Each summer, approximately 6,000 educators meet to debate the vital issues that impact American public education and set National Education Association policy and activities for the year ahead. These delegates represent the 3 million members of the NEA.

In 2024, delegates to the Representative Assembly will meet in Philadelphia, PA, July 3-7. 

PEA POLICIES AND PRACTICES Page 3 

  ❖ PEA members that represent PEA as an elected representative to the NEA-RA assembly for whom PEA pays the cost will be expected to attend the Executive Board meetings and the Rep Council meetings immediately prior to and following NEA-RA assembly meetings (May and September) to report out and receive input from the local membership. An article for the FOCUS shall be submitted after attendance in September.  

 ❖ PEA has a budget of $2,500 total set aside for the NEA/RA representative ...

 ❖ Reimbursements, NEA/RA, and Summer Institute policies will be reviewed yearly by the Executive Board.

Members can be nominated to and run for both state and local delegate positions. However, delegates may NOT hold both positions. Members elected to both state and local delegate positions are responsible for informing CTA Elections and their local, in writing, no later than April 15, 2024, of the position accepted and the position declined. This notification will release the unused position to a successor delegate and will relinquish any claim to the released position.   

LOCAL DELEGATE INFORMATION 

PEA has been allocatee 4 delegates.

LOCAL DELEGATE ELECTION REQUIREMENTS 

1) A chapter or cluster of chapters must follow these requirements when conducting local delegate elections for the NEA RA: 

a) There must be open nominations. All NEA members are eligible to nominate or be nominated for office.

b) The Declaration of Candidacy form must be readily available to members and must state requirements as to time and place of filing. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CANDIDATE TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOCUMENT IS RECEIVED BY THE DUE DATE

c) No less than 15 calendar days prior to an election, the local chapter shall notify members of the election. d) Candidates must not use any portion of dues money of the local, Service Center Council, CTA or NEA to promote the candidacy.

e) District email addresses and/or systems shall not be used for campaigning. 

f) All NEA members within the chapter or cluster of chapters shall be eligible to vote. 

g) The time and place of the election must be designated. 

h) Candidates may run as both state and local delegates but must decide which position to accept and notify CTA Elections and local chapter, in writing, no later than April 15, 2024 of the position selected. This will relinquish all claims the delegate has to the released position.

i) Elections shall be by secret ballot. 

j) There shall be a provision for write-in candidates. 

k) The election shall be by plurality vote. 

l) When there is a tie in a plurality election, the following procedure shall be followed: 

1. 1. When there is a tie, the ballots shall be recounted. 

2. 2. If the result is still a tie, the Elections Committee chairperson shall: 3. 4. (a) Call the candidates (according to the CTA alphabet) and inform them of the tie and that a coin toss shall be used to determine the winner. 

NEA RA Delegate Elections Guidelines & Procedures 5. (b) If the first candidate called wishes to remain in the race, the chairperson shall ask that candidate to choose “heads” or “tails” in the coin toss.

 6. 7. (c) The Elections Committee Chair shall designate the time and place for the coin toss and inform the candidates who may have an observer present. The observer may be the candidate. 

8. 9. (d) The Elections Committee shall note the coin toss on the CTA Official Teller’s Report. 

10. 11. (e) The Elections Committee shall follow the established procedure in notifying the candidates of the results. 

12. m) If there is a tie among three or more candidates, contact the CTA Elections and Credentials chairperson through the Governance Support Department 

n) All candidates shall be ranked in order of the number of votes received.

2) A chapter or cluster of chapters may waive the requirement for secret ballot election for NEA RA local delegates and candidates declared elected only if the following conditions have been met prior to the election being held: 

a) The chapter or cluster of chapters has adopted a governing provision or election policy allowing the practice for waiving the NEA RA local delegate elections secret ballot when the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of delegate positions to be filled. 

b) The period for open nominations shall be no less than 15 calendar days. 

c) This election practice will not generate successor delegates unless the nomination process requires candidates for both regular and successor delegate positions.

3) Each ballot shall list names of candidates in the current CTA official alphabet order: 

O G Y V E F X I B C J H P D U W S T Z N K M L Q R A 

4) The announcement of election results shall be made the next day after the votes are counted. 

5) The local shall retain all ballots and election records until the expiration of the term to which the delegate was elected. NEA RA Delegate Elections Guidelines & Procedures 

6) Terms for local delegates may range from one to three years. There is no limit on the number of terms an individual may serve as a delegate. The terms may be staggered. If a delegate has been elected to more than a one-year term and they have not yet completed the term, please include their names and the term they are serving on the local delegate election reporting form. 

7) A successor delegate is the candidate with the next highest votes after the winners have been declared. The successor delegate will automatically be declared a delegate when a vacancy occurs. Only those members reported and certified as a successor delegate are eligible to serve as successor delegates. All candidates shall be ranked in order of votes received. When the results of the local delegate elections are determined, please complete the election reporting forms. Please do not send the election reporting forms to the NEA as it will only delay the process. NEA will only send them back to the CTA Governance Support Department, which will delay the process. LOCAL DELEGATE ELECTIONS Local CTA chapters are strongly encouraged to follow the same timeline as the state so that elections can be consolidated. Consideration must be given for vacations, spring breaks and year-round school calendars. 

1) The specific timelines for elections for NEA local delegates shall be determined by each chapter or cluster of chapters, provided that names of delegates are reported to the CTA Elections and Credentials Committee by scanning and emailing the appropriate elections paperwork to ---no later than 4PM on Monday, April 8, 2024. 

2) The timeline shall include dates for: 

a) Deadline for receiving the Declaration of Candidacy form by members. 

b) Preparation of ballots: the ballot shall state the name of the office, the term and the name of the candidate(s) who have filed declarations of candidacy within the timeline. The ballot shall include space for a write-in candidate, except in a run-off election. 

c) Election in chapter.

 d) Counting of ballots by chapter elections committee. 

e) Delegates who have been elected to both local and state delegate positions must notify the chapter and CTA Elections of the position accepted by April 15, 2024. DELEGATES MAY NOT HOLD BOTH POSITIONS.

 f) Chapter presidents must notify CTA of name of successor local delegate if an elected local delegate chooses to go as a state delegate. NEA RA Delegate Elections Guidelines & Procedures 

g) Challenges to local delegate elections must be filed with the CTA President at ctaelections@cta.org using the official CTA Original Election Challenge Form located in Appendix R of the 2023-2024 CTA Elections Manual within four calendar days after the date the ballots are counted, including any run-off, if necessary. The challenge and all of the requested documentation must be received by the CTA President at --- no later than 5pm on or before the fourth day. 

h) June 3, 2024 is the deadline for filing an appeal of the state’s decision on a challenge with the NEA Credentials Committee. LOCAL DELEGATE FUNDING The local shall determine funding for local delegates. Regardless of the funding amount, the election for NEA RA local delegates must be held in accordance with the requirements stated herein below. Prior to the election, the local will determine the amount of funding that will be provided to delegates elected to the NEA RA and this information must be included on the ballot. If partial funding is provided, funding will be based on the election results. For example, if four delegates are elected, but funding will only be provided for two delegates, funding will go to the top two candidates with the most votes. If the ballot is waived, the CTA Elections and Credentials chairperson must be contacted through the Governance Support Department for direction on how to determine partial funding  

Duties of RA local  Delegates:

1. Each delegate will be expected to register as an official delegate to the RA with both the California delegation and NEA.
2. Each delegate will be expected to attend all caucuses of the California delegation. Delegates must be registered with the California delegation to participate in the caucus.
3. Each delegate shall attend all business meetings of the RA.
4. Each delegate is strongly encouraged to attend NEA budget committee hearings, resolutions committee hearings, bylaw committee hearings, speeches by prominent national figures, etc.
5. Each delegate should take into consideration CTA State Council and caucus policy when voting.
6. Each delegate is encouraged to participate fully in all activities of the California delegation.

If you would like to run only at the State level here is the link: NEA RA State Delegate