The Annual Election of Officers: Running a Lodge Election That Leaves the Lodge Stronger

Overview

A lodge’s annual election is governed by its Grand Lodge code and bylaws, which set the elected offices, who is eligible, how nominations work and what majority is needed. The 1723 Charges add the oldest rule of all: Masters and Wardens are chosen for merit, not seniority.

This guide starts with the 1723 Charges and the long tension between merit and the officer line. It then sets out the four questions every code answers, using the North Carolina and Florida codes as worked examples: which offices are elected, who is eligible, whether nominations are allowed, and what majority elects. It gives a checklist for the weeks before election night and explains how to run a clean, secret ballot and why campaigning has no place in the lodge. It covers the hard cases: a contested East, a Senior Warden who isn’t ready, a Brother who declines, no eligible candidate, a missed election and a challenge after the vote. It closes with the steps after the vote, common mistakes and working with Grand Lodge.