Presidential Election
President Nomination Process
Each voting congregation of our Synod may nominate one (1) or two (2) rostered ordained ministers for the office of President (Synod Bylaw 3.12.2). Nomination ballots for the President/First Vice-President were mailed in October 2012 to all voting congregations. The completed ballots with requested date and signatures are to be sent to the Synod auditors and must be received by Wednesday, February 20, 2013. (For more information on the nominating process see 2010 Handbook, Bylaw 3.12.2.)
President Voting Process
Four (4) weeks prior to the national convention, the Secretary of the Synod, using lists of delegates in attendance at the prior year’s district conventions as submitted by the secretaries of the districts, shall provide, via a secure and verifiable method, opportunity for two (2) voting delegates from each congregation in attendance at the previous district conventions who remain members of the congregations they represented to vote for one (1) of the three (3) candidates for President. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, another vote will take place. (For more information on the voting process, see the 2010 Handbook, Bylaw 3.12.2.3.)
More Information: Nominations and Elections Bylaws Read Bylaws
Election Procedure Updates
ATTENTION : LCMS Presidential Election VOTERS
As the 2013 Synod convention approaches, you will have questions regarding your participation in the election of the President of the Synod prior to the convention. Here are some answers.
- The actual voting will take place over a four-day period of time, June 22–25. If a second ballot is necessary, it will take place one week later, June 29–July 2. You will vote by going to an Internet address and following a simple voting procedure.
- 10 days before the voting takes place, you will receive via regular mail an information packet from our voting vendor, Election-America, with all needed information. It will include simple instructions, your election code and voting PIN numbers, and biographical and other information for the three candidates for President. Watch for this mailing and keep its information handy for your use (also for a second ballot if that becomes necessary).
- A month before the voting takes place, my office will send out an email showing screen shots of the Internet voting site that you will use. You will be pleased with how easy it will be to follow the process to cast your vote.
Be assured that you will be able to participate in the voting. Even if we have not been able to work out all email access and delivery problems (some still exist), all necessary information will be provided via regular mail. A call-in telephone number will also be provided should you misplace your voting information or otherwise need assistance.
You will, however, need to access the Internet in order to vote. Any computer with Internet access will work. If not familiar with computers, you may use the computer of a family member or church office.
Raymond L. Hartwig
LCMS Secretary
Mailing #1: 04/30/2013 | This is the first of two postcards intended to alert presidential election voters of election details for the 2013 LCMS convention.
Voters List Maintenance Forms
During the twelve months from the time that the Presidential Election Voters List is created (at district conventions) until the list is used (four weeks prior to the Synod convention), maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the list will be extremely important.
Because substitute voters may be selected by congregations when district convention delegates are no longer available, a SUBSTITUTE VOTER FORM is being provided to report all official substitutions. The submission of a printed copy of the form that provides all requested information, including the signatures of two congregation officers, must be mailed to the LCMS Office of the Secretary at the address provided at the bottom of the form for all such substitutions.
Because voters’ email, mailing, and residential addresses can change in a year’s time, an UPDATE FORM is being provided to facilitate such contact information changes. A printed copy of this form that provides the changed information and includes the voter’s signature must be mailed to the Synod’s Rosters and Statistics Department at the address provided at the bottom of the form for all such changes.