Congregation Survey on Voting

Currently all individuals serving on the Mission and Ministry Servant Leaders Group (MMSLG) and the Open Arms Board of Governance (BOG) must be elected by a majority (e.g. 51%) of those voting. Majority voting requires several ballots, eliminating candidates with fewer votes until those elected receive at least 51% of the votes cast.

We do this in a Congregation Voters Assembly on a Sunday at 12:30 after church, which can take 1 ½ to 2 hours. In the recent past, only 50 to 60 congregation members have attended those meetings to vote in the elections, in part because of the timing and the length of time to complete several ballots.

The congregation could require only a plurality of the votes cast for election to “at large” positions on the MMSLG or the BOG, allowing elections to be accomplished in a single ballot. For example, if there were six candidates running for three vacancies, the three candidates with the most votes received would be elected on a single ballot. Using this approach, individuals may be elected with as few as 15-20% of the votes cast.

If we changed to plurality voting, the congregation could use a single ballot and extend the Voters Assembly from 8:00 am up to and including the congregational meeting at 12:30 pm. This would provide a more convenient opportunity for congregation members to vote for candidates because they could do so before or after Church or Sunday School without waiting for an afternoon Congregational Voters Assembly.

Individual Positions (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) would still require a majority and could be accomplished by ranking candidates (1st, 2nd, 3rd choice, etc.) on a single ballot.

The MMSLG wanted to survey the congregation to get a sense of their thoughts on this issue. Please click "OK" and complete the short 3-question survey.

Question Title

* 1. Should Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church change from majority voting to plurality voting for "at large" candidates to be elected to the Mission and Ministry Servant Leaders Group (MMSLG) and the Open Arms Board of Governance (BOG)?

What is your preference?

Strongly prefer staying with majority voting

Somewhat prefer staying with majority voting

Have little preference on the method of voting

Somewhat prefer changing to plurality voting

Strongly prefer changing to plurality voting

Question Title

* 2. Should we continue with the current method of holding a Voters Assembly after service (at 12:30 pm) in which candidates are introduced or should we change to vote throughout Sunday morning (8:00 am to 12:30 pm), where congregation members would vote based on their knowledge of the candidates and/or their biographies?

What is your preference?

Strongly prefer staying with voting in an afternoon Voters Assembly

Somewhat prefer staying with voting in an afternoon Voters Assembly

Have little preference on when voting takes place

Somewhat prefer voting throughout a Sunday morning

Strongly prefer voting throughout a Sunday morning

Question Title

* 3. Please tell us about your past participation in congregational meetings:

I generally always try to attend congregational meetings

I often attend congregational meetings

I sometimes attend congregational meetings

I rarely attend congregational meetings

I never attend congregational meetings

Question Title

* 4. (Optional) Do you have any additional comments or questions that you would like the MMSLG to think about as we consider proposing this possible change method of elections?

Question Title

* 5. Name and Contact Info (completely optional)

Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Congregation Survey on Voting

Question Title

* 1. Should Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church change from majority voting to plurality voting for "at large" candidates to be elected to the Mission and Ministry Servant Leaders Group (MMSLG) and the Open Arms Board of Governance (BOG)?What is your preference?

Question Title

Question Title

* 3. Please tell us about your past participation in congregational meetings:

Question Title

* 4. (Optional) Do you have any additional comments or questions that you would like the MMSLG to think about as we consider proposing this possible change method of elections?

Question Title

* 5. Name and Contact Info (completely optional)

* 1. Should Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church change from majority voting to plurality voting for "at large" candidates to be elected to the Mission and Ministry Servant Leaders Group (MMSLG) and the Open Arms Board of Governance (BOG)?

What is your preference?