Buyer question 01
What does the NCUA allow for electronic voting?
For a federally chartered credit union using the current standard bylaws’ Option A4, NCUA permits board elections by electronic device, including telephone and electronic mail, or by mail ballot. Electronic voters receive procedures, and members without the required device have a mail-ballot route subject to the bylaw’s electronic-notice exception.
Tellers verify registered voter and account data, test integrity, and tally before the annual meeting. The current standard bylaws do not make electronic-only voting a standard option; individual amendments may be considered separately.
This section addresses federal credit unions using the applicable standard bylaw option. State-chartered credit unions follow applicable state law, regulator requirements, and their own bylaws.
Sources: NCUA Federal Credit Union Bylaws · NCUA’s 2019 Federal Credit Union Bylaws rule · 12 U.S.C. § 1752
Buyer question 02
How do nominations and petitions work?
Under the current federal credit union standard options that use petitions, the chair appoints a three-member nominating committee 120 days before the annual meeting. At 75 days, eligible voters receive notice that petitions need 1% of members—at least 20 and no more than 500—followed by filing and consent deadlines for nominees.
The details depend on the federal credit union’s adopted bylaw option. A credit union should verify its own bylaw version and any approved amendment before using a timeline in its election plan.
Sources: NCUA Federal Credit Union Bylaws · NCUA’s 2019 Federal Credit Union Bylaws rule
Buyer question 03
What records support an annual-meeting election?
An FCU’s member-meeting minutes are a principal supporting record: the secretary must prepare and maintain full and correct records of member meetings within seven days. For an Option A4 electronic election, the bylaws also address voter and account verification, periodic integrity testing, teller tallying, and result announcement.
The cited NCUA authorities do not establish a general numerical retention period for every electronic-election log, audit file, ballot, or vendor record. Confirm the records required by the credit union’s adopted bylaws and any other applicable rule.
Sources: NCUA Federal Credit Union Bylaws