Any eligible student may apply for the Area’s State Officer and participate in the student’s respective Area’s selection process. Should an area decide to limit districts to a specific number of candidates the procedures outlined in this document should be followed at the district level. 

Texas FFA Constitution Article X. Section F. The state officers shall hold the State FFA Degree at the time of their election at the state convention and must be active members for the duration of their term in office. A candidate may be eligible to run for state office through the second convention after their graduation from high school. 

On the first business day immediately following each Area’s Convention and no later than May 19, 2023, the Area’s solitary State Officer’s name and contact information must be submitted via email to Jennifer Jackson (jennifer@texasffa.org). 

Each Area’s State Officer shall be a candidate for State President and State First Vice President.

Each Area will select its State Officer by using a standard rubric and scoring spreadsheet which will be developed and distributed to the Area Coordinators and the Area Election Officials by December 15, 2022.

The Area Executive Committee may appoint an Area Election Official to assist the Area Coordinator in the selection process, and must submit that name and email by December 15, 2022 to Jennifer Jackson. Individuals may not serve as the Area Election Official if an individual from their chapter or a relative is a candidate.

The Area Coordinator and Area Elections Official for each Area will be tasked with administering the selection process in their respective Area no later than May 19, 2023.

Upon completion of the selection process, all documents used in the selection process (applications, rubrics, scoring spreadsheet, etc.) must be submitted via email to Jennifer Jackson by 5 pm the day following the selection process. 

Each Area’s selection process will utilize the following scoring formula: 

• Popular Vote of the delegates at the Area Convention: 40%

• Committee Process: 60%; composed of a written knowledge exam 10% and an interview 50%.

Process Procedures:

• All State Officer candidates for each Area will take the written knowledge exam at the same date, time, and location determined and communicated by the Area Coordinator.

• All State Office candidates will be given the opportunity to participate in a personal round introduction.  This round will NOT be scored but will provide the opportunity for all candidates to introduce themselves and for the Area Elections Committee, defined below, to derive questions.

• All candidates should be asked the same set of questions during the interview. These questions shall be created by the Area Elections Committee upon the conclusion of the Personal Introduction Round. 

The written knowledge exam will be developed by Q-Bank and each Area will be given access to the exam link on the day that Area’s State Officer candidates take the written knowledge exam. The exam will consist of questions from the Official FFA Manual, 2022-23 Leadership Guide, 2022 Ag Issues Briefs, and 2022 Farm Facts, and Gray’s Parliamentary Guide. No two Areas will have the same written exam.

Area Elections Committee:

• Each Area shall determine an Area Elections Committee by February 1, 2023. 

• The name and contact information for each member of the Area Elections Committee will be indicated on this Google Form (see link) which shall be completed no later than 5 pm on February 1, 2023.

• The Area Elections Committee in each Area will have no less than 7 individuals, with at least 1 student officer representing each District within the Area. Student officers should be from the Area Officer team unless they are running for state office, in which case, the highest ranking district officer who is eligible should serve in this role. Individuals may not serve on the Area Elections Committee if an individual from their chapter or a relative is a current candidate.

• The Area Elections Committee will have no less than 1 industry representative.  Aside from industry representatives, no other adults may serve on the area Elections Committee. This individual shall not be a current Ag Science Teacher and shall not have any family or close personal relationship with any State Office candidate from the Area or any other Elections Committee member.

• The Area Coordinator for each Area, with the assistance of the Area Elections Official, appointed by the Area Executive Committee, shall be responsible for appointing the members of the Area Elections Committee. The appointment of at least 9 individuals to the Area Elections Committee is encouraged to ensure that at least 7 individuals can actually participate in the selection process.