The secretary of state shall develop guidelines for a secret ballot election among all employees eligible under sections 54-44.3-19 and 54-44.3-20 to carry out the election of the two members of the board elected by classified employees. All elections of members of the board are the responsibility of the director who will ensure that proper and due notification is given to all employees in sufficient time to enable potential candidates to initiate necessary petitions and conduct campaigns. Nominees for candidacy are required to submit petitions containing no less than one hundred names of employees in good standing classified under sections 54-44.3-19 and 54-44.3-20. All elections will be conducted through a secret ballot process.