The Third Legacy Procedure is the method used for selection of Delegates and Trustees. The purpose of the special procedure is to eliminate, as much as possible, the role of personality, ego, and competition in the process of selection of Delegates and Trustees.

In the traditional electoral process, a candidate declares or is nominated for office and then actively campaigns for the position. The candidate invests an often considerable personal interest in obtaining the position. The successful candidate experiences ego gratification; the unsuccessful candidate experiences personal rejection.

For the recovering addicts in MA, the traditional electoral process is risky, and has the potential to damage the unity that is an important part of our recovery program. Our Third Legacy procedure removes, as much as possible, the elements of declaration and competition for our trusted servant office.

Trustees, also referred to as Directors, are elected to one (1) two year term, and are eligible for election to serve two (2) additional consecutive one year terms. No Trustee may serve more than four (4) years consecutively. Alternate Trustees, also referred to as Alternate Directors, are elected to a one-year term, as described below.

To qualify to serve as a Trustee or an Alternate, a member must have a minimum of two (2) years of continuous sobriety. Sobriety is defined as abstinence from marijuana and all mind-altering substances, including alcohol. A Trustee’s name may be placed on public records in the State of California, and therefore, Trustees and Alternates must be prepared to accept that their name may be revealed publicly.

A member must be present at the Conference to be elected Trustee. All qualified Conference attendees shall be eligible to be elected as Trustees or Alternates, subject to their right to withdraw their names from consideration, and provided they have substantially attended the Conference at which they are being considered.

Election Procedure

1. The names of all persons who meet the Trustee requirements are placed on an eligibility list, subject to view by all members for the duration of the Conference. Names listed must be at least one (1) character different to differentiate between the eligible candidates.
2. Candidates may strike their name from the list at any time.
3. Before the first round of voting begins, each Candidate may provide a brief summary of their service history such as; serving as a sponsor; service at the levels of meeting, district, and World Services including service sponsorship; and any relevant career qualifications such as having nonprofit management experience, being an attorney or CPA, and/or having bookkeeping or accounting experience. (Note: Not having a lengthy service resume does not preclude an eligible candidate for selection to the Board). Depending on the Conference schedule, and at the discretion of the Chairperson, this summary may be provided in writing and shared in a document that will be available to the Conference Body.
4. Each candidate will introduce themselves to the Conference Body for the purpose of associating names with faces.
5. To vote, each voting Member selects names, exactly as listed, of their chosen candidates, from the current eligibility list, on a secret ballot.
6. For each round of voting, voting Members must select the exact number of names as there are positions to be filled (i.e., if there are three Trustee positions available, Members must select the names of three candidates on their ballot). As positions are filled, the number of names required on each ballot will change.
7. Errors made by voting Members regarding item numbers 5 or 6 above shall require that the vote be discarded, and a new vote taken.

Voting Process

1. The first vote: Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. Note that this vote may result in no one being elected.
2. The second vote (if required): Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If all available positions are not filled, ‘automatic withdrawals’ begin. Generally, the names of candidates receiving one-fifth or fewer of the votes are removed from the eligibility list.The number of candidates remaining on the list must be one (1) more than the number of positions still available. To satisfy this requirement, there may be cases where candidates who did not receive one-fifth of the votes remain on the list.
3. The third vote (if required): Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If all available positions are not filled, the names of candidates receiving one-third or fewer of the votes are removed from the eligibility list.The number of candidates remaining must be one (1) more than the number of positions still available. To satisfy this requirement, there may be cases where candidates who did not receive one-third of the votes remain on the list.
4. A fourth vote (if required): Any candidate receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If, at this point, positions remain unfilled, the names of candidates receiving one-third or fewer of the votes are removed from the eligibility list.The number of candidates remaining must be one (1) more than the number of positions still available. To satisfy this requirement, there may be cases where candidates who did not receive one-third of votes remain on the list.At this point, the Chair entertains a motion to:

1. 1. stop balloting and draw remaining names from the hat; or
   2. conduct a fifth and final vote.

* If 4a.) above carries, the remaining names go into a hat and positions are filled in the order that the names are drawn. 

**If 4b.) carries, a FINAL VOTE is taken. Any person receiving two-thirds or more of the votes is elected. If no election is made, remaining names go into the hat and positions are filled in the order that the names are drawn.

Designation of “official” Alternate Trustees and “Alternate Waitlist”

The number of Alternate Directors to be designated as “official” Alternate Directors, for logistics purposes, such as receiving email accounts and attending the monthly Board of Trustees meetings, shall be determined by that year’s Conference Body. The remaining Alternates (all other remaining candidates not chosen as Trustees by the Third Legacy) will be designated as being on an “Alternate Waitlist”. The Alternate Waitlist shall be listed in the reverse order that the remaining candidates were removed (e.g., the last candidate removed before all available Positions on the Board of Trustees were filled, would be the “First Alternate-in-Waiting”, and so on, so that the final name on the “Alternate Waitlist” is the first Candidate removed by the Third Legacy Procedure.)

“Alternates-in-Waiting” will only be called upon as official Alternate Directors in the event one or more of the official Alternates are called to serve as Trustee(s) due to a vacancy on the Board of Trustees.

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Feel free to direct any questions to the Policies & Procedures Trustee: [email protected]