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Elections

The election of APSA Council members and officers occurs via electronic ballot over the summer, with new Council members and officers beginning their terms in September following the conclusion of the APSA Annual Meeting. For more information about the APSA election process see the APSA bylaws and Rules for Elections.

The APSA Nominating Committee met in February and compiles a slate of candidate, which is available here for your review. The call for nominations was circulated among the membership, and outreach specifically to APSA committees and organized sections was conducted. The committee made its decisions after careful deliberation and consideration for the diversity of the field and the varied interests of political scientists. The candidates will be put to a vote by the full membership via electronic ballot in July. APSA also accepts nominees by petition. The deadline for submitting nominees by petition is June 10th, 2024. 

Nominating Committee

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In accordance with the APSA bylaws, the Nominating Committee prepares a slate of nominees, making its recommendations with due regard for geographic distribution, field of professional interest, methodological orientation, types of institutions where members are employed, race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability, and other important forms of diversity (APSA Bylaws Article V, Section 3). 

The nominating committee generally meets in February, and APSA encourages members to submit suggestions for consideration by the nominating committee. Council or officer nominations can be submitted to nominations@apsanet.org with a description of why the nominee’s accomplishments, background, and views would make them a good Council member or officer. 

Once the Nominating Committee has met and determined its slate of candidates the proposed slate of nominees is announced. More information about the 2023-2024 Nominating Committee is available here. 

Nominees by Petition
Candidates by petition are also accepted. Nominations by petition should be sent to nominations@apsanet.org and must be submitted at least 60 days before the election is scheduled to begin. Candidates by petition for APSA elections must fill out the Official Nomination Form with signatures of at least fifty members. Candidates must also sign the Official Consent Form for their candidacy to be valid. 

Election Process

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The APSA Council and officer elections occur via electronic ballot open to the entire membership. Electronic balloting begins no fewer than 120 days after the nominating committee slate is announced, and balloting remains open for no fewer than 30 days. APSA elections are generally held over the summer. 

As indicated in the new bylaws, the election process allows voters to vote “for” (yes), “against” (no), or abstain for each position. Candidates must receive more “for” votes than “against” to be elected to the APSA Council or officer role for which they have been nominated; thus, even unopposed candidates must be affirmed by a majority of votes. In the event that there are more candidates than open positions, candidates receiving the largest number of positive votes will be deemed elected, followed by the candidate receiving the next largest number of positive votes, and so on, until all positions are filled. A quorum of 10% of the APSA membership is required for the election to be valid.

When balloting has closed, the Rules and Elections Committee examines and certifies the vote tallies. Once the has been certified, APSA announces the results and the new Council members and officers take office at the close of the next APSA Annual Meeting. 

Please contact election@apsanet.org for more information or with any questions about the APSA elections.
2023 Council and Officer Election

The election for 2023 APSA Council and Officer positions was held over the summer. The ballot consisted of the Nominating Committee’s slate of Council and officer nominees, and no additional nominees by petition were submitted.

Under APSA bylaws, voters have the opportunity to vote “for,” “against,” or abstain for each position. Candidates must receive more “for” votes than “against” to be elected to the APSA Council or officer role for which they have been nominated. A quorum of 10% of the APSA membership, or 1,139 completed ballots, was required. In total, 2,591 ballots were cast, for turnout of 22.7%. All nominees were resoundingly elected. The Rules and Elections Committee examined the vote tally and certified the election results. More information about APSA elections, including instructions for submitting nominees by petition and a description of the balloting process, can be found above.