ACTRA Toronto Council 2024 By-Election

A seat on the ACTRA Toronto Council has become vacant and will be filled through a By-Election.

ACTRA Toronto Full Members are eligible to run in this By-Election. Full Members interested in seeking election to the Council to fulfil this vacant seat must complete and submit the Nomination Form below by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, October 18, 2024.

What’s on this page:

Process overview

Each duly nominated candidate will be invited to attend the next ACTRA Toronto Council meeting on Friday, November 1, 2024, at the ACTRA Toronto office and may be invited to speak for up to three (3) minutes each.
Candidates are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the ACTRA Toronto Councillors’ Handbook ahead of the By-Election.
The vote will be conducted by a secret in-person ballot during the ACTRA Toronto Council meeting on Friday, November 1, 2024.
Only sitting ACTRA Toronto Councillors are eligible to vote in this By-Election (it is not open to the general membership).
The successful candidate must receive 50% plus 1 of the eligible votes cast. In the event there is no successful candidate after the first ballot, the candidate receiving the least number of votes will be removed from the ballot and the voting will take place again. This process will be repeated until a candidate receives the required number of votes to be declared elected.
The successful candidate will immediately take office upon their election and will remain on Council for the duration of this Council’s term (through to the December 2025 ACTRA Toronto Council meeting).
Results of the election will be made known to the general membership on the ACTRA Toronto website.

Eligibility

Only ACTRA Toronto Full Members are eligible to run for ACTRA Toronto Council. In the case of this By-Election, only sitting ACTRA Toronto Councillors are eligible to vote.

By-Election timeline:

Friday, October 18, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. – deadline for candidates to submit completed nomination forms.
Friday, November 1, 2024 – By-Election at the ACTRA Toronto Council.

ACTRA Toronto Council

ACTRA Toronto is an independent branch or local union of ACTRA, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. It is governed by a Council of elected ACTRA Toronto Members with the support of union staff, in accordance with the ACTRA Toronto By-Laws and the ACTRA National Constitution and ACTRA National By-Laws.

ACTRA Toronto Council is composed of twenty-four (24) ACTRA Toronto members in good standing, elected every two years by all full members as described in Article 4 of the ACTRA Toronto By-Laws.

ACTRA Toronto’s governing council of twenty-four performers acts as a board of directors, making the policies by which ACTRA Toronto is run.

The Executive Officers of ACTRA Toronto Council (usually referred to as “the Executive”) consist of the President, the immediate Past President, the Treasurer and up to five other Vice-Presidents. (The Executive Director, Alistair Hepburn is also an officer of ACTRA Toronto Council with voice but without vote.)

Executive Officers other than the President and the Executive Director are named by ACTRA Toronto Council for two-year terms at the second meeting of a newly-elected Council, once it is in office.

The President is named by ACTRA Toronto Council every alternate year to the election year.

Per article 11.3 of the ACTRA Toronto By-Laws, a By-Election will take place at the ACTRA Toronto Council meeting on Friday, November 1, 2024, to replace a Councillor who is stepping down.

What does the ACTRA Toronto Council do?

Develops an annual operating plan and budget
Establishes policies and procedures for the branch
Supports committees, caucuses and advocates in outreach, organizing and activism
Debates and votes on motions to respond to member and industry concerns
Communicates decisions and actions to members with one voice
Holds staff accountable – through the Executive Director
Elects National Councillors to represent ACTRA Toronto on ACTRA’s National Council

Officers of Council

The officers of ACTRA Toronto Council consist of: the President; the immediate Past President; the Treasurer; up to five other Vice-Presidents, who may be given such titles and functions as ACTRA Toronto Council may determine; and the Executive Director, who is an officer of ACTRA Toronto Council with voice but without vote. The officers of ACTRA Toronto Council are commonly referred to collectively as the ACTRA Toronto Executive Committee.

Officers other than the President and the Executive Director are named by ACTRA Toronto Council for two-year terms at the first meeting of a newly-elected Council, once it is in office. (ACTRA Toronto Council’s delegates to ACTRA National Council are also named for two-year terms at this meeting).

ACTRA Toronto President

The ACTRA Toronto President is elected by the ACTRA Toronto Council every alternate year to the election year. The President chairs the Council meetings and serves as the chief spokesperson for ACTRA Toronto.

How Council Works

It is the practice of ACTRA Toronto Council to meet on the first Tuesday of every month in the Sean Mulcahy Council Chamber at the ACTRA Toronto office or on-line through video-conferencing, except for one month in the summer. Council must meet once every three months. Quorum for regular business is 12 members or alternates present. The By-Laws define an expanded quorum where issues such as budgets or elections are required.

The Minutes of Council meetings are posted on-line once they have been approved by the ACTRA Toronto Council.

ACTRA Toronto’s Operating Plan and Budget are set by the Council each year and presented at the Annual General Meeting of Members in February. View the Operating Plan and Audited Financial Statements for details.

The Rules of Order

ACTRA Toronto Council meetings are chaired by the ACTRA Toronto President and conducted in accordance with Bourinot’s Rules of Order.

ACTRA Toronto Council By-Election Rules

ARTICLE 11 – ELECTION RULES FOR ACTRA TORONTO COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS, EXECUTIVE AND NATIONAL COUNCIL DELEGATE ELECTIONS

(11.1) The ACTRA Toronto Council elects its own Executive Officers, delegates to the National Council and may vote to fill vacancies on the Council itself.

(11.2) These Elections shall be conducted by the ACTRA Toronto Executive Director. The ACTRA Toronto Council may further appoint two (2) staff members and up to 3 scrutineers who are full members of ACTRA to witness the counting of the ballots and ensure a fair and accurate count. (Note: scrutineers may not vote nor run in these elections but can be members of the election committee. See Article 10.)

(11.3) In the event of a vacancy on the ACTRA Toronto Council, the following election process shall apply:

(a) Notice of the by-election and Nomination Forms will be provided to all full ACTRA Toronto members, including members who ran in the general election, a minimum of 28 days prior to the Council meeting where the election will take place.

(b) Members interested in seeking election to the Council must submit the completed Nomination Form fourteen (14) days prior to the Council meeting.

(c) Each duly nominated candidate will be invited to attend the Council meeting and may be invited to speak for up to three (3) minutes each.

(d) The vote will be conducted by secret ballot. The successful candidate must receive 50% plus 1 of the eligible votes cast. In the event that there is no successful candidate after the first ballot, the candidate receiving the least number of votes will be removed from the ballot and the voting will take place again. This process will be repeated until a candidate receives the required number of votes to be declared elected.

(e) The successful candidate will immediately take office upon their election.

(f) Results of the election will be made known to the general membership on the ACTRA Toronto website.

(g) Upon completion of the vote, Council will be asked to support a motion to destroy the ballots.

Nomination Form

Nomination forms must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, October 18, 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.

We, the undersigned Full Members in good standing of ACTRA Toronto, hereby nominate: