The College Council is the governing body of the Ontario College of Teachers. College members elect 17 of the 31 Council members. Elected members serve three-year terms and represent the English, French, Catholic, public, elementary and secondary school systems in all regions of the province.

Principals/vice-principals, supervisory officers, private schools and faculties of education are also represented by elected members.

Electronic Voting

The election of the third College Council will be conducted entirely online through the College web site at www.oct.ca. Every member of the College in good standing effectiveFebruary 21, 2003 will be eligible to vote.
Participating in the election is straightforward. To vote, members will need to take a few minutes to open a secure account in the Members' Area, accessible from the main page of the College web site, where they will also cast their ballots.
Election ballots will be available in the Members' Area from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 3, 2003 until 11:59 p.m. on April 14, 2003. The voting function will be removed from the web site at midnight on April 14. The ballots will be tabulated and verified on April 15. Results will be posted on the College's web site on April 16, 2003.

Electoral Categories

The 17 eligible Council positions are divided into the following electoral categories:

• six geographic regions
• seven province-wide school systems and panels
• four additional categories.
  

Eligibility to Vote

Every member of the College in good standing effective February 21, 2003 is eligible to vote.
All College members are eligible to cast one vote for a regional candidate.

In addition to their regional vote:

• The majority of College members are eligible to cast one vote for each of the seven positions in the province-wide system and panel positions.
• College members employed as a principal or vice-principal - but not as an acting principal or vice-principal - may also vote for a candidate running for the principal/vice-principal position.
• Members employed as supervisory officers may also vote for a candidate running for the supervisory officer position.
• Members employed by a private school may also vote for a candidate running for the private schools position.
• Members employed as tenured or tenure-track members of a school or faculty of education at a university may also vote for a candidate running for the faculties of education position.
  Members employed as principals, vice-principals, supervisory officers or at private schools and faculties of education are not eligible to vote for any of the province-wide system and panel positions.

Voter's Guide

1. Voting for Regional Candidates
   All College members in good standing as of February 21, 2003 are entitled to cast one vote for a regional candidate based on the residency of the member.
2. Voting for Province-Wide System Positions
   You are eligible to cast one vote for each of the province-wide system positions if you are a College member in good standing as of February 21, 2003.
   The College's e-voting system will make ballots for these positions available to you along with your regional ballot.
   You may not vote in this electoral category if you are employed as a principal, vice-principal, supervisory officer, or by a private school or as a tenured or tenure-track employee working at a school or faculty of education within a university.
3. Voting for Additional Category Positions
   College members in good standing as of February 21, 2003 who hold the necessary qualifications and who are employed as a principal, vice-principal supervisory officer or in a private school or a tenured or tenure-track position in a faculty of eduction may vote for a regional candidate and one other candidate in one of these additional category positions:

Electronic Ballots

The College will provide members in good standing with a personalized electronic ballot in the secure Members' Area on the College web site.

Each ballot is individually customized to reflect the electoral categories for which the voter is eligible to cast a ballot.

Ballots will be available in the Members' Area at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 3, 2003. Election information and detailed candidate biographies will be available on the web site along with instructions for casting a ballot.

Replacement Ballots
A ballot may be replaced online only if the original ballot has not been cast. A replacement ballot will be issued if the original ballot no longer applies to a voter, and when a request accompanied by a written explanation is submitted to the College Registrar.

A voter who indicates they meet the requirements to cast a ballot in an additional category will be issued a new electronic ballot after proof of eligibility in writing is provided to the College. Upon verification by the College of the proof of eligibility, a new electronic ballot will be issued and the original ballot will then be disabled.

The College is not obligated to re-issue a ballot after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, 2003.

Change of Address
College members can access the Members' Area on the College web site and change their address. Members can also submit their address changes in writing by mail or fax at 416-961-8822. Members who change their address online will automatically receive an electronic ballot that reflects the change. Address changes mailed or faxed to the College must be received and processed by the College before the changes are reflected on the electronic ballots.

How to Vote
To participate in the election, members will need to take three or four minutes to open a secure account in the Members' Area on the College web site where they will also cast their votes.

To cast a ballot, voters will be required to indicate their choices by computer mouse click according to voting instructions posted on the site.

Election ballots will be available in the Members' Area at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 3, 2003. The deadline to vote is 11:59 p.m. on April 14, 2003.

Questions?
For more information about the election, voters can call the College's election information line at 416-961-8800 ext.262 or toll-free in Ontario at 1-888-534-2222 ext. 662.

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