Conservative Party Electoral District Association Handbook
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Conservative Party
Electoral District Association
HandbookThis handbook is provided as a guide to running a successful Electoral District Association (EDA).
Following the advice found here will put your association in the best position to elect a Conservative
Member of Parliament, which is the ultimate goal of all EDAs.
In this handbook you will find the objectives of the Conservative Party of Canada, an overall description
of how the EDA works within the larger context of the Party, and describes the basic administration and
operation of an EDA.
Please note that this Handbook is intended principally as a guide to the operation of a successful EDA,
based on best practices and proven techniques. However, many EDAs may find that their own
procedures are more suitable for their particular situation than those listed in this manual. The
prescriptions outlined within this document should be taken within that context.
Some of the items discussed are requirements set out by the Party Constitution, the EDAs Constitution,
or a specific National Council By-law or Rules. In those cases the appropriate section or By-law or Rule
has been referenced.
Table of Contents:
1. CONSERVATIVE PARTY ELECTORAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
2. THE OBJECTIVES OF AN ELECTORAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
3. BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
4. MEETINGS
a) Board meetings
b) AGM
c) Nomination meetings
5. SIX KEYS TO WINNING – SETTING UP YOUR COMMITTEES
a) Election readiness
b) Membership
c) Fundraising
d) Policy/Constitution
e) Volunteer
f) Communications
2 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011CONSERVATIVE PARTY ELECTORAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
An electoral district, commonly referred to as a constituency or a riding, is made up of a geographical
constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based. An Electoral District Association
is the Party apparatus at the local level.
Electoral District Associations (EDAs) are legal entities that must comply with legislation and
interpretations set out by Elections Canada.
Conservative EDAs must be recognized by the National Council of the Conservative Party of Canada and
such recognition may be revoked by National Council pursuant to rules and procedures set out by by-law
(Article 5.2, Party Constitution (2009)).
Before Elections Canada formally recognizes an Electoral District Association (Registered), certain
procedural requirements must be met.
Specifically, if an EDA wishes to become Registered with Elections Canada (and hence eligible to receive
contributions, accept surplus electoral funds of a candidate, write tax receipts, etc.), it must submit the
following information to Elections Canada:
• The full name of the electoral district association, which would be “(insert Elections Canada’s
full official name of the Electoral District) Conservative Association” – e.g.; Glengarry – Prescott
– Russell Conservative Association
• The full name of the registered party (Conservative Party of Canada)
• The address of the office of the association at which records are maintained and to which
communications may be addressed
• The names and addresses of the Chief Executive Officer (typically the EDA president) and other
officers of the association
• The name and address of the appointed auditor of the association
• The name and address of the financial agents of the association
• A declaration signed by the Leader of the party certifying that the association is an electoral
district association of the party
Conservative Party of Canada Electoral District Associations are not only subject to all Elections Canada
reporting requirements, but are also governed by the EDA Constitution as set out by the National
Council of the Conservative Party.
For more information on creating or registering an Electoral District Association, or to find contact
information for your local Conservative Party of Canada Electoral District Association, please contact:
Conservative Party of Canada – Political Operations
3 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Phone: 613.755.2000 or 1.866.808.8407 Mailing Address: Suite 1204, 130 Albert Street, Ottawa ON, K1P
5G4 Web Site: www.conservative.ca
Elections Canada
Phone: 613.993.2975 or 1.800.463.6868 Mailing Address: 257 Slater Street, Ottawa ON, K1A 0M6 Web
Site: www.elections.ca
4 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011THE OBJECTIVES OF AN ELECTORAL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
The purpose of an EDA is to lay the ground work for the election of a Conservative Party of Canada
Member of Parliament and to assist the Party in winning a majority of the seats in the House of
Commons.
The EDA Constitution gives the Association the following six objectives:
1. Supporting and promoting the principles, objectives and policies of the Party and maintaining an
effective Association for that purpose.
An EDA must be supportive of the principles, objectives, and policies of the Party and must use the Party
rules and mechanisms to effect changes to those items if it wishes to.
2. Providing organizational and financial support to the Party’s candidate in that Electoral District.
The main purpose of an EDA is to put our candidate in the best position possible to win the election. An
EDA should always ensure that its candidate has all the funding necessary and organizational support to
run a winning campaign.
3. Raising money and maintaining a fund to support the Association and assist candidates.
The bulk of the money spent during a campaign is raised by the EDA prior to the election. That way the
candidate and campaign team can concentrate on getting votes and communicating our message, not
fund raising. That said, it is important to have a healthy bank account prior to the election and the EDA
is essential to achieving that.
4. Actively identifying potential supporters and recruiting new members.
Identifying conservative minded individuals and encouraging them to become members of the Party is a
key job for an EDA. It is also one of the key organizational advantages available to the Party at the
national level and the EDA level.
5. Encouraging the participation and recruitment of youth.
Unlike other political parties, the Conservative Party welcomes young people on our EDAs boards and
encourages them to take important roles. Every EDA should seek out young conservatives to form the
basis of the future of the Party and the EDA. The Party accepts individuals as young as 14 as full
members with full rights. Youth should be encouraged to become active on the Board, on committees,
in campaigns and in every other aspect of EDA activities.
6. Complying with the obligations, and benefiting from the rights and privileges of being recognized by
National Council.
The Party provides EDAs with many organizational and financial benefits. Unlike other political parties
we do not tax our EDAs. However, the Party is a national organization which has to create, wherever
possible, national rules with uniform application. In order to increase the effectiveness of the Party
5 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011as a whole, EDAs must comply with the obligations set out under the EDA Constitution and the Party
Constitution.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Board of Directors manages the EDA with the goal of winning the seat for the Conservative Party of
Canada. These individuals receive their mandate from the EDA’s membership, and in fact are elected by
the membership to achieve the objectives of the Association.
Specifically, the EDA Constitution says: “The board of directors of the Association shall … manage and
direct the affairs of the Association.”
This group should meet on a regularly scheduled basis, ideally on a monthly basis and quarterly at
minimum, or more often as the circumstances require.
The EDA Officers (also referred to as the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors) are Directors
with special roles, but care should be taken to ensure that this small group does not assume either the
authority or the responsibility for running the EDA. Their task is to ensure that the decisions of the
Board are carried out. All substantive board matters are decided by a simple majority vote, except in
some specific cases outlined in the EDA Constitution.
If a Director ceases to hold office, the Board may appoint a replacement Director from the Party
membership to serve out the remainder of the Director’s term. This is done by way of a motion at any
Board of Director’s meeting.
The EDA Constitution sets the term of office as an annual term, though some EDAs have amended their
constitutions to allow two-year terms.
All meetings of the Board of Directors should follow an agenda, prepared and distributed in advance by
the Secretary under the direction of the President. A crisp, efficiently run board meeting will improve
both attendance and success of the board meeting. A sample agenda for Director Meetings is found
later in this document.
6 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
An elected Executive Committee comprised of not more than seven Directors of the Board manages the
day-to-day affairs of the EDA. Specifically the EDA Constitution says: “The Executive Committee shall
manage and direct the day-to-day affairs of the Association, subject to the provisions of the Party
Constitution and direction from the board of directors.”
This group is elected by the Board of Directors within (21) days of the Annual General Meeting at a
Board Meeting specifically called for this purpose.
President
The EDA President is responsible for:
• Chairing EDA Board Meetings and Executive Committee Meetings
• Chairing the EDA’s Annual General Meeting and other meetings of the Association
• Supervising all other Executive Officers and Committee Chairs in the performance of their
duties
• Liaising with Headquarters staff and Political Operation staff (including the Regional Organizer
and outreach staff if there is one) on a regular basis
• Meeting all reporting requirements laid out by the National Office and Elections Canada
• Distributing, on a consistent basis, relevant information to EDA Directors from Headquarters
staff and Political Operation staff
• Appropriately handling local media issues on behalf of the EDA in a coordinated and approved
manner with direction from the Conservative Party of Canada’s Political Operations Office
• Authorizing EDA level CIMS users
• Casting the deciding vote when doing so would affect the outcome of a vote (the President, as
Chair, does not normally vote at board meetings or move or second motions as per the rules of
order being used by the EDA)
Typical tasks performed by the President during any given month include:
• Communicating with the EDA Financial Agent to ensure compliance with Elections Canada
guidelines and regulations regarding reporting;
• Reviewing documents and messages from National Office and Political Operations Staff and
forwarding appropriate messages and documents to Directors;
• Liaising with other Executive Officers and Committee Chairs to ensure that EDA functions are
being completed in a timely manner;
7 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011• Setting EDA and Executive meetings and booking meeting space;
• Liaising with the EDA’s Member of Parliament (if applicable) and appraising him or her of riding
issues;
• Forwarding information from the Political Operations staff and National Office staff to
appropriate Board Members (memos, e-mails, guidelines, etc.).
• Responding to local media requests on local EDA-level issues after consulting with Political
Operations staff.
• Participating in regional and provincial Party events and activities.
Section 8.8 of the EDA Constitution states that an EDA President can serve no more than three
consecutive terms as President. However, after ceasing to be President for one term they are eligible to
serve another three terms. This section of the EDA Constitution puts an onus on the President and the
Executive Committee to engage in succession planning.
Vice-President
The EDA Vice-President is responsible for:
• Performing the tasks of the President should they be unable to fulfil their role
• Assisting the President with his or her tasks
An EDA Vice-President can serve no more than three consecutive terms as Vice-President. However,
after ceasing to be Vice-President for one term they are eligible to serve another three terms.
Some EDA’s designate individuals as second and third VPs
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for:
• Recording the minutes of EDA Board meetings and EDA Executive Committee meetings and
AGM with particular attention to recording expenditure motions on the part of the Board
• Providing notice to the EDA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee of upcoming
meetings
8 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011• Generating agendas for EDA Board meetings and Executive Committee meetings in consultation
with the President
• Providing notification, in conjunction with the Communications Committee, to the general
membership of the EDA of the EDA’s Annual General Meeting;
• Drafting letters and other communications on behalf of the EDA and ensuring their timely
transmission
• Maintaining an up-to-date list of EDA Board and Executive Committee contact information
Typical tasks performed by the Secretary during any given month include:
• E-mailing, phoning, and/or mailing EDA Directors regarding upcoming meetings;
• Creating and distributing the minutes from the previous month’s EDA Board meeting; and
• Writing a letter on behalf of the EDA to National Office regarding an interpretation of the
Constitution.
An EDA Secretary can serve no more than three consecutive terms as Secretary. However, after ceasing
to be Secretary for one term they are eligible to serve another three terms.
Financial Agent
The Financial Agent is responsible for:
• Completing all necessary reports as required by Elections Canada and the Conservative Party of
Canada National Office.
• Maintaining accurate and complete records of an EDA’s financial situation, including a complete
record of expenses and donations.
• Working with the President to ensure that an annual audit of the EDA’s financial statements is
performed and submitted to Elections Canada.
• Receiving all donations to the EDA and generating temporary tax receipts for donors while
ensuring that these donations conform to all Elections Canada requirements.
• Generating and mailing official tax receipts for donations received during the calendar year
using Election Canada’s provided software.
9 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Typical tasks performed by the Financial Agent during any given month include:
• Writing temporary tax receipts for the donation portions of tickets sold to an EDA fundraising
dinner;
• Generating expense reimbursement cheques for Directors who incurred authorized and
receipted expenses while performing EDA business;
• Submitting payment for locally purchased membership to the National office;
• Local fundraising;
• Liaising with the EDA’s Auditor to ensure that the EDA’s Audit is completed by Elections
Canada’s deadline; and
• Generating an up-to-date financial statement for review at the EDA’s monthly meeting.
Changing/Removing Officers
An Officer of the Association may be removed from that position at a meeting of the Board of Directors
“called for that purpose” on approval of majority of the total number of the elected and appointed
board of directors (Section 8.10 EDA Constitution). “Called for that purpose” means that fourteen days
notice was given to all Directors and that the notice specifically said that the removal of an officer was
going to be brought to a vote.
When EDA Officers leave office they should ensure that all EDA files, records, and materials are
promptly delivered to successors. When a change of Financial Agent occurs, the retiring Financial Agent,
the new Financial Agent, and the EDA President and/or other senior Officers should meet to verify in
writing that the EDA funds are reconciled with the financial statement.
When changes in Officers occur, the EDA must complete form EC 20043 (Report of changes to the
information in the Registry of Electoral District Associations).
For more information on Board Officers and the Executive Committee, please see the Article 8 of the
EDA Constitution.
10 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011MEETINGS
Notice
Great care should be taken to ensure that everyone who is entitled to attend a meeting is notified. The
provisions of Articles 6 and 12 of the EDA Constitution should be carefully followed, with particular
attention paid to the number of days of notice that are required for the specific type of meeting.
For meetings of the Association, including Annual General Meetings, notification of the meeting
(including notice of the dates, times, locations, and items to be dealt with thereat) shall be given to all
Members postmarked not fewer than fourteen
(14) days and not more than forty-five (45) days prior to the day on which any such meeting is to be
held.
For meetings of the Board of Directors notice must be sent to all directors. Notice must be sent at least
five (5) days before the meeting is scheduled unless the provision for notice is waived at the meeting.
This means that an emergency meeting of the Board can be held in less than five days, provided that 1)
all the directors were notified of the meeting; 2) that a quorum of directors is present; and 3) that at the
meeting, before any business is transacted, a motion is made to waive notice and that motion secures
the support of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors present and voting.
National Council may grant exceptions to this notification rule for specific meetings (e.g.; Delegate
Selection Meetings, Candidate Nomination Meetings) as laid out in by-law, memorandum, or other
communication from National Council.
Board Meetings
Regular board meetings should be scheduled for the same day and time each month, for one year in
advance. Consistency of dates (for example, the first Monday of every month) will improve your
attendance record.
Have a written agenda, distributed before the meeting if possible. The maximum meeting time should
generally not exceed two hours. Any discussion thereafter is often non-productive.
Start on time regardless of who is missing. If you set the precedent, attendees will respond. Everyone’s
time is valuable and should be respected.
Adjourn at the scheduled time regardless of where you are on the agenda. If you must go beyond the
allotted time, only do so if you get consensus from those in attendance.
Keep minutes and an action list. The action list should indicate that task to be done, the person
responsible for its successful completion, and the determined deadline.
Run an efficient meeting. Stay focussed on your task. This means it is sometimes necessary for the Chair
to curtail long, convoluted responses and to bring people back on track politely but firmly. Also, an
11 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011effective Chair always makes sure that whole committee is actively involved in the process. Ensure one
or two people do not dominate the discussion. Invite other opinions with questions like “what do you
think…”
Do some brainstorming. New ideas, fresh approaches and innovative thinking should be encouraged.
A majority vote of members should decide any major issue. Rules of Order should by used only if there is
a severe conflict.
A sample agenda for a board of directors meeting is as follows:
1. Call to Order
2. Sing O’ Canada
3. Roll call and declaration of quorum (40% of the Directors)
4. Reports
a. President
b. Financial Agent
c. Committee Reports (Fundraising, Election Readiness, Membership, etc.)
5. Old Business or Business Arising from the Minutes (Items carried forward from previous meetings)
6. New Business (Items introduced for discussion at current meeting)
7. Other Items
8. Date of Next Meeting
9. Adjournment
Annual General Meetings
The Association shall in each calendar year, and no later than fourteen (14) months from the last Annual
General Meeting, hold an Annual General Meeting. National Council may grant exceptions to this rule
or extensions on the time line.
At Annual General Meetings the following business is to be conducted:
1. Report by the Board of Directors (typically the President’s report)
2. Presentation of Financial Statements (typically presentation of the last audited financial
statements and a quick but not too detailed summary of the current financial situation)
12 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 20113. Election of Directors
4. Presentation of an Elections Readiness Plan summary
5. Other business as may be required.
These meetings may be held in conjunction with a social or other special EDA event, but care should be
taken not to make the special event so long or costly as to detract from the Annual General Meeting.
There should be no cost involved to the members for the business portion of the meeting.
Ensure that local members of National Council, Conservative MP, and Regional Organizer are invited.
A sample agenda for a board of directors meeting is as follows:
1. Call to Order and sing O’ Canada
2. Introductory remarks, recognition of VIPs and review of agenda
3. Adopt minutes from previous AGM
4. Directors Reports:
a) President’s Report
b) Financial Report
5. Summary of the EDA’s Election Readiness Plan
6. Other
7. Election of Directors (conducted by Returning Officer)
8. Guest Speaker during vote count (optional)
9. Announcement of new Board of Directors, acknowledge retiring Officers and Directors
10. Concluding remarks (and pass the hat*)
11. Adjournment
Nomination Meeting
Candidate Nominations are exciting events and generate great activity and interest within an Electoral
District. A well-run Candidate Nomination Meeting will go a long way towards ensuring that Nomination
Contestants are satisfied with the fairness of the process, and can generate positive impressions with
both the membership and local media.
A Candidate Nomination is under the joint jurisdiction of the Conservative Party of Canada’s National
Council (and by extension, the Political Operations Office), and the local Electoral District Association.
The Candidate Nomination Meeting is jointly administered by the local Candidate Nomination
Committee and the Returning Office appointed by the Board of the EDA. It is important to note that the
Returning Officer must be approved by the Political Operations Office.
13 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011The following is a break-down of the activities and areas of jurisdiction between the Candidate
Nomination Committee and the Returning Officer:
Candidate Nomination Committee:
Secures the venue for the nomination meeting
Recruits an appropriate number of volunteers to ensure the successful credentialing of potential
voters
Obtains relevant materials for the nomination meeting including pens, rulers, ballot boxes,
signage, etc…
Prints two copies of the final voters list supplied by the Political Operations Office – one for
voter registration tables and one for the “Help Desk”
Arranges for a speaker to address assembled members while votes are being counted (not
required)
Returning Officer:
Has final approval over whether a potential voter will be issued a ballot
Implements credentialing procedures and voting processes to ensure the nomination meeting
complies with the requirements of the Conservative Party of Canada’s Constitution
Responds to the concerns raised by representatives of the nomination contestants
Oversees the counting of ballots and rules on any disputed ballots
Announces the results of the voting after counting has been concluded
Communicates the results to the Political Operations Office of the Conservative Party of Canada
Voter Registration and Credentialing
The Party Constitution and the EDA Constitution provide guidance and direction on who is eligible to
vote at a Candidate Nomination event. In order to be eligible to vote at a nomination meeting, a voter
must be:
• A member in good standing of the Conservative Party of Canada, who purchased or renewed
their membership by the cut-off date set in the rules approved by National Council.
• Ordinarily resident in the electoral district in which the nomination is taking place at the time of
the nomination.
In practice, this means that voters must be able to demonstrate that they meet membership
requirements for the Conservative Party of Canada (membership was purchased or renewed in
appropriate time, that they are at least fourteen (14) years or age, and that they are either permanent
14 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011residents or citizens of Canada), and that their primary residence in which they are ordinarily resident is
within the boundaries of the Electoral District.
By Constitution, voters are required to produce at least two pieces of identification, one of which must
be photo identification, which between them prove that they meet these requirements. The voter must
also be listed on the CIMS-generated official voting list for the nomination event. Here is how
credentialing is applied to meet the above requirements.
1. Name of Voter Inscribed on Membership List
This proves that the member purchased their membership at least twenty-one
(21) days prior to the nomination event and is a member in good standing of the Conservative Party of
Canada.
2. Photo Identification
This proves that the voter is who they say they are – it is used to confirm that the name on the voting list
matches the individual who is registering to vote at the nomination event.
3. Identification with Valid and Current Address inside the Electoral District
This proves that the voter lives in the electoral district in which they are attempting to vote, and that the
address inscribed on the official voters list matches the address on the voter’s identification.
If so challenged by a registration desk volunteer, or by a scrutineer of a nomination contestant, a
potential voter must also be able to prove that they are at least fourteen years of age (by birth
certificate, driver’s license, etc…), and be either a permanent resident or citizen of Canada (by
citizenship card, passport, permanent residency card, etc…).
If a voter meets all of the above requirements, the voter signs their name on the signature line, next to
their name on the official voter list, and is issued a ballot. The registration agent should initial the ballot
immediately prior to issuing the ballot to the voter.
Should the voter not meet all of the above requirements, the voter should be directed to the Help Desk
for review by the Returning Officer. On a case-by-case basis, the Returning Officer may waive some of
the requirements listed above if in his or her opinion the voter should be entitled to vote at the
nomination event. This decision may only be made by the Returning Officer and should only be done
after a thorough review of the available information.
If the Returning Officer decides that a ballot should be issued to a potential voter, the individual in
question should be escorted back to the appropriate registration table by a volunteer. The voter should
then sign next to their name on the official voter list or should have their name added to the official
voter list, and then sign next to the new addition. This ensures that only one copy of the official voter
list is inscribed with the signatures of voters.
15 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Nomination Event Venue
The choice and layout of the nomination event venue is very important. The venue should be large
enough to accommodate the processing of the voters who choose to vote at the nomination event, be
easily accessible by people with mobility difficulties, and be conducive to ensuring that the nomination
event can be run smoothly. The following are some factors to consider when selecting and laying out a
venue for a nomination event:
• The venue should have accessible high-speed internet access – ideally, the Help Desk will have
access to CIMS, as it will assist in the evaluation of voters who do not immediately meet voting
requirements
• The venue must be controlled – access to the venue must be restricted and controlled to ensure
the smooth running of the nomination event
• The room should be laid-out to easily move the voters through the process – thought should be
given to the placement of registration tables, the help desk, the voting booths, ballot boxes, and
entrances and exits so that voters can quickly move through the process and voter confusion is
minimized
At large nomination events, there is a danger that too many voters inside the venue will cause long
delays and confusion. By controlling access to the venue, only a manageable number of voters can be
admitted to the venue at any time. If it is expected that a large number of voters will be present,
stanchions and roping should be used to manage line-ups. At no time should voters or other individuals
be loitering inside the venue – voters must move through the process in a timely manner, and the room
layout should be conducive to this need. The Candidate Nomination Committee should recruit sufficient
volunteers to assist with voter traffic, and provide direction and guidance to voters unclear about the
next phase of the voting process.
Ballots and Ballot Boxes
Ballot should be prepared in advance of the nomination event. They should be sequentially-numbered,
use coloured paper (to prevent duplication by photocopying), and have a place where voter registration
agents should initial immediately prior the issuing of the ballot. The names of the nomination
contestants should be listed on the ballot alphabetically, and the ballot should contain simple but clear
instructions for the voter (either to mark an “X” in the case of a two-candidate race, or a race where
multiple balloting will be used, or to rank the nomination contestants in preferential order where, by
way of example using a nomination contest in which there are five nomination contestants, 1 is the
most preferred candidate and 5 is the least preferred candidate).
Ballot boxes should be inspected by scrutineers of the nomination contestants prior to being sealed.
During the nomination event, ballot boxes should remain under constant surveillance by volunteers. As
voters place their ballots in the ballot box, volunteers should ensure that only one ballot is being cast by
any voter.
16 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Ballot Counting
Once voting is complete, and all voters have left the venue, all of the official voter lists should be
collected and the voter signatures counted. The number of signatures on the official voter list should
correspond to the number of voters issued ballots. If strong voter controls have been employed,
including the monitoring of ballot boxes, the number of signatures on the official voter list should match
the number of ballots in the ballot box. However, it is possible that some voters may have left the
venue without casting ballots, in which case the number of signatures on the official voter list will be
higher than the number of ballots actually in the ballot boxes.
When counting, two volunteers should work together as a counting team to minimize counting errors.
Ballots should first be removed from the ballot box, and then each ballot should be checked to ensure
that it has been initialled by a registration volunteer. Ballots without initials should be set aside. How
the ballots are then counted depends on whether ballots are marked with “X” or are marked with
preferential rankings (for example, with numbers one (1) through five (5) in the case of a nomination in
which there are five (5) candidates).
Note: all volunteers and scrutineers should surrender their cell phones, blackberries, or other wireless
devices prior to counting. These devices may be returned once the Returning Officer has announced the
name of the successful nomination contestant.
Announcement of Results
Following the counting, scrutineers and nomination event volunteers who supervised the counting
process should remain sequestered in the room in which the ballots are counted until the results have
been announced.
The Returning Officer should then inform the candidates and those members still present at the
nomination event which nomination contestant is now the EDA’s candidate. The total number of valid
votes cast should be made public, but not the individual results of the different counts. This helps
create unity behind the newly nominated candidate.
Following the announcement of the successful nomination contestant, and the return of the scrutineers
to the room, a motion from the floor should be sought by the Returning Officer to destroy the ballots.
17 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011SIX KEYS TO WINNING – SETTING UP YOUR COMMITTEES
Winning the seat for the Conservative Party of Canada is the number one goal of an Electoral District
Association (EDA). Every proposed activity of the EDA should be challenged by asking, “Will this help us
achieve the goal of winning/holding this seat for the Conservative Party?”
To obtain the end goal of winning the seat for the Conservative Party, the Board of Directors may want
to setup up a number of committees, either standing or special. In fact, a key to successful EDA
development is spreading the workload around and getting as many people involved as possible.
One problem that consistently shows up in many Electoral Districts is that a small number of people are
doing the majority of the work, resulting in burnout. To encourage effectiveness, these committees
should be given a clear mandate and the opportunity to report regularly and receive direction.
Additionally, it should be noted that one does not have to be a member of the Board to be a member of
a committee or even to chair or manage an activity/event.
Listed below are six committees that every EDA should strive to have (details follow):
1. Election Readiness Committee
2. Membership Committee
3. Fundraising Committee
4. Policy/Constitution Committee
5. Volunteer Recruitment Committee
6. Communications Committee
Other Committees that may be constituted by the Board of Directors from time to time include:
• Telephoning Committee
• Events Committee
• Candidate Nomination Committee (see Conservative Party of Canada Candidate Nomination
Rules and Procedures)
Elections Readiness Committee
The Elections Readiness Committee is responsible for:
18 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011• Ensuring that the EDA is ready to conduct an election campaign.
• Working with the Incumbent MP/Nominated Candidate, and their campaign team, to
coordinate pre-writ EDA elections readiness efforts
• Ensuring, along with the Fundraising Committee, that the EDA has sufficient money to fund an
election campaign
• Working with the Political Operations Staff to develop and implement election readiness goals
• Setup and maintain an EDA-wide poll organization
Typical tasks performed by the Elections Readiness Committee during any given month include:
• Developing, in conjunction with the Political Operations Staff, the pre-writ campaign plan for
the EDA
• Assembling a volunteer crew of members and supporters to perform pre-writ elections
readiness activities including: lit-dropping, door-knocking, poll organization, and other elections
readiness activities
• Conducting poll analysis and the technical analysis of voting results and trends
• Implementing a Voter Re-Identification drive in advance of a federal election to re-confirm
identified supporters within CIMS
• Performing various tasks as assigned by the Political Operations Staff
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is responsible for:
• Ensuring, along with the Financial Agent, that membership applications are completed
accurately and transmitted in a timely manner to National Office for processing
• Managing and updating the EDA’s membership in a timely and regular fashion
• Developing and implementing a membership recruitment, retention, and renewal program at
the EDA level (EDAs should strive to exceed 500 members
• Working with the Political Operations Staff and National Office staff to establish an EDA
membership target
• Being the lead CIMS user for the EDA
19 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Typical tasks performed by the Membership Committee during any given month include:
• Assembling a phone team and a drive team to renew lapsed members
• Generating a membership list from CIMS for use by the EDA to register members at an EDA
function
• Producing membership mailing labels for use by the Communications Committee in a newsletter
mailing
• Processing returned mail in CIMS to ensure that membership mailing addresses are accurate
• Completing membership transmittal sheets of completed membership applications and mailing
them to Ottawa (contact the National Office for more information on the membership
submission process)
Fundraising Committee
The Fundraising Committee is responsible for:
• Working with the EDA President and Elections Readiness Chair to establish EDA fundraising
targets (EDAs should strive to have over $100,000 in the bank)
• Planning and implementing EDA fundraising events and activities
• Representing the EDA on any regional joint fundraising committee
Typical tasks performed by the Fundraising Committee during any given month include:
• Compiling and cleaning lists of potential donors in CIMS
• Organizing EDA fundraising activities including: direct mail solicitation, Party sponsored
telephone solicitation, and other fundraising activities
• Liaising with the Elections Readiness Chair to coordinate pre-writ and writ fundraising initiatives
20 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Policy/Constitution Committee
The Policy/Constitution Committee is particularly active in the lead up to National Conventions.
The Policy/Constitution Committee serves an important purpose in maintaining our Party as a member-
driven grassroots organization.
The Policy/Constitution committee is responsible for:
• Coordinating the Policy and Constitution development process at the EDA level
• Liaising with the Political Operations Staff and National Office Staff to ensure that the EDA is in
compliance with all rule and requirements regarding Policy and Constitution development
• Representing the EDA on any regional joint policy committee
Typical tasks performed by the Policy/Constitution Committee during any given month include:
• Reviewing current CPC Policy and Constitutional documents for possible resolutions
• Assigning interested members with policy and constitution topic areas for review and analysis
• Distributing policy and constitution development information to interested members
• Compiling and transmitting policy and constitution resolutions for submission to National Office
Volunteer Recruitment Committee
Volunteer Recruitment Committee is particularly active in the lead up to elections, but their efforts
should be ongoing. Modern campaigning is very dependent on volunteers – the development of a list of
individuals who might be able to give you even an hour during an election campaign is a critical activity.
The Volunteer Recruitment committee is responsible for:
• Developing and maintaining a list of individuals who are willing to volunteer for either EDA
activities or campaign activities
• Ensure that the EDA is using CIMS to track all past and current volunteers
• Work with committee members to identify prospective volunteers to approach
21 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011Typical tasks performed by the Volunteer Recruitment Committee during any given month include:
• Contacting individuals who attended EDA activities and ask them “Whether they would be
interested in doing even a few hours of volunteer work in the next year or when the next
election comes?”
• Collecting lists of prospective volunteers from the Candidate/MP
• Extracting lists of Donors from CIMS and prospecting them and their family members as
volunteers
• Contacting past volunteers to confirm that they are still interested and to ask them for
prospects
Communications Committee Chair
The Communications Committee is responsible for:
• Preparing any and all communications with the EDA’s membership
• Liaising with the Political Operations Staff to develop and implement branded communication
materials for the EDA and or MP/Candidate
• Representing the EDA on any regional joint communications committee
• Working with the EDA’s President and other relevant Committee Chairs to ensure that
notification guidelines are met
• Working with the EDA’s President and Political Operations Staff on any and all media inquiries
Typical tasks performed by the Communications Committee during any given month include:
• Designing and producing an EDA newsletter (either electronic or print) for distribution to the
membership
• Designing and updating an EDA web site
• Assisting the EDA in complying with messaging as developed by National Office Staff
• Producing promotional literature promoting EDA events, fundraisers, and other functions
22 Conservative Party EDA Handbook October, 2011You can also read
