These FAQs are intended to provide guidance on specific topics related to the upcoming elections. When in doubt, please feel free to ask the Election Committee about any questions you still have. In general, we are requesting and expecting all VRIC member to engage in the election process with proper etiquette and respect, keeping in mind that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is fully aware of all that you do.
Procedural Elections 2020 FAQ
What are the members being asked to vote on Tuesday, December 1, 2020?
On November 15, 2020, the joint Boards (BoT/BoD) presented proposed changes to the VRIC constitution.
Proposed changes can be viewed here: https://www.vric.org/constitution2020/
VRIC members are asked to vote for only one of the two options below:
❏ Option One: Accept all of the changes that have been proposed during the general assembly meeting on November 15, 2020
❏ Option Two: Reject all of the changes that have been proposed during the general assembly meeting on November 15, 2020
Who is eligible to vote?
You must be a regular member of the Valley Ranch Islamic Center (VRIC) to be eligible to vote. A regular member is defined as
a. Being eighteen (18) years of age or older.
b. Having completed a membership form and paid the membership fees.
c. Residing within a 10-mile radius of VRIC as shown by mapping software.
Your member application and payment must have been received and approved by Sunday May 24, 2020 by 8 PM US Central. This date was determined through Article 4, Section 4, which states: “New members shall not have voting rights until 180 days (6 months) have elapsed since their joining and payment of dues whichever comes latest.”
How can I find out if I'm registered?
The Election Committee will be verifying membership based off this list that the BoD is responsible for maintaining. The Election Committee cannot change or update your membership or voting eligibility. If you have any questions about your membership and voting eligibility, please send an email to membership@vric.org.
When exactly is the procedural vote?
The absentee period will be from November 25, 2020 – December 1, 2020.
Who is on the Election Committee?
The Election Committee consists of 4 non-elected members of VRIC who the BoT have selected to oversee the procedural election process. Their responsibility is to ensure a fair and unbiased elections process, including but not limited to:
a. For absentee ballots, verifying voting eligibility and tallying the ballots.
b. On elections day, verifying voting eligibility and tallying the ballots.
Their responsibilities DO NOT include:
a. Changing or updating VRIC membership or voting eligibility
The 2020 Election Committee consists of the following individuals. They can be contacted by email at ec@vric.org:
Imran Khan
Najla Bazarah
Sadaf Ahmed
Shafe Syed
How will the Election take place?
VRIC will use paper ballot and electronic ballots with options for the voting process. On election day, you can pick up your paper ballot from the front desk during the hours of 9 AM to 5 PM. From 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM, you can pick up your ballot from a member
1 of the Election Committee at VRIC. You can hand the completed ballot back to the Election Committee member or place it in the safe box at VRIC.
What ID do I have to show when I vote?
Any government issued photo ID (e.g. US passport, Driver license, State ID). Your up to date home address should be on this ID.
Can you vote via email/absentee voting?
Any eligible voting member who is unable to attend the election in person at VRIC can still participate. Absentee voting or voting via email will start Wednesday, November 25, 2020. Absentee ballots will be accepted until 9:00 PM US Central on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. The absentee ballot must be sent electronically to an Election Committee member via email to ec@vric.org. Please make sure that you email a picture of your government issued ID as well.
The EC will email a ballot to all eligible VRIC voting members on November 25, 2020.
What is process to decide the outcome in case of a tie in the number of votes obtained by different options?
The Election Committee will extend the duration of the vote by 24hours to encourage additional VRIC members to vote. In the case of a tie, votes will be accepted until 9 PM on Wednesday, December , 2020. A recount will be conducted after 9 PM, and the results will be announced.
When will the results be announced?
The results will be announced via email and posted on the bulletin board on the same day of voting.
