How to prepare for tyg elections

1. How to prepare for tyg elections A practical guide for the temple youth group advisor/clergy

2. Timeline • Create a clear timeline for Elections • Work backwards from the date that you and your community want newly elected positions for your Temple Youth Group board • From that date, go back 2 weeks and set that as the day the “Intent to Run” forms are due to your email address or inbox • Hold a special elections meeting (to drum up interest and answer questions) 1 week before “Intent to Run” forms are due • Disperse communication about elections, procedures, sample description of positions [link to resources on NFTY page?] and timelines four weeks before elections and two weeks before “Intent to Run” forms are due. If you aren’t sure you’ll get a lot of candidates and want to rally more teens to participate, give yourself 6 weeks or more for communication

3. Procedure for running elections • Consult our “Elections procedure” guide for the best practices in running a TYG board election. [link to guide] • If you are a small congregation without much teen representation, please take a look at our “Small Congregations” section of the guide. • You might want to consider the benefits of running a merged congregational TYG amongst other small synagogues in your area. If the relationship between the two communities is right, it could be a great chance to work with another advisor and/or to expand your reach on your TYG level • We suggest you personally meet with the candidates who intend to run, before elections, so you can get a better sense of their intentions, workload expectations, leadership style, etc. • If you find a teen to be running whom you believe would be harmful to the movement forward of the board or who might derail the work that is being done, you have every right to enter into conversation about those concerns. It might also make sense to have a clergy member present at that meeting.

4. How to run a “meet the candidates” session Whole group setting Rotation setting Participants/delegates are split unto smaller groups and there are rotations to meet the candidates. Candidates walk around to each smaller group and answer questions for up to 5 minutes. Optional: Questions can be written beforehand by either the TYG advisor or current board, to ensure content consistency (it can be assumed they will all hear the same answers to the same questions given) • Candidates stand up in front of the whole group (with a 5-10 minute time limit) and is asked questions by the participants/delegates • The time can be split up either with the candidate speaking about their intent to run AND/OR by asking questions related to their ambitions while in office

5. How to run a “meet the candidates” session SAMPLE “RIGHT” Questions “Not-so-Right” Questions “Why do you think you would be better than the other candidate?” (too much of a chance to use malicious speech about others) “I heard you got suspended from school last week. Why?” (irrelevant, not their business) “Don’t you think it would be better if we planned programs/ran things THIS way…?(not a productive question, accusatory) • “How do you plan to raise the bar in what we do, with the position you’re running for?” • “What big ideas and goals do you have for next year?” • “What excites you most about being in the position you’re running for?” • “Can you tell us about your qualifications and experience, related to this position?” This is the best time to make sure everyone really knows why the candidates are running and what they plan to do. Keep the questions on task around the elections

6. Ties, runoffs and dropdowns • If there is a tie, and there are more than two people running, the bottom vote(s) gets eliminated for a runoff • If there are more than 3 people running and there is no clear majority, take the candidates who received the most votes at the top, minus those at the bottom whose vote count might put them over the edge to receive the majority, and those are your new candidates for the runoff • If there is a tie and only two people are running, ask the candidates if either of them were considering dropping down to another position and if so, would they be willing to run for that? • If there is a tie and none of the candidates chooses to drop down and there is no way a re-vote would determine a winner, consider making it a shared position with clearly defined roles for each person in the job. More leaders get more work and fun done!

7. Ties, runoffs and dropdowns Advantages Disadvantages It can create a lot of candidates for positions lower in the gavel order (Membership VP, Communications VP, etc). Unfair reality for those who have spent a lot of time preparing to run for this position, and then someone else drops down and wins Some participants might vote for a drop down candidate because they feel bad they didn’t win a different election, rather than based on merit and skill • Affords those not elected right away (or with a clear majority) the ability to still be elected to board • Makes sure that there is a well-rounded board with members in positions (helpful for smaller TYGs) and that their leadership skills will still be utilized • A candidate may feel strongly about two positions and would gladly serve either

8. HELP! My TYG elected someone I don’t think is right for the position! • DON’T PANIC • Set up a meeting with you and the newly elected teen, right after elections, to talk about your shared vision for the year • Set goals • Define expectations • Discuss how you will work as partners • Make accountability a priority • Remind them throughout the year of their sacred responsibility to lead their community and be a representative. You are their advisor and leader and you can help impart and remind them of this wisdom • The great thing about teens is they tend to grow and mature, each and every year. Give them guidance and give them the opportunity to grow!

9. If ever in doubt…. • The above are all suggested guidelines. Your community might have a different practice or custom, surrounding elections, and that is OK! • If ever something feels “not right” about the questions the participants are asking the candidates, you have EVERY right to stop them. You want them to model the elections process with integrity and pride, thereby setting the tone for the work you do throughout the rest of the year • If you ever want to make changes to your elections procedure, feel free to consult with NFTY TYG Election Guide resources, other TYG in your community or region, or by reaching out to NFTY regional advisors who also run elections each year for the region.

10. Good Luck&Have fun! [Link to resources?]