Adopted by Young Greens of Canada (YGC) Council on March 14th, 2018. Amended on February 7th, 2019; February 26th, 2020; January 25th, 2021; March 26th, 2021; and January 6th, 2022. These rules govern the nomination and election of members to the YGC Council.

1. General
   1. All nominations and elections related communication will take place via governance@greenparty.ca for the duration of the election cycle.
   2. All necessary information for members to participate in the nominations and elections processes will be made available on the Party’s website.
   3. Calls for nominations will include a message encouraging diversity.
   4. To preserve neutrality and fairness, any member of the YGC Council who has submitted their application for election or re-election to Council must not take part in any meetings or discussion regarding elections fairness, nominations, or Council candidate search.
   5. Any YGC Council member who serves as a nominator for a contestant must not take part in any meetings or discussion regarding elections fairness, nominations, or Council candidate search.
   6. Party staff and members of the YGC Governance Committee not running for re-election must remain impartial throughout the nominations and elections processes and refrain from publicly supporting or campaigning for or against any contestant.

2. Nominations
   1. Contestants for YGC Council positions must be members of the YGC at the time of their nomination, and remain members in good standing until the close of voting.
      1. Contestants for Co-Chair positions must meet the membership requirements outlined in the Federal Council Nomination and Election Rules.
      2. Elected contestants must continue to hold membership for the duration of their service on YGC Council.
   2. Contestants may run for only one position per election cycle.
   3. Contestants must be between the ages of 14 and 29 (inclusive) as of the close of the voting period.
   4. Provincial or Territories Representative contestants must reside within the province or the territories they are seeking to represent for at least eight (8) months per year.
   5. Contestants must submit a completed, legible nomination package by the close of the nomination window. The nomination package must include:
      1. A contestant profile of 250 words or less if writing in English, or of 300 words or less if writing in French, which promotes their candidacy and outlines any relevant experience and qualifications. Profiles may be submitted in English and/or French. Profiles received in only one language will be translated by the Party.
      2. One high resolution digital photo.
      3. A complete nomination form with the correct number of nominators required for the position being sought.
      4. Contact information for communication with YGC Council and Party staff.
      5. Optional: any contact information that the contestant would like to share with the YGC membership (phone, email, website, etc.).
   6. Nomination packages will be evaluated by Party staff. Staff will notify prospective contestants, via their provided contact information, whether or not their candidacy is accepted within ten (10) business days of package submission.
   7. Contestants for Co-Chair positions will be evaluated according to the vetting requirements stipulated in the Federal Council Nomination and Election Rules.
   8. Contestants for the position of Provincial Representative or Territories Representative must provide the names and contact information of five (5) nominators residing in the jurisdiction they seek to represent, or of 20% of YGC members residing in that jurisdiction, whichever is lower.
      1. 2022 requirements:
         1. Five (5) nominators: British Columbia and Ontario
         2. Four (4) nominators: Quebec
         3. Two (2) nominators: Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Territories, and Nova Scotia
   9. Contestants for Co-Chair positions must provide the names and contact information of ten (10) nominators representing at least two (2) provinces and/or territories.
   10. Nominators must be YGC members in good standing on the date they nominate, and remain in good standing until the close of voting.
   11. Contestants must provide written confirmation from each of their nominators (either via email or via signature on a nomination form) of their agreement to nominate the contestant, along with the necessary contact information to allow Party staff to verify their membership status.
   12. Nominator names will be published.
   13. Contestants will be informed by staff when the applicable minimum number of nominators have been verified, and/or when a nominator is found to be invalid.
   14. Nominations shall close at least fourteen (14) days prior to the start of the voting period.
3. Elections
   1. The YGC Bylaws call for one Co-Chair and the representatives of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Territories, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta to be elected in odd-numbered years, and for one Co-Chair and the representatives of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia to be elected in even-numbered years.
   2. Each province and the territories must have a minimum of ten (10) members of the YGC residing within their borders in order to be eligible to elect a provincial representative or a Territories Representative to Council. Membership numbers will be reviewed by Party staff at the end of the nomination window.
   3. After the closure of the nomination window, the Party will provide YGC members with a full list of contestants, along with the profiles and photos submitted by contestants as part of their nomination packages.

4. Campaigns
   1. In accordance with privacy regulations, contestants will not have, and are not to have, direct access to YGC membership lists in order to promote their campaign.
   2. Contestants will be provided with the following opportunities to communicate directly with members in good standing in their respective constituencies during the election period:
      1. one message of 250 words or less, if writing in English, or of 300 words or less if writing in French, sent out via Party staff to the YGC membership;
      2. space on the Party’s Volunteer Slack platform through which they may interact with the membership;
      3. contact information for the EDAs and campus clubs in their constituencies; and
      4. a Party email address (valid until the close of the election period).
   3. No campaign spending or donations, either by contestants or members on behalf of a contestant, are permitted as part of the YGC nominations and elections processes. Individuals must pay their own membership fees.
   4. Contestants may campaign for support via their networks and personal contacts. No contestant may use their official position within the YGC and/or their access to official YGC communication channels to access additional contact information or to post campaign messages.
   5. Contestants and their campaigns must remain in keeping with the Green Party of Canada’s Member Code of Conduct at all times.
   6. Negative campaigning is not permitted.
   7. Suspected breaches of the YGC election rules must be reported to the YGC Council Governance Committee via governance@greenparty.ca. Confirmed breaches of the election rules by a contestant may result in disqualification.
   8. Contestants must accept the results of the YGC elections as final. Campaigns may not continue past the close of the voting period.

5. Voting
   1. All YGC members between the ages of 14 and 29 (inclusive) are eligible to vote in the election of Co-Chairs to the YGC Council.
   2. All YGC members between the ages of 14 and 29 (inclusive) are eligible to vote for the Representative of the province in which they reside.
   3. All YGC members between the ages of 14 and 29 (inclusive) residing in the Territories are eligible to vote for the Territories Representative.
   4. Voting rights for new YGC members commence once an individual has been a member of the Green Party of Canada for thirty (30) days and has provided the necessary information to the Party to confirm their eligibility for YGC membership. Lapsed members who renew their membership within ninety (90) days of expiration will have their voting rights reinstated immediately upon renewal.
   5. The assignment of a YGC member to a province or territory for voting purposes shall be based on the mailing address on file for that member on the date that the voting period opens. YGC members are responsible for contacting the Party to update or correct their mailing address.
   6. Instructions for how to vote in the Council election shall be emailed out at least fourteen (14) days prior to the start of the voting period.
   7. The vote for Provincial and Territorial Representatives shall require None-of-the-Above (NOTA) to be a contestant, shall be by preferential ballot, and a majority vote shall elect.
   8. The vote for Co-Chairs shall require None-of-the-Above (NOTA) to be a contestant and shall be by preferential ballot. The Co-Chair contestant who wins the preferential vote will be elected.
   9. In the case that both Co-Chair positions are up for election, the first-placed contestant will be elected to a two-year term and the second-placed contestant will be elected to a one-year term.
   10. Only one Co-Chair is permitted to be a cisgender man at any given time.
       1. In the case that both Co-Chair positions are up for election, if the first-placed contestant is not a cisgender man, the second-placed contestant will be elected to the second Co-Chair position, regardless of gender identity. If the first-placed contestant is a cisgender man, all other contestants who are cisgender men will be excluded from the vote and the remaining contestant with the highest number of votes will be elected to the second Co-Chair position.
       2. In the case that only one Co-Chair position is up for election, and the Co-Chair whose position is not up for election is a cisgender man, then cisgender men are not eligible to run for the open Co-Chair position.
       3. In the case that only one Co-Chair position is up for election and the Co-Chair whose position is not up for election is not a cisgender man, then the successful contestant will be elected to the open Co-Chair position regardless of gender identity