Nominations and Elections
(a) Each year and at least 30 days before the annual meeting of the members, a meeting of the members shall be held in each district which a vacancy will exist on the Board of Directors at the next annual meeting. Such a meeting shall be called at the time and place within the district as may be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice of the district meetings shall be given by the Secretary of the Cooperative by mailing a notice thereof to each and every member residing within the district not less than seven (7) days previous to the day of such meeting. At least ten (10) members, who reside within the district, present in person, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Board of Directors shall appoint a director to act as temporary chairman of the meeting and until a chairman and secretary have been elected by the members present. The members from said district present at such meeting shall nominate one or more members from the district as candidates for the Board of Directors. Nominations may not be closed until all the members present have had an opportunity to nominate. A list of nominations for directors shall be immediately prepared, signed by the Chairman and Secretary, and posted at the principal place of business of the Cooperative.
(b) Nominations by petition. Any fifteen (15) or more members from any district in which a vacancy will exist on the Board of Directors at the next annual meeting may make other nominations in writing over their signatures not later than 25 days before the annual meeting and the secretary shall post the same at the same place where the list of nominations made by the district meetings is posted.
(c) A ballot marked “Ballot for Directors, District Number ___” shall be prepared for each district in which a vacancy will exist on the Board of Directors at the next annual meeting, which ballot shall contain the number of the district, the names of all nominees from the district so posted, alphabetically arranged, and be distinctive from the ballots for the other districts because of color or mixup, which ballot shall be delivered to the members of said district, either by mailing or otherwise before the annual meeting or given to said members at the annual meeting. Nominations by members of said district may also be made from the floor at the annual meeting. No member may vote by mail for directors. The members from a district may, at any meeting at which the director from that district be removed, as hereinbefore provided, elect a successor thereto, from the district in which the vacancy exists, without compliance with the foregoing provisions with respect to nominations. In every election, the nominee from each district in which a vacancy exists receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected to the Board of Directors. In case of a tie vote for director, the incumbent shall remain on the board until the next annual meeting, and the procedure for nomination and election shall be repeated and a director elected at the following annual meeting for the balance of the three year term. If there is a tie vote and no incumbent, the vacancy can be filled by the directors for the period until the next annual meeting. To not withstanding anything in this Section contained, failure to comply with any of the provisions of this Section shall not affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any election of directors.
Vacancies
Subject to the provisions of these bylaws with respect to the removal of directors, vacancies occurring in the Board of Directors shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining directors and directors thus elected shall serve for the remainder of the term in which the vacancy occurs and until their successors shall have been elected and shall have qualified.