This is an addendum to
- Governing Documents https://www.toastmasters.org/Membership/Leadership/governing-documents/ Protocol 9.0: District Campaigns and Elections,
- Campaign Guidelines https://www.toastmasters.org/Membership/Leadership/district-leader-tools/district-management/elections-toolkit/campaign-guidelines/ and
- District 109 Procedures https://district109.org/district-109-procedures,
and does not replace them. It considers the complexity of the District’s geography and addresses the inquiries the DLC has received.
| Q | Who are the candidates the DLC will interview? |
| A | The DLC will interview all candidates for the District Leadership Team, except the Immediate Past District Director. |
| Q | Does a Division Director need to be evaluated by the DLC for each Division they apply to separately? |
| A | The Division Director candidate will be evaluated one time to be considered for all Division Director roles within the District. |
| Q | What candidates will be presented in the DLC Report? |
| A | In District 109 the DLC nominates candidates for all District Leadership Positions, whether they are elective or appointive. Any role that the DLC does not evaluate candidates for will not be included. |
| Q | How many candidates will be nominated? |
| A | By a majority vote of the DLC the committee nominates a minimum of one (1) candidate each for the offices of District Director and Program Quality Director; two (2) or more candidates for the office of Club Growth Director; and a minimum of one (1) candidate for all other elective District offices (see Protocol 9.0 (3)(F)). |
| Q | How will the interview work? |
| A | The DLC does not disclose upfront how the interview will work. It will be conducted via Zoom, and cameras must be continuously switched on. |
| Q | Can the DLC nominate several candidates for a role? |
| A | Yes, the DLC can nominate several candidates for the same role. |
| Q | How many roles can the DLC nominate a candidate for? |
| A | A candidate can submit to the DLC their intention to run for multiple roles, and the DLC’s responsibility is to nominate the candidate for the most appropriate role(s). There is no limit to the number of roles that a candidate may run from the floor, but a candidate is limited to stand for election for a maximum of two District officer roles (see Protocol 9.0 (11)E). |
| Q | Will there be Candidate’s Corners and how will they work? |
| A | The District will not conduct a Candidate’s Corner because there will be no District wide event before or during the District Council meeting at which the elections will be taking place. A Candidate’s Showcase will take place on 24 April 2025. |
| Q | Who can participate in the online District 109 Candidate’s Showcase? |
| A | The DLC will invite all nominated elective and appointive Candidates, as well as all known floor Candidates to the Candidate’s Showcase. The invitation will be mailed immediately after the publication of the DLC report. |
| Q | Who will be invited to the watch the Candidate’s Showcase? |
| A | All District 109 members will be invited to the Candidate’s Showcase around a week before of the event. |
| Q | How will the online Candidate’s Showcase work? |
| A | It will work as last year. Within the time allocated, Candidates will introduce themselves, respond to a question and give a speech to present themselves to the District. No questions will be taken. |
| Q | Can we organize Candidate’s Corners during Area and Division contests or events? |
| A | An Area or a Division may organize a Candidate’s Corner; the must allow any District 109 candidate who wishes to participate the same opportunity. |
| Q | To whom do campaign restrictions apply? |
| A | Campaign restrictions apply only to Candidates for elective positions. |
| Q | Can candidates serve as test speakers or speech contest officials? |
| A | Elective candidates cannot serve as test speakers or speech contest officials. |
| Q | Can candidates compete in speech contests or competitions? |
| A | Candidates for elective positions cannot compete; candidates for appointive positions can compete until they serve. |
| Q | When can elective candidates begin campaigning? |
| A | Elective candidates can begin campaigning as soon as they have submitted their Toastmasters International District Leader Agreement and Release Statement, candidate Biography Form, and photograph to the DLC Chair or District Director. |
| Q | Are candidates allowed to give a training, workshops or speeches at events other than the one associated with their election by the District Council? |
| A | The candidate can give a training, workshops or a speech at an event above club level provided they do not qualify as campaigns; sometimes it is challenging to determine what qualifies as a campaign. Should the activity be qualified as campaign, then all candidates applying for a role must be given the same or similar opportunity. |
| Q | If a candidate is not elected for a role, can they run from the floor for other roles? |
| A | Yes, however, the candidate can only run for roles they were interviewed for by the DLC or any role that is incomplete on the DLC report, provided they have submitted their intent to run to the District Director at least seven days in advance of the election and they tdo not exceed the maximum number they stand for during the elections. |
Area Directors
| Q | How will Area Director candidates be evaluated? |
| A | Area Director candidates will not be interviewed. The DLC reviews the submitted documentation and notes points worth following up on. Once they are elected, it presents the candidates to the incoming District Director and the results from the respective Area Council meeting. |
| Q | Does the Area Council recommend or nominate the future Area Director? |
| A | Every Area Council must make a recommendation for the incoming Area Director in writing to the District Leadership Committee no later than by the end of March (District 109 Procedures, Page 5, Section IV. (https://district109.org/district-109-procedures). The DLC will then contact the nominee to collect the relevant documents. The incoming District Director can appoint any eligible Toastmaster to the role. |
| Q | When has the Area Council meeting to decide whom to recommend for the Area Director role to be scheduled? |
| A | The Area Council meeting must be held no later than 31 March (https://district109.org/district-109-procedures) and be scheduled with a lead time of four weeks (https://www.toastmasters.org/Membership/Leadership/Governing%20Documents, Protocol 7.1: District Events 8. Area Council Meetings, B.). |
| Q | Can a proxy be sent to the Area Council meeting? |
| A | Area Council members do not approve or disapprove attendance by another council member. Regardless of their approval, if they do not attend the meeting, their proxy is deemed to be a default by the attending club representative. Proxy cannot be denied to the attending leader and, therefore, would count toward quorum. |
| Q | Would you be able to ask the District Leadership Committee who has applied for the Area Director role? |
| A | Area Directors can ask. The DLC proceedings are confidential; consequently, the DLC will not share who has applied for the role. (The same applies for a Division Director asking who has applied for the Division Director role.) |
| Q | What happens if the Area Council is not submitting a recommendation or submits it after 31 March? |
| A | The District Leadership Committee will notify the District Director whether the candidate’s submitted documents are complete and if an Area Council nominated them. In case of a delay, a note indicating this will be included. |