LCMS Commission on Constitutional Matters — Minutes St. Louis, Missouri — January 25–26, 2013, Page 35

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a process for creating electoral caucuses; and
an election by those electoral caucuses at a district convention; therefore be it

Resolved, That voting delegates for Synod conventions be elected by electoral caucuses; and be it
further
Resolved, That each district shall select advisory delegates (ministers of religion—ordained and
ministers of religion—commissioned) retaining the proportionate representation to voting delegates as is
currently followed; and be it finally
Resolved, That Bylaws 3.1.2.1–3.1.3.1 be amended as follows:
PRESENT/PROPOSED WORDING
3.1.2.1 Elections of voting delegates to the national convention shall take place in accordance with
established policy and proceduresas follows:.
(a) Each electoral circuit shall meet at the call of the counselor(s) to elect its delegates not
later than nine months prior to the opening day of the convention. The district board of
directors shall determine how its electoral caucuses will meet in light of its prescribed
number of delegates to the next national convention. Such groupings shall take into
consideration geographical factors, visitation circuits, and such other factors as will provide
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
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