Version History
Current published version
Today's Business, Issue 2B. pp. 297-299. Original floor committee resolution.
No later published versions have been added.
Official Resolution Source Text
Resolution: 9-18
Canonical number: 9-18
Committee: Structure and Administration
Source: Today's Business, Issue 2B
Printed pages: pp. 297-299
PDF pages: 45-47
Version: original, current-published-proposal
Source reference: Issue 2B, pp. 297-299
Line numbers follow Today's Business, Issue 2B, with numbering reset on each printed page, so delegates can compare this page with the official PDF.
Page 297
- To Amend Bylaw 3.12.2 to Elect the Synod President at Convention
- RESOLUTION 9-18
- Overtures 9-21–22 (CW, 477–80); President’s Report, Part 2 (TB, 1:34); President’s Report, Part 3 (TB, 3:TBD)
- WHEREAS, The voting process for President of the Synod was shifted away from the Synod’s highest legislative
- authority, that is the Synod in convention, to the congregations of the Synod; and
- WHEREAS, For most of the Synod’s history, the President of the Synod was elected by the convention; and
- WHEREAS, The 2010 Synod convention changed the longstanding practice of electing the Synod President at the
- convention and conferred that right to congregations using electronic voting (Res. 8-17, “To Elect the Synod President”
- [Proc., 167]); and
- WHEREAS, The move to direct representation has seen decreased registration in every election since this process
- was adopted, to wit:
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- • The 2013 presidential election saw only 8,201 registered electors, and only 6,432 votes cast, the latter, representing
- only 62.16 percent of theoretical maximum participation (2013 Today’s Business, 2:221);
- • The 2016 presidential election saw only 7,348 registered electors, and only 6,157 votes cast, the latter, representing
- only 60.76 percent of theoretical maximum participation (2016 Today’s Business, 2:334);
- • The 2019 presidential election saw only 6,449 registered electors, and only 5,823 votes cast, the latter, representing
- only 58.97 percent of theoretical maximum participation (2019 Today’s Business, 2B:239);
- • The 2023 presidential election saw only 6,053 registered electors, and only 5,000 votes cast, the latter, representing
- only 53.78 percent of theoretical maximum participation (2023 Today’s Business, 2B:286);
- and
- WHEREAS, For the 2026 presidential election, “of the Synod’s 5,046 parishes (accounting for combination of 5,629
- member congregations into multi -congregation parishes) eligible to vote at the time of the election, 2,956 (58.6%)
- registered at least one voter by the deadline, compared to 62.6% in 2023. Of the 5,046 parishes, 895 lacked a registerable
- pastor during the registration period and 1,054 were without an eligible voting pastor at the time of election, collectively
- leaving 1,078 parishes with no pastoral vote to register or cast. The total number of possible eligible voters for the
- election was therefore 9,014. Of this estimated maximum, 5,478 voters (60.8%, compared to 65.1% in 2023 and 65.3%
- in 2019) were registered by their parishes and reported to Election- America, incl uding 2,653 pastors and 2,825
- laypersons. Summarizing the above, 5,256 voters (2,597 pastors and 2,659 laypersons, collectively representing 2,907
- parishes), cast at least one vote in the series of ballots for an overall registered -and-eligible voting rate of 96.0%
- (compared to 82.6% in 2023 and 90.3% in 2019, both completed in single rounds) (2026 Today’s Business, 2B:259);
- and
- WHEREAS, The longstanding method of presidential election by convention delegates served the Synod well for
- generations, providing deliberative engagement, theological reflection, and real -time responsiveness to the church’s
- needs; and
- WHEREAS, The entrusted Synod convention delegates currently elect other Synod officers at the convention;
- therefore be it
- Resolved, That the election of the Synod President be conducted by delegates to the Synod c onvention; and be it
- further
- Resolved, That Bylaw 3.12.2 be amended as follows:
- PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
- Elections of President and First Vice-President
- …
- 3.12.2.3 The Secretary of the Synod shall compile and maintain the voters list for the election of the President of
- the Synod. This list and any of its parts shall not be disseminated.
- (a) This voters list shall include:
- (1) the pastor of each member congregation or multi- congregation parish (assisting pastors are
- not eligible)
- (2) a lay person from the congregation or parish
- (b) The congregation or parish shall present to the Secretary of Synod 90 days prior to the election,
- via a secure and verifiable method provided by the Secretary, the voter(s) selected by the congregation
- or parish, as well as an attestation by two of the congregation’s officers that the voter(s) are properly
- authorized by the congregation to vote on its behalf. If a congregation or parish has more than one
- pastor eligible to vote, the congregation shall designate which pastor will cast a vote on behalf of the
- congregation.
- (c) If one or both voters are unavailable, congregations shall be provided opportunity to select
- substitute voters up to a deadline designated by the Secretary.
- (d) The registration status of congregations shall be made available to respective district presidents for
- the sole purpose of their encouraging registration for greater congregational participation. The
- registration status of congregations shall not be further disseminated.
- 3.12.2.4 Six weeks prior to the national convention, the Secretary of the Synod shall provide, via a secure and
- verifiable method, opportunity for two voting delegates from each congregation, as determined according
- to Bylaw 3.12.2.3, to vote for one of the candidates for President. The Secretary shall, with the approval
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- of the Board of Directors of the Synod, obtain the assistance necessary to accomplish this task. If no
- candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a second or succeeding ballots are required for a
- majority; the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the ballot, and another vote
- shall be taken in the same manner.
- 3.12.2.5 Following the completion of the election and at least two weeks prior to the convention, the Secretary
- shall notify the candidates of the results of the ballot(s). He shall thereafter also make the results
- known to the public. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected.
- 3.12.2.3 Prior to all other elections, the convention shall elect the President.
- 3.12.2.4 Each voting delegate shall be entitled to vote for one of the candidates for President. The candidate
- receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected.
- (a) If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, the four candidates receiving the highest
- number of votes shall be retained on the ballot, and another vote shall be taken.
- (b) Thereafter, the candidate receiving the smallest number of votes shall be eliminated on each
- subsequent ballot until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.
- 3.12.2.65…
