A candidate in the affected Board member election may protest an election by filing a written protest with the Election Coordinator at the headquarters office of the System within ten business days following the mailing of the certified election results for an election or a recount, otherwise, there shall be no opportunity for filing a protest and the certified election results shall stand as the final election results. The written protest shall be identified using the word “protest”, shall specify the election, and shall state the grounds of the protest and suggested remedy.

Upon receipt of a valid and timely protest, the Election Coordinator shall mail a copy of the request to all candidates in the election and notify the Board and other interested parties that a protest has been filed.

An ad-hoc committee of the Board consisting of an odd number of members no fewer than three shall determine, what remedy, if any, shall be granted to the candidate filing the protest. No Board member who is a candidate in the election under protest, or has endorsed a candidate in the election under protest may become a member of the committee or participate in its selection.

The Board chairperson shall appoint Board members to the committee. If the Board chairperson is a candidate or has endorsed a candidate in the election under protest, the Board vice chairperson shall appoint Board members to the committee. If the Board vice chairperson is a candidate or has endorsed a candidate in the election under protest, the Board shall appoint from its number, members to the committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

If a minimum of three Board members are not eligible to participate on the ad-hoc committee, or if a majority of the full Board, excluding candidates but including endorsers of candidates so directs, the protest shall instead be determined by a panel of three arbitrators in accordance with the provisions below, the laws of the State of California, and the Labor Arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in effect at the time, to the extent the AAA rules are not in conflict with these regulations. One member of the panel shall be selected by the protesting candidate, one member of the panel shall be selected by the successful candidate, and the third member, who shall serve as chair, shall be selected by the first two panel members.

The committee may consider written and/or oral arguments submitted by the candidate filing the protest and any other interested party, in making its determination. Any oral proceedings by the committee shall be held in the Board's meeting room and be open to the public. Other procedures, including those for receiving and considering arguments and factual allegations, shall be determined by the committee or arbitration panel in its sole discretion.

The determination of the committee or arbitration panel shall be rendered within 30 calendar days of its appointment and shall be final and binding on the System and candidates for office. The committee or arbitration panel shall declare the election under protest void, and the position vacant, only upon a finding that Board-adopted election procedures were not substantially followed and that, without this lack of substantial compliance, the election outcome would likely have been different.

The filing of a protest shall not delay the seating of an elected Board member. Such elected Board member shall take office on either the day provided for by statute or immediately, if elected to fill a vacancy, subject to the potential termination of such Board membership as a result of the protest. Any newly elected member, as the result of a protest, shall hold office for a period equal to the remainder of the term of the vacated office.