2026 SEA Officer Elections
In accordance with the SEA Bylaws, all SEA officer positions shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the Association membership.
Voting will be done through a third-party firm with extensive experience working with clients in the non-profit and union sector.
SEA members in active member status as of February 28, 2026, are eligible to vote in this election.
Below you will find the timeline and rules for the 2026 SEA Officer Election*:
February 10 – Nominations OPEN at 7:00pm at RA
March 10 – Nominations CLOSE at 7:00pm at RA
March 17 – Deadline for candidate acceptance of nomination to Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC)
March 20 – Deadline for Coordinated Campaign Literature to NEC
March 26 – Coordinated Campaign Literature and candidate statements posted on SEA website
April 21 – Candidate Forum for SEA Officer positions
April 21 – Voting OPENS at 7:00pm
May 01 – Voting CLOSES at 7:00pm
May 04 – Election results posted to SEA website and office window; challenge period begins
May 06 – Challenge period ends
May 07 or May 08 – SEA Board of Directors certifies election results
RUNOFF election if needed:
May 12 – Candidate Forum for SEA Officer positions
May 12 – Voting OPENS at 7:00pm
May 22 – Voting CLOSES at 7:00pm
May 26 – Runoff election results posted to SEA website and office window; challenge period begins
May 28 – Challenge period ends
June 02 – SEA Board of Directors certifies runoff election results
To download a PDF copy of the timeline and rules for the election, click HERE.
Submission Requirements
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS:
Each candidate may submit a statement to be distributed with the ballot. Candidate statements will be posted on the SEA website. Candidate statements are due at the time of the nomination acceptance. All candidates, whether self-nominated or nominated by others, must respond to the Nomination and Elections Committee co-chair’s candidate acceptance email in order to be listed on the ballot. The maximum candidate statement length is as follows:
| Position | # of Words |
|---|---|
| SEA President | 250 |
| SEA Vice President SEA Treasurer Director of SEA Center for Racial and Social Justice Department Presidents |
200 |
| Department Vice Presidents Board of Directors |
150 |
| Other Department Positions | 100 |
*The Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson(s) reserve the right to eliminate words over these limits.
Rules
COORDINATED CAMPAIGN LITERATURE POSTING:
SEA provides an opportunity for publicity of one piece of campaign material per candidate that will be posted on the SEA website. The campaign flier must:
- Be no larger than a single 8 ½ x 11 page;
- Be a Word or PDF document;
- Include the name(s) of candidate(s) and/or member(s) responsible for the content;
- Indicate that “SEA is not responsible for this content”;
- Be submitted electronically to SEAelectionscommittee@gmail.com;
- Be received by 7 p.m. on March 20, 2026.
WEA-PAC REQUIREMENT:
Please note that all individuals seeking candidacy must be a current WEA-PAC member in addition to holding SEA membership.
USE OF DISTRICT RESOURCES IS PROHIBITED:
Candidates may not use District resources (e.g., copiers, computers, Teams accounts, or supplies) for production or distribution of any candidate materials or for campaign activities.
USE OF UNION RESOURCES IS PROHIBITED:
Candidates may not use the SEA building, equipment, or other resources for any campaign related duplication, meeting, or work party.
SEA will honor any reasonable request by a candidate to distribute campaign literature to members at the candidate’s expense. Requests will be honored in the order received. Campaign literature must be provided to the Election Committee in sealed, stamped envelopes which are ready for mailing. Each candidate should check with postal officials to determine the proper postage.
Candidates must pay the processing costs (up to $500 for a mailing to the entire membership) for each mailing to cover the cost of address labels and processing. Candidates should contact Election Co-Chairs Morgan Leming and Andrew Brown at SEAelectionscommittee@gmail.com to arrange a mailing.
The cost of duplication/distribution of materials is the responsibility of the candidate(s).
Campaigning in buildings does not preclude the use of U.S. Mail or hand-delivered materials to the building at a candidate’s own expense.
Campaign materials shall bear the name of candidates and members responsible for the content and clearly indicate that “SEA is not responsible for this content”.
CAMPAIGNING IN BUILDINGS:
All campaigning for candidates, or by candidates, that takes place at worksites may only occur before or after the contractual day or during duty-free breaks/lunches. Both the campaigner and the receiver of materials must be on duty-free time. Candidates or their designees are permitted to post campaign materials at worksites in places designated for Association communications.
Candidates are prohibited from using district email for campaigning.
REP ASSEMBLY (RA):
Candidates may not distribute or post any campaign materials on the floor of the RA.
SANCTIONS:
If any SEA member is alleged by the Chairperson to be violating campaign rules or timelines, they may be disqualified by the Board of Directors from the election process. A special session of the Board of Directors can be called to rule on any alleged violation. Review of complaints regarding campaign materials will be presented to the Board at the election certification.
If you have questions or inquiries, contact the Nominations & Elections Committee (NEC) at: SEAelectionscommittee@gmail.com.
