Election Process

BAP Election Process

BAP Election Commissioner Selection

The Election Commission of Association is an independent body under its constitution that will operate the election process of Association. The Election Commission will work as an independent commission without any influence from the Board of Directors. The Election Commission will be appointed by the existing Board of Directors at least three months prior to the expiration of its term. The election will be conducted by an independent Election Commission composed of three members. One Chairperson and two members of the Election Commission will be selected from the following:

  1. Ex-president of BAP 
  2. Ex-Board of Directors 
  3. Members in good standing 
First, three members will be chosen from the former BAP presidents. If for any reason the three members can not be chosen from the ex-presidents of BAP, the remaining member(s) should be selected from the ex-Board of Directors. If the quota can not be fulfilled with this group, the rest of the member(s) of the Election Commission should then be chosen from the members in good standing.

All the selected Election Commissioners need to be current Registered Members in good standing of the Association. The Election Commissioners will not be able to contend for any position in the Board of Directors. The Election Commission will conduct the election process to form the Board of Directors for the next term

The Election Commission shall serve the same two years term limit as the Board of Directors. Any member of the Election Commission who is not interested in continuing must inform the current Board of Directors in writing. The Board of Directors will appoint a new member(s) of the Election Commission to fill the vacancy in accordance with Article 5.1. SECTION 5.1.8 as stated in the constitution. The current Board of Directors will assist the Election Commission for any need in the election process by providing the list of current Registered Members of the Associations, contact details of the Registered Members, and suggesting on anything if asked by the Election Commission.

BAP Election Process

The Election Commission will ensure that

  1. A candidate must be a member in good standing for at least two consecutive years. (current and immediate past year)
  2. The Election Commission will ensure that no candidate will be eligible to serve in the same position on the Board Of Directors for more than three consecutive terms
  3. Election Commissioners will complete the total election process in three months and announce the new Board of Directors before Dec 31 so that the new Board can start its office from Jan 1
  4. The appropriate date if the deadline is not met.
  5. The Board of Directors shall be elected by the direct vote of the Registered Members.
  6. Any Registered Member in good standing can nominate himself/herself for a position by filing a nomination paper.
  7. Any Registered member in good standing must be nominated ((who nominates a candidate) and endorsed (who endorses/supports the nomination) by two other  Registered Members in good standing with written consent.
  8. The Election Commission reserves the right to determine a nomination fee for each candidate aspiring to run for a position on the Executive Board. This fee is intended to support the administrative costs associated with the election process. The Election Commission may decide that the nomination fee is non-refundable after the last date of withdrawal of the nomination.
The Election Commission will announce the election date(s), venue(s) and process related to the election. The announcement will also include, but not be limited to the following dates:

i)     The last date for paying the membership fee to become a Registered Member and be eligible to vote.
ii)    The last date to submit the nomination.
iii)   The last date to withdraw the nomination

Nominees for at least six positions are required to conduct the election. They are:

i)    President
ii)   The Director of Administration
iii)  The Director of Finance
iv)   Any three positions of the Board Of Directors that the competing panel deems necessary.

In the event of some unusual or exceptional circumstances, Election Commission will handle them on a case-by-case basis:

  • In the event, the required six candidates are not found, the Election Commission will seek the nomination(s) for the open position(s) by extending the nomination submission date in accordance with Article 5.2. SECTION 5.2.9 as stated in the constitution. The newly elected Board of Directors will fill the remaining vacant position(s) of eleven not more than fifteen by selecting from the Registered Members in good standing in accordance with SECTION 5.2.10 as stated in the constitution.
  • In the event that two or more candidates for the same position have received the same number of votes, the Election Commission shall arrange for a run-off election with the Registered Members in good standing, as the voters, unless one or more candidates withdraw in favor of a single candidate.
  • In the event that there is only one candidate for a position, that candidate will be announced as elected unopposed when the final list of candidates is published.
  • In the event that there is no candidate for any position of the Board of Directors, the Election Commission will request the existing Board of Directors to serve for another term. If the existing Board of Directors disagree to continue, the Election Commission will work with the previous Board of Directors, previous Election Commissions and Registered Members in good standing to form an interim Board Of Directors that will include at least three positions: The President, The Director Of Administration and The Director of Finance to continue its activities. The interim period will be determined by the agreed upon parties.

Election Date, Venue, Mode of the Election:

Following the closure of the nomination period, the Election Commission will diligently finalize the election date and venue and determine the mode of the election process (online or in person). The Election Commission will release the election results upon the completion of the entire election process.

BAP Election Result : 2024-25

Some Important deadlines for BAP Election 2024-25:

  1. The membership deadline was until November 29, 2023
  2. People could renew membership for 2022 (the immediate past year), with a penalty of $15
  3. The deadline for submitting nominations was December 1 (10 PM MST), 2023
  4. The last date of withdrawal of Nomination: December 8, 2023
The Election Commission decided that for each candidate who wishes to run for a position on the Executive Board must pay a nomination fee of $100 by 10 PM (MST), December 1, 2023. This fee helps support the administrative costs of the election process. Nomination fee was non- refundable after December 8, 2023 (Last date of withdrawal).

Only one nomination was received for each position. Due to this, there was no need for a formal voting process, and the candidates stand unopposed. Here are the individuals who will be serving on the BAP Executive Committee for the upcoming term: 2024-25

  1. President — Hamid Kazi
  2. Executive Vice-President — Rezaul Aziz
  3. Director of Administration — Tauhid Rahman
  4. Director of Finance — Nadira Sultana
  5. Director of Programs — Zaheed Murshalin
  6. Director of Communication — Muhammad Samad
  7. Director of Community Affairs — MD Talath Mahmud
  8. Director of Media and Publications — Shahrina Afrin
  9. Director of Cultural Affairs — Mustafa Ryadh
  10. Director of Youth and Volunteering Engagement — Nabeel Rahman
  11. Director of Sports — MD Rezaul Karim