 6.4. A tie between candidates for the same office (including a tie for the last Executive Member seat) is resolved by an immediate run-off vote among the tied candidates at the same meeting. If the run-off also ties, the Election Officer draws lots in the presence of both candidates or their representatives. --- ## Annexure A — Nomination Form (data fields) Office contested; nominee's full name and membership category/number; proposer's name and membership category/number; seconder's name and membership category/number; nominee's declaration of eligibility (membership duration, good standing, no outstanding dues, no active disciplinary suspension, compliance with age/tenure/cooling-off rules); nominee's signature and date; proposer's and seconder's signatures and date.