VFF elections: Board backs down on delay and pushes for electronic voting
The Victorian Farmers Federation have agreed to bring forward the board election and is contracting them out to a third party to deliver electronic voting.
THE Victorian Farmers Federation board has agreed to bring forward the date of its presidential election from next February to December.
But rather than VFF staff running the traditional postal ballot, the VFF board will contract out the election to a third party, using an electronic voting system.
VFF president David Jochinke has led the push to pursue electronic voting, arguing postal voting would “hold the organisation back to the 1800s”.
The cost to the VFF of outsourcing the election has not been revealed.
VFF chief executive Steve Sheridan said the federation was engaging a third party to ensure the independence and integrity of election process.
Directors have told The Weekly Times the board decided to go ahead with the electronic voting system, even though the VFF has struggled in the past to maintain an accurate database of all members’ email addressees.
Mr Jochinke was due to stand down last month, after reaching the four-year constitutional limit on holding the top job. But the board deferred the election until next February, citing coronavirus restrictions.
The move angered many farmers, leading Orbost beef and dairy producer Chris Nixon to launch a campaign this month to move the elections forward.
Mr Nixon said the election deferral was unconstitutional and coronavirus restrictions were likely to remain in place for some time. Mr Nixon has begun collecting the 100 signatures needed to call for an extraordinary general meeting to get elections under way before the end of the year.
The VFF board met late last week to announce it would run the elections by December.
Members will be asked to vote for a new president and vice president, plus the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, Livestock and Horticulture group presidents.
At this stage two candidates have emerged to stand for the VFF presidency.
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