In recent years, GSNorCal staff have run the nomination and election processes for service unit delegates. Some service units would like to be able to manage their own nominations, and if needed, elections. By running their own nominations and elections, service units will be able to keep closer tabs on if anyone has nominated themselves and advertise the nomination and voting periods directly to their members (as opposed to relying on council communications). In turn, this could increase participation and reduce the number of vacant seats.
For MY27, service units can opt in to manage their own elections.
Service units that wish to run their own nominations and elections for MY27 should pick a member of the SU team to be the designated person in charge of the elections (can be any member of the team). That person should then complete the quick opt-in form by October 28th, 2026. Opting in is only for MY27.
Service units that do not opt in will be continued under the same council-run nominations and elections process used in recent years. No action is needed from these service units.
How to Run Service Unit Delegate Self-Nominations/Nominations
Sometimes members are interested in being a delegate but do not realize that self-nominations are acceptable and normal. Therefore, it is important to advertise, especially to older Girl Scouts, that majority of delegates are self-nominated!
Click on each step to learn more.
Visit the gsHelpcenter page for SU delegate allotment and be sure to note how many of those delegates can be youth members. The delegate allotment gsHelpCenter page is updated annually in mid-October.
Use the guidelines below to help pick dates that make the most sense for your SU. The self-nomination period should be at least two weeks; choose a length that gives you enough time to get the word out and for people to nominate themselves. FYI, the council-run self-nomination period for MY27 will be November 1 – December 6, 2026. It takes a month or a little longer for council staff to effectively advertise and recruit in all SUs, it might not take as long within your SU.
- Self-nominations should start mid-October or later, after the year’s delegate allotment is posted.
- Self-nominations should end before December 31. If there are enough nominees to require an election, this will allow enough time to meet the two deadlines set in the bylaws:
- Elections must be completed 60 days before the Annual Meeting; for 2027 this is February 9th.
- All voting members must be informed of the election at least 15 days before it begins.
Create an electronic form to collect self-nominations/nominations. Suggested fields are below. You can see a DRAFT of the form that GSNorCal will use for MY27. Remember, most delegates are self-nominated.
- Name of person being nominated
- Email of person being nominated
- Whether they are an adult or youth member
- Caregiver’s email (for youth nominees only)
- A short statement about why the person would be an effective SU delegate – these can be used to create a voter guide if an election is needed.
Advertise the self-nomination period and how to submit a self-nomination to all SU members 14 years and older. Be sure to include
- older Girl Scout troops,
- Juliettes,
- and registered adults.
You’ll want to advertise the self-nomination period before it opens and then send reminder(s) during the self-nomination period.
After the self-nomination period ends, review all completed nominations and determine if a vote is needed for any of the delegate roles. Refer to your SU’s allotment and pay special attention to the number of youth delegates. You can also refer to the scenarios at the bottom of this page for further assistance. Email info@gsnorcal.org with any questions!
- If an election is needed, see the instructions below for running an election. Thank all of the nominated members for their willingness to serve and inform them that there will be an election.
- If no election is needed, notify your new delegates of their new role and notify council using the form below. Also announce the results to your SU.
How to Run Service Unit Delegate Elections
Only service units with more nominations than delegate seats will need to hold elections. Check out the scenarios at the bottom of the page if you are unsure if your SU needs to hold an election this year.
Click on each step to learn more.
When you pick the dates for your SU’s election, you want to be sure that you can meet the bylaws deadlines for announcing the election and concluding the election. Voting should be open for at least one week. FYI the MY27 council-run elections will be January 5-19, 2027.
- Council bylaws require that all voting members be informed of the election at least 15 days before it begins.
- Council bylaws require that elections must be completed 60 days before the Annual Meeting; for 2027 this is February 9th.
Create an electronic form for voting. FYI, council-run elections use the honor system for voting (each person votes only once and only in their SU’s election). SU can also use the honor system.
- For each contested race include the names and candidate statements for each nominated person.
- For nominated youth only include their last initial – do not write out their full last name.
Per the council bylaws, you must advertise the election at least 15 days before it opens to all SU members 14 years and older. Be sure to include
- older Girl Scout troops,
- Juliettes,
- and registered adults.
It is also good practice to remind voters of the election the day it opens and again close to the closing date.
After the election period ends, review the results.
- Notify the winner(s) of their new role and submit their information to council using the form below.
- Thank those who did not win for their willingness to serve and provide other ways they can be involved with the SU.
- Announce the election results to your SU.
Nomination Scenarios: Does My SU Need an Election?
Click the number of delegates your SU is allotted to see possible nomination scenarios and the resulting ballot compositions. See Article I Section 4 of the GSNorCal bylaws for additional information.
Any combination of two or more nominees, regardless of age, will result in an election among all of the nominees. There will be no distinction for age as there is only one delegate for the SU.
No election is needed if one adult and no youth are nominated. Similarly, no election is needed if no adults and one youth is nominated. In both of these situations, the nominee becomes the delegate when nominations close.
If there is at least one youth nominee, then one of the two delegate positions will be filled by an eligible youth member. If there are no youth nominees, then both delegate positions may be filled by eligible adult members.
See the possible scenarios below for more information. If you have a question about your specific situation, reach out to your council staff member or email info@gsnorcal.org.
| Nomination Scenario | Election Required | Ballot Composition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| zero adults nominated, one youth nominated | no | one youth delegate, one vacant seat |
| zero adults nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees | one youth delegate, one vacant seat |
| one adult nominated, zero youth nominated | no | one adult delegate, one vacant seat |
| one adult nominated, one youth nominated | no | one adult delegate, one youth delegate |
| one adult nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees; adult nominee automatically fills one seat | one adult delegate, one youth delegate |
| two adults nominated, zero youth nominated | no | two adult delegates |
| two adults nominated, one youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees; youth nominee automatically fills one seat | one adult delegate, one youth delegate |
| two or more adults nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees and one race between the youth nominees | one adult delegate, one youth delegate |
If there is at least one youth nominee, then one of the three delegate positions will be filled by an eligible youth member. If there are no youth nominees, then all of the delegate positions may be filled by eligible adult members.
See the possible scenarios below for more information. If you have a question about your specific situation, reach out to your council staff member or email info@gsnorcal.org.
| Nomination Scenario | Election Required | Ballot Composition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| zero adults nominated, one youth nominated | no | one youth delegate, two vacant seats |
| zero adults nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees | one youth delegate, two vacant seats |
| one adult nominated, zero youth nominated | no | one adult delegate, two vacant seats |
| one adult nominated, one youth nominated | no | one adult delegate, one youth delegate, one vacant seat |
| one adult nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees; adult nominee automatically fills one seat | one adult delegate, one youth delegate, one vacant seat |
| two adults nominated, zero youth nominated | no | two adult delegates, one vacant seat |
| two adults nominated, one youth nominated | no | two adult delegates, one youth delegate |
| two adults nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees; adult nominees automatically fill two seats | two adult delegates, one youth delegate |
| three adults nominated, zero youth nominated | no | three adult delegates |
| three or more adults nominated, one youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees (two winners); youth nominee automatically fills one seat | two adult delegates, one youth delegate |
| three or more adults nominated, two or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees and one race between the youth nominees | two adult delegates, one youth delegate |
If there is one youth nominee, then one of the four delegate positions will be filled by an eligible youth member and the remaining three can be filled by eligible adult members.
If there are two or more youth nominees, then two of the four delegate positions will be filled by eligible youth members and the remaining two can be filled by eligible adult members.
If there are no youth nominees, then all of the delegate positions may be filled by eligible adult members.
Select scenarios are presented in the table below. If you have a question about your specific situation, reach out to your council staff member or email info@gsnorcal.org.
| Nomination Scenario | Election Required | Ballot Composition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| zero adults nominated, three or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees | two youth delegates, two vacant seats |
| one adult nominated, three or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees | one adult delegate, two youth delegates, one vacant seat |
| two adults nominated, three or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the youth nominees | two adult delegates, two youth delegates |
| three adults nominated, one youth nominated | no | three adult delegates, one youth delegate |
| three or more adults nominated, two youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees (two winners); youth nominees automatically fill two seats | two adult delegates, two youth delegates |
| three or more adults nominated, three or more youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees (two winners); one race between the youth nominees (two winners) | two adult delegates, two youth delegates |
| four or more adults nominated, zero youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees | four adult delegates |
| four or more adults nominated, one youth nominated | yes | one race between the adult nominees (three winners); youth nominee automatically fills one seat | three adult delegates, one youth delegate |
Last updated on August 20, 2026