§ 1 Eight members shall be appointed to the German Data Forum as representatives of the empirical social and economic sciences and six members as representatives of data producers. Appointees shall be proposed as representatives of the empirical social and economic sciences in a free, secret, and direct ballot at the Conference for Social and Economic Data. The RatSWD shall determine the date of the ballot.
§ 2 The election shall take place every three years. A second term of office is permitted.
§ 3 Those entitled to vote (passive and active) are PhD graduate scientists at universities and scientific research institutions that have been entered in the electoral register.
§ 4 (1) The RatSWD shall keep an electoral roll. All those included in the electoral register must meet the stipulations outlined in § 3, 1st sentence and have applied to participate in the ballot by registering at one of the Conferences for Social and Economic Data.
PhD graduate scientists at universities and scientific research institutions may apply in writing up to 28 days before the start of a Conference for Social and Economic Data to be included in the electoral register, if they are prevented from taking part in the Conference.
§ 5 The election of research representatives to the RatSWD shall be announced in advance at universities, independent research facilities and professional associations with an invitation to attend the Conference for Social and Economic Data. The RatSWD shall compile a list of professional associations entitled to nominate candidates for the election. Additional professional associations may be included at the Conference.
§ 6 Nominations for the election of RatSWD members must be submitted to the Chair no later than 28 days before the first day of the Conference. Candidates can be nominated, first, by the professional associations determined by the RatSWD in accordance with §5, which, pursuant to stipulations in the Bundesgremienbesetzungsgesetz (Act on Appointments to Federal Bodies), shall propose one suitable woman and one suitable man. Second, a "free" candidate can be nominated by ten eligible scientists. The incumbent German Data Forum is entitled to submit a suggestion. This suggestion must consist of at least four female and four male candidates and contain the declaration of each suggested candidate to accept appointment to the German Data Forum should the candidate be successful.
§ 7 (1) Candidates proposed as representatives of the empirical social and economic sciences in the RatSWD shall be voted on at the Conference in two lists, one for female representatives and one for male representatives, in a secret ballot.
(2) Each eligible voter has three votes for the list of male candidates and three for the list of female candidates. Each voter can vote only once for each male and female candidate.
(3) The three male and female candidates with the most votes shall be elected. If candidates on one list receive the same number of votes, then the decision shall be made by drawing lots.
(4) The votes shall be counted publicly by a counting commission to be selected by the Conference in an open ballot. Members of the counting commission may not be members of the RatSWD nor applicants for membership of the RatSWD.
§ 8 (1) At the beginning of the ballot, the Chair of the RatSWD shall determine the number of persons eligible to vote based on the electoral register and their presence at the Conference.
(2) The election proposals shall be made public on the RatSWDs homepage 21 days before the start of the Conference. The election proposals contain the names and functions of proposed candidates as well as the names and functions of those entitled to vote who support the respective candidates, and, where applicable, also the name of the professional association that proposed the candidate.
§ 9 Candidates shall be afforded sufficient opportunity to introduce themselves at the Conference.
§ 10 A person who is entitled to vote but cannot attend the Conference may request voting documents including the ballot from the Business Office of RatSWD up to 14 days before the first day of the Conference. The anonymous ballot, placed in a sealed anonymous envelop, sealed inside a signed voting envelope must be at the offices of RatSWD 3 days before the first day of the Conference. Postal votes shall be counted separately.
