2017 Siri Singh Sahib Corporation Election

The Siri Singh Sahib Corporation (SSSC) is directed by a seventeen-member Board of Trustees. Two of those members, the Bhai Sahiba and the Siri Sikdar Sahiba, are included as Board members by virtue of their offices (“ex officio”) and therefore are not elected. In addition, the SSSC Board appointed Kulbir Singh Puri to the SSSC Board effective March 1, 2017 through the April 2020 Khalsa Council Meetings.  The SSSC Board determined that in order to keep the Board at seventeen members for this election, only seven seats would be available.  

The terms and election of Board members are given in the Bylaws and Election Policy. 
 
Section 2.4 Term and Election. The terms of Elected Trustees shall be approximately five (5) years. Elections shall be staggered with one-half of the Trustees elected at approximately 2.5 year intervals. The election process shall be as specified in the SSSC Board Election Policy adopted by resolution of the Board of Trustees from time to time. … The term of the Initial SSSC Board shall be as specified in the SSSC Board Election Policy. (from the Bylaws)

The term of office for seven (7) of the Initial Trustees (“Group A”) shall expire on the first day of the Spring Khalsa Council meetings in 2015. The term of office for the remaining eight (8) elected Initial Trustees (“Group B”) shall expire on the first day of the Fall Khalsa Council meetings in 2017. Group A and Group B shall be designated on a volunteer basis. If either group receives fewer volunteers than necessary, the remaining Trustees for that group shall be selected at random. (from the Election Policy)

Seven (7) of the members were elected in the last election. They will serve until Khalsa Council in spring of 2020. 

• MJ Amrit Singh Khalsa- Espanola, NM
• SS Dharm Singh Khalsa- Espanola, NM
• SS Gurujodha Singh Khalsa- Bakersfield, CA
• SS Gurujot Kaur Khalsa- Herndon, VA
• SS Sat Bachan Kaur Khalsa- Espanola, NM
• SS Sat Hari Singh Khalsa- Hamburg, Germany
• SS Viriam Singh Khalsa- Eugene, OR

There are seven (7) seats up for election and the trustees whose terms are expiring are:

• MSS Guru Singh Khalsa- Los Angeles, CA
• SS Guru Amrit Singh Khalsa- Herndon, VA (Treasurer)
• SS Dr. Harjot Kaur Singh- Calgary, Canada
• MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa- Los Angeles, CA
• SS Jai Singh Khalsa – Boston, MA
• SS Gurutej Singh Khalsa- Singapore
• SS Siri Vishnu Singh Khalsa- Española, NM
• SS Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa – Yuba City, CA

Note: Only seven seats are up for election in 2017 as the eighth seat will be occupied by Kulbir Singh Puri. ​

Election Calendar 2017

1. Nomination- April 1 – April 30
     a. Members of the Sangat shall nominate Candidates through an electronic survey. All Sangat members may participate. 

2. Vetting- May 1- May 15 
     a. The Chancellor’s Office shall vet candidates according to section 2.6 of the bylaws to determine eligibility. 
     b. The Office of the Secretary of Religion will provide a list of Ministers who have qualified to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election.  
 
3. Announcement of Candidates- May 16
    a. An email shall be sent to the Electorate announcing the names of the eligible Candidates.
 
4. Submission of Candidate Statements- May 17 – June 15
     a. Eligible Candidates shall be provided with a questionnaire requesting relevant biographical information. The questionnaire shall include the submission deadline and criteria for disqualification as specified in Phase 5 of this schedule. 
     b. Each Eligible Candidate shall submit a response to the questionnaire.
     c. Candidates who do not submit a response before the deadline shall be disqualified.
 
5. Review of Candidate Statements- June 16 – July 15
     a. This phase may run concurrently with Phases 4 and 6.
     b. The Chancellor’s Office and Election Committee shall review all candidate Statements.
     c. Candidates whose statements are found to contain inappropriate content may submit a revised Statement no later than three (3) days before the start of voting. Candidates who have not submitted an appropriate revised Statement by this deadline shall be disqualified. 

6. Posting of Candidate Statements- July 16 – July 31
    a. This phase may run concurrently with phases 4 and 5.
    b. Once all appropriate Statements have been posted, the website shall be activated and a notification shall be sent to the Electorate. 

7. Voting- August 1 – August 15
     a. Voting will take place online via a secure balloting service.
     b. Each voter shall be provided with unique credentials so that they may fill out exactly one ballot.
     c. Each voter may cast a number of votes equal to or less than the number of seats up for election. 
    d. Each voter is prohibited from voting for any Candidate more than once.  

8. Tally and Notification- August 16
    a. Votes shall be tallied electronically after voting ends.
    b. The seven Candidates receiving the most votes will be seated. 
    c. In the event of a tie for the last open seat(s), if there are more Candidates in the tie than there are open seats, the remaining open seat(s) shall be contested in a run-off election between the tied Candidates. 
    d. Notification of election results shall include winners and tallies for every Candidate.
 
9. Run-Off Election (If Necessary)- August 17 – August 25
    a. The Electorate shall be notified of a run-off election on the day after the end of the normal election.
    b. Voting and the tallying of votes shall take place according to Phases 7 and 8.

10. Notify Sangat of the Runoff Election Results- August 26 (if runoff election is required)
    a. The Sangat shall be notified of the runoff election results.

11. Assumption of Office-  First Day of Khalsa Council- September 20, 2017
    a. Winners of the election shall take Office upon the expiration of the outgoing Trustees’ terms. 

2017 Electorate Requirements

Eligible voters for this election were defined as follows:

1. Ministers of Sikh Dharma International in good standing thirty (30) days prior to the start of voting (June 30, 2017)
2. Active Khalsa Council members as of the April 2017 meeting, and
3. Voters who voted in the Initial Board Election and/or the 2015 Election

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