Review by Legal
Counsel. Before
an amendment to the Constitution is
submitted to the voting
members, it shall be reviewed by
IEEE legal counsel.
(b)
Proposed Amendment
Petitions.
Proponents of petitions for
Constitutional Amendments shall
submit in writing to IEEE a copy of
the exact wording of the
proposed Constitutional Amendment
petition the proponent wishes
to circulate for signature. In order
to be effective, such
submission must be received at the
office of the IEEE Executive
Director no later than twelve noon
on the Friday preceding 15
December of the preceding year in
which the petition, if
qualified, will appear on the
ballot. The wording of this
proposed amendment petition, once
reviewed and approved by legal
counsel, shall be considered the
official petition. If the
wording of a circulated petition
deviates from the official
petition as defined above, such
petition shall be disqualified.
Only signatures for the official
petition will be counted toward
qualification of a proposed
amendment to be placed on the
ballot. Petitions for
Constitutional Amendments may be
circulated and signed
no earlier than 1 June of the year
preceding the
submission of Constitutional
Amendments to the voting members.
(c)
Schedule. Except as
described in
Bylaw I-309.1, or unless
otherwise directed by the Board
of Directors,
the schedule for (i) receipt of
petitions for
Constitutional Amendments and
statements of petitioners in
support of petitions to
accompany the ballot, (ii) the
submission of all Constitutional
Amendments (including those
initiated by the Board of
Directors) to the voting
members, and
(iii) the counting of the
ballots and tallying of votes
with respect to
proposed Constitutional
Amendments shall conform to
the schedule relating to the
nomination and election of
officers elected by the voting
members set forth in Bylaw
I-308. Ballots for
Constitutional Amendments shall
carry a
statement of the final date for
receipt of ballots at IEEE
Headquarters or at a qualified
organization designated by the
Executive Committee (the "final
referendum ballot receipt date").
Ballots
will be valid only when
completed in accordance with
the instructions accompanying
the ballot and when received at
IEEE Headquarters or by a
qualified organization
designated by
the IEEE Executive Committee
prior to the final referendum
ballot receipt date.
Ballots shall be validated and
votes shall be
tallied under the actual or
delegated supervision of
the Tellers Committee not later
than the fifth working day
following the final referendum
ballot receipt date. As
provided in Bylaw I-306.22, the
Tellers Committee shall
announce the result of the tally
of the votes not later than
the eighth working day following
the final referendum ballot
receipt date in a report to the
Board of Directors signed by
the Chair of the Tellers
Committee. The known
principal
proponents and opponents of each
such proposed Constitutional
Amendment shall be advised
promptly of the Tellers
Committee tally
of votes applicable to their
respective Constitutional
Amendment proposals. Subject to
Bylaw I-306.5, the date of
adoption of a proposed
Constitutional Amendment that
has been voted
upon favorably by the membership
shall be the date of the
first meeting of the Board of
Directors taking place after the
date of the Tellers Committee
report and, as provided in
Article XIV, Section 3, of the
Constitution, such Amendment
shall take effect 30 days after adoption.
(d)
Ballot Marking
Instructions. A
ballot that is marked neither for
nor against a proposed
Constitutional Amendment shall not
be counted either as a
"vote" or as a "ballot cast" for
purposes of Article
XIV, Section 2, of the Constitution,
and the instructions
accompanying the ballot shall so specify.
Procedures to Change Bylaws. As provided in the
Constitution, proposed Bylaw changes and the
reasons therefore shall be mailed to all
Directors at least 20 days before the
stipulated meeting of the Board of Directors at
which the vote shall be taken.
Two-thirds of the votes of the members present
at the meeting shall be required to
approve any new Bylaw, amendment, or revocation.
History of Amendments. A complete history of
amendments shall be kept in the files of the
IEEE.
