Section 1

Union Meetings shall comply with the Finnish Associations Act, the Rules of Akava Special Branches (hereafter referred to as “the Union”), these rules of procedure, and general meeting practices.

Confirmation of voting rights

Section 2

The voting rights of member organisations, determined in accordance with section 13 of the Rules of Akava Special Branches, shall be confirmed by having the representatives of the member organisations register upon their arrival at the Union Meeting. If a member organisation has more than one representative, each representative shall also indicate the number of votes at their disposal. A roll call shall only be carried out for organisations whose representative has not registered upon arrival at the meeting venue. If a representative of a member organisation arrives at the meeting after the voting rights have been confirmed, they are required to register with the secretaries of the meeting.

Rules of Akava Special Branches, section 13:
The number of votes of a member organisation at the Union Meeting shall be calculated so that each member organisation has one (1) vote at the Union Meeting for every 50 paying individual members or part thereof.

When calculating the number of votes, a member organisation’s number of members shall be the number of individual members who were paying membership fees at the end of the calendar year preceding the Union Meeting.

If an organisation becomes a member organisation of the Union in the middle of a calendar year, the number of votes shall be confirmed on the basis of the number of the organisation’s individual members paying membership fees on the date of joining the Union.

A member organisation may appoint one (1) representative to the Union Meeting for each two (2) votes or part thereof, but no more than ten (10) representatives. However, when a member organisation has one (1) vote, it may appoint one (1) representative to the Union Meeting. A member organisation’s representative at the Union Meeting must be a voting member of the Union’s member organisation. Representatives to the Union Meeting are appointed for a two-year term at the beginning of the term when a new Board of Directors is elected.

Right to attend and speak

Section 3

In addition to the official representatives of the member organisations, only the persons referred to in section 14, subsection 6 of the Rules of Akava Special Branches and persons to whom the Union Meeting has granted the right to be present and speak, or the right to be present, have the right to be present and speak.

Rules of Akava Special Branches, section 14, subsection 6:
The members and deputy members of the Board of Directors of the Union, as well as the auditors and the officers of the Union and its member organisations, shall have the right to speak and be present at the Union Meeting.

Recognising speakers

Section 4

Speakers shall be recognised by the chair of the meeting. Motions and comments during a discussion must concern the matter at hand, or if the motion or comment concerns a point of order, it must concern the meeting procedure.
The chair shall recognise speakers in the order that they request to speak. Motions and comments concerning a point of order shall bypass the speakers’ list. The chair may grant members of the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches or officers of Akava Special Branches the right of reply, bypassing the speakers’ list.

Discussion

Section 5

Proposals for amendments shall be made in writing. Proposals for amendments of minor significance may be discussed without a written proposal by a decision of the chair of the meeting. Proposals concerning non-binding resolutions shall be made in writing. Non-binding resolutions shall be voted on, if necessary, after the matter has been discussed.

Section 6

The meeting may, if the chair of the meeting deems it necessary, or on the basis of a seconded motion, decide on a negotiation break or other necessary break.

Voting

Section 7

In order to be considered, a motion needs to be seconded. A motion shall also be considered to be seconded if it is a motion by the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches, a committee or other body established by the Union Meeting, or a motion put forward by a Union Meeting representative exercising more than one vote for his or her member organisation.

Voting can be carried out as a roll-call vote, an open ballot vote or a secret ballot vote.

A roll-call vote is carried out by voting by member organisation, in alphabetical order. If a meeting representative has more than one vote, he or she must indicate the number of votes represented.

In a ballot vote, the tellers provide the meeting representatives of the member organisations with a number of ballots, as designated by the chair of the meeting, that corresponds to the number of votes at their disposal.

Ballot voting takes place by casting the ballot or ballots into the ballot box by member organisation, in alphabetical order.
If the meeting so decides, an open ballot vote can also be conducted by having the representative/representatives of the member organisation write only one ballot on which they indicate the name of the member organisation and its number of votes.
In secret ballot voting, the ballot may not have any other markings other than what the chair of the meeting has indicated to be used in the vote. Otherwise the ballot will be rejected.

If the votes are tied, the decision will be made by drawing lots.

Elections

Section 8

If the number of candidates is equal to the number of positions to be elected, the meeting will deem that the candidates are elected.

If votes are tied, the decision will be made by drawing lots.

Section 9

In secret ballot voting, the tellers provide the meeting representatives of the member organisations with a number of ballots, as designated by the chair of the meeting, that corresponds to the number of votes at their disposal.

The election shall take place by casting the ballot or ballots into the ballot box by member organisation, in alphabetical order. The ballot may not have any other markings other than what the chair has indicated to be used in the vote. Otherwise the ballot will be rejected.

According to section 15 of the Rules of Akava Special Branches, proportional representation list voting must be used in Union Meetings of Akava Special Branches.

Rules of Akava Special Branches, section 15:
Elections at the Union Meeting and in the Union’s bodies shall be held using proportional voting. Proportional voting shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of section 29, subsection 3, paragraph 1 of the Finnish Associations Act, always by secret ballot. The Union Meeting shall approve separate election and voting rules for the purpose of conducting elections, voting and other meeting procedures.

Section 10

• The procedure for a proportional representation list election is as follows:
• An election committee consisting of five (5) members and one or more secretaries is established;
• the election committee determines the type of candidate lists to be used;
• a negotiation break is taken;
• the election committee inspects the candidate lists;
• the chair of the meeting assigns letter codes to the lists;
• the tellers distribute ballots;
• the election is conducted;
• the tellers count the results;
• the chair of the meeting announces the result.

In a proportional representation list election, the persons with the highest comparative indices are elected.

The provisions concerning the election of the chairperson and other members of the Board of Directors of Akava Special Branches are laid down in separate election rules.

Test vote

Section 11

A test vote can also be used at Union Meetings. If the result of the test vote is unanimously approved by the participants to the Union Meeting, the winning motion is deemed to be the decision of the meeting.

Member voting

Section 12

If the Union Meeting puts a matter to a member vote, the meeting shall decide on how the voting will be conducted.

Approval and amendment of the rules of procedure and election rules

Section 13

Decisions on approving and amending these rules of procedure and election rules shall be made by the Union Meeting. Amendments to the election rules must be mentioned in the notice of the meeting.