# LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters Minutes_St. Louis Missouri_February 23 2013_S44
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

reasonable and equitable congregational representation in and as a result of the delegate
selection process to occur not later than nine months prior to the opening day of the Synod
convention.
(b) Elections shall be by written ballot. Candidates for election as delegates to the national
convention shall be delegates attending the district convention, except for those unwilling or
unable to serve.
(c) The privilege of voting shall be exercised by one pastor and one layperson from each
member congregation of the circuit, both of whom shall have been selected in the manner
prescribed by the congregation. Multiple parishes shall be entitled to a lay vote from each
member congregation.Time shall be allotted on the district convention agenda to allow the
delegates from each electoral caucus to select its delegates to the following national
convention.
(d) All pastors who are not advisory members under Article V B of the Constitution shall be
eligible for election.A circuit counselor appointed by the president of the district shall chair
the caucus. Nominations shall be received and delegates elected in the following order: (1)
minister of religion—ordained delegate; (2) lay delegate; (3) alternate minister of religion—
ordained delegate; and (4) alternate lay delegate.
(1) Each voter may write in the names of two pastors on the initial ballot. The three
pastors (or more, in case of a tie vote) who receive the highest number of votes in this
preliminary ballot shall be placed on the next ballot.
(2) Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate. Balloting shall continue with the
lowest candidate being removed from each succeeding ballot until one pastor shall have
received a simple majority of all votes cast, whereupon he shall be declared the pastoral
delegate.
(3) The congregation or congregations served by the elected pastoral delegate shall be
removed from consideration for supplying any other voting delegate or alternate for that
particular convention.
(e) A majority ballot vote shall be required for the election of each delegate. Prior to the
meeting of the electoral circuit, each congregation may nominate one layperson, either from
its congregation or from the circuit. These names must be submitted to the circuit counselor
prior to the day of the circuit meeting and shall constitute the slate of candidates. All
congregational nominees, except those who have been eliminated through the election of the
pastoral delegate, shall be eligible for election.
(1) Each voter may write in the name of two of the remaining lay nominees on the
initial ballot. The three laypersons (or more, in case of a tie vote) who received the
highest number of votes in this preliminary ballot shall be placed on the next ballot.
(2) Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate. Balloting shall continue with the
lowest candidate being removed from each succeeding ballot until one layperson shall
have received a simple majority of all votes cast, whereupon he or she shall be declared
the lay delegate.
(3) The congregation from which the lay delegate has been elected shall then be
removed from consideration for supplying any alternates to that particular convention.
(f) All other pastors who received votes in the initial write-in ballot, except those who were
eliminated through the election of the lay delegate, shall be eligible for election as the
alternate.
(1) Each voter shall now vote for only one candidate.
(2) Balloting shall continue with the lowest candidate being removed from each
succeeding ballot until one pastor shall have received a simple majority of all votes cast,
whereupon he shall be declared the alternate pastoral delegate.
Page 114 – 02.23.13 – COH Minutes