§ 1261.8 Election process. ( a ) *Ballots.* Promptly after fulfilling the requirements of § 1261.7(f), each Bank shall prepare and deliver a ballot to each member that was a member as of the record date. The Bank shall include with each ballot a closing date for the Bank's receipt of voted ballots, which date shall be no earlier than 30 calendar days after the date such ballot is delivered to the member. ( 1 ) A ballot shall include at least the following provisions: ( i ) For states in which one or more member directorships are to be filled in the election, an alphabetical listing of the names of each nominee for such directorship, the name, location, and FHFA ID number of the member each nominee serves, the nominee's title or position with the member, and the number of member directorships to be filled by the members in that voting state in the election;
( ii ) An alphabetical listing of the names of each nominee for a public interest independent directorship and a brief description of each nominee's experience representing consumer and community interests;
( iii ) An alphabetical listing of the names of each nominee for the other independent directorships and a brief description of each nominee's qualifications, including his or her knowledge or experience in the areas of financial management, auditing and accounting, risk management practices, derivatives, project development, organizational management, and any other area of knowledge or experience set forth in § 1261.7(e);
( iv ) A statement that write-in candidates are not permitted; and
( v ) A confidentiality statement prohibiting the Bank from disclosing how any member voted.
( 2 ) At the election of the Bank, a ballot also may include, in the body or as an attachment, a brief description of the skills and experience of each nominee for a member directorship.
( b ) *Statement on skills and experience.* If a Bank has conducted an annual assessment permitted by § 1261.9 and has included the results of the assessment as part of the notice to members required in § 1261.7(a), it may include with each ballot a statement of the results of that assessment or any subsequent assessment. If the statement differs from the statement provided under § 1261.7(a)(3), the Bank also shall include an explanation of why the statements differ.
( c ) *Lack of member directorship nominees.* If, for any voting State, the number of nominees for the member directorships for that State is equal to or fewer than the number of such directorships to be filled in that year's election, the Bank shall deliver a notice to the members in the affected voting State (in lieu of including any member directorship nominees on the ballot for that State) that such nominees shall be deemed elected without further action, due to an insufficient number of nominees to warrant balloting. Thereafter, the Bank shall declare elected all such eligible nominees. The nominees declared elected shall be included as directors-elect in the report of election required under paragraph (g) of this section. Any member directorship that is not filled due to a lack of nominees shall be deemed vacant as of January 1 of the following year and shall be filled by the Bank's board of directors in accordance with § 1261.14(a).
( d ) *Voting.* For each directorship to be filled, a member may cast the number of votes determined by the Bank pursuant to § 1261.6. A member may not split its votes among multiple nominees for a single directorship, and, where there are multiple directorships to be filled, either within the member's voting state or at large, in the case of independent directorships, a member may not cumulatively vote for a single nominee. If any member votes, it shall by resolution of its governing body either authorize the voting for specific nominees or delegate to an individual the authority to vote for specific nominees. To vote, a member shall: ( 1 ) Mark on the ballot the name of not more than one of the nominees for each directorship to be filled. Each nominee so selected shall receive all of the votes that the member is entitled to cast.
( 2 ) Execute and deliver the ballot to the Bank on or before the closing date. A Bank shall not allow a member to change a ballot after it has been delivered to the Bank.
( e ) *Counting ballots.* A Bank shall not review any ballot until after the closing date, and shall not include in the election results any ballot received after the closing date. Promptly after the closing date, each Bank shall tabulate the votes cast in the election: for the member directorships, the Bank shall tabulate votes by each voting state; for the independent directorships, the Bank shall tabulate votes for the district at-large. Any ballots cast in violation of paragraph (d) of this section shall be void.
( f ) *Declaring results* — ( 1 ) *For member directorships.* The Bank shall declare elected the nominee receiving the highest number of votes. If more than one member directorship is to be filled for a particular State, the Bank shall declare elected each successive nominee receiving the next highest number of votes until all such open directorships are filled.
( 2 ) *For independent directorships.* ( i ) The bank shall tabulate separately the votes received for public interest independent director nominees and those received for other independent director nominees, in each case in accordance with paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section.
( ii ) If the number of nominees exceeds the number of directorships to be filled, the Bank shall declare elected the nominee receiving the highest number of votes. If more than one directorship is to be filled, the Bank shall declare elected each successive nominee receiving the next highest number of votes for such directorship until all such open directorships are filled.
( iii ) If the number of nominees is no more than the number of directorships to be filled, the Bank shall declare elected each nominee receiving at least 20 percent of the number of votes eligible to be cast in the election. If any directorship is not filled due to any nominee's failure to receive at least 20 percent of the votes eligible to be cast, the Bank shall continue the election process for that directorship under the procedures in paragraph (h) of this section.
( 3 ) *Tie votes.* In the event of a tie for the last available directorship, the disinterested incumbent members of the board of directors of the Bank, by a majority vote, shall declare elected one of the nominees for whom the number of votes cast was tied.
( 4 ) *Eligibility.* A Bank shall not declare elected a nominee that it has reason to know is ineligible to serve, nor shall it seat a director-elect that it has reason to know is ineligible to serve.
( 5 ) *Record retention.* The Bank shall retain all ballots it receives for at least two years after the date of the election, and shall not disclose how any member voted.
( g ) *Report of election.* Promptly following the election, each Bank shall deliver a notice to its members, to each nominee, and to FHFA that contains the following information: ( 1 ) For each member directorship, the name of the director-elect, the name and location of the member at which he or she serves, his or her title or position at the member, the voting State represented, and the expiration date of the term of office;
( 2 ) For each independent directorship, the name of the director-elect, whether the director-elect will fill a public interest directorship and, if so, the consumer or community interest represented by such directorship, any qualifications under § 1261.7(e), and the expiration date of the term of office;
( 3 ) For member directorships, the total number of eligible votes, the number of members voting in the election, and the total number of votes cast for each nominee, which shall be reported by State; and
( 4 ) For independent directorships, the total number of eligible votes, the number of members voting in the election, and the total number of votes cast for each nominee, which shall be reported for the district at large.
( h ) *Failure to fill all independent directorships.* If any independent directorship is not filled due to the failure of any nominee to receive at least 20 percent of the eligible vote, the Bank shall continue the election process for that directorship under the following procedures: ( 1 ) The Bank's board of directors, after again consulting with the Bank's Advisory Council, shall nominate at least as many individuals as there are independent directorships to be filled. It may nominate individuals who failed to be elected in the initial vote. The Bank thereafter shall deliver to FHFA a copy of the independent director application form executed by each nominee.
( 2 ) The Bank then shall follow the provisions in this section that are applicable to the election process for independent directors, except for the following: ( i ) The Bank shall not place the name of any nominee on a ballot without prior approval of FHFA; and
( ii ) The Bank may adopt a closing date that is earlier than 30 calendar days after delivery of the ballots to the eligible voting members, provided the Bank determines that an earlier closing date provides a reasonable amount of time to vote the ballots.
[73 FR 55715, Sept. 26, 2008, as amended at 74 FR 51462, Oct. 7, 2009. Redesignated and amended at 75 FR 17039, 17040, Apr. 5, 2010; 81 FR 76296, Nov. 2, 2016]