2026 Ballot Referendum
Referendum Background
At the June 25, 2026 Annual Member Meeting, GHC-SCW members voted to move forward with a membership-wide vote to amend the GHC-SCW Bylaws. In accordance with GHC-SCW’s Bylaws, within 90 days of the Annual Member Meeting, all eligible Voting Members will have the opportunity to consider and vote on the proposed Bylaw amendments presented at the meeting.
On October 12, 2026, voting closed on the seven proposed Bylaw amendments considered by the membership this fall. As your Board of Directors, we are certifying and sharing the results below, as required under our Bylaws.
Certified Participation
A total of 1,109 ballots were cast out of 54,113 eligible Voting Members (2.05%), which did not meet the 10% participation threshold (5,411 votes) required under Section 2.7.G(2)(e) of our Bylaws for a proposed amendment to be decided on its merits.
Referendum Outcome: Not approved due to not meeting the participation threshold of 10%.
A participation shortfall isn’t a vote for or against any specific proposal. We take that seriously in both directions: for members who wanted these changes made, and for members who didn’t. The seven questions proposed focus on real governance topics such as how the Nominations Committee is filled, how Board meetings and Annual Meetings are run, how the Board’s own Bylaw amendment authority works and more. A participation shortfall doesn’t make those topics disappear.
The Board will discuss this outcome at a future meeting and give further consideration to the Bylaw changes proposed in the referendum. We don’t have a specific timeline to share yet, but we will keep members informed as those conversations happen.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read through the materials and cast a ballot.
Sincerely,
The GHC-SCW Board of Directors
Bylaws Referendum Resources
September 28, 2020 Bylaws
March 19, 2026 Bylaws
Comparison of 2020 to 2026 Bylaws
2026 Bylaw Changes and Clarification Summary
