Nominations for director elections are made by written petition, which must be signed by at least 1% of the membership of record as of the preceding June 30. Petition packets are available to members on the first business day in December, and petition forms are due to the cooperative not less than 45 nor more than 90 days prior to each annual meeting. (Bylaw 4.4(a))
Qualified candidates must be members of Salem Electric or a designated representative, such as an owner or employee of a member firm, for at least 2 years prior to the election date, and in the 10 years prior to the election not been convicted of or plead guilty to a felony. Employees of the cooperative are not eligible for election. Members who hold a substantial financial interest in an enterprise competitive to the cooperative or are engaged in selling a substantial amount of electric energy or supplies to the cooperative are not eligible for election. (Bylaw 4.3)
Directors are elected to 3-year terms at the Salem Electric Annual Meeting, which takes place each year on the first Tuesday in May. (Bylaw 3.1 and Bylaw 4.2)