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    • Election Policy

    This policy was adopted January 2014. Amended March 2020.

    Article VIII, Section 1 of the BJCP Bylaws specifies that election policies must be developed that cover the specific Election Schedule, including dates for each milestone; staggered election of Representatives; nomination process and requirements; candidate statements; and voting methods.

    Election Committee

    The Election Committee is a special type of Committee authorized in the Bylaws. It contains at least two members, preferably three, who are not running for elected office and are not currently Representatives. The Committee members and Committee chair shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. The Election Committee has full authority to run the annual elections using electronic voting procedures, and to certify the results.

    The Election Committee is further charged with publicizing the election procedures and schedule to the membership, and actively seeking candidates for open positions. The goal is to not have open positions with no candidates, thus requiring an appointment. Another goal is to have at least two well-qualified candidates for all open positions so that all regions will have a choice in their vote.

    The main duty of the Election Committee is to run and monitor the Regional Representative election. The Election Committee also has the responsibility for running and monitoring the subsequent Board Officer elections in the same election season.

    Regional Representative Elections

    Regional Representatives are elected for three-year terms. Elections are held in during a three-year cycle, with all regions having an election once every three years. The election cycle will be determined by the Board of Directors and published on the BJCP website.

    The specific election season timetable (calendar) is flexible, and may be changed by the Election Committee based on their assessment of current needs. The election season cannot start before January 1 of the year of the election, and must be completed by June 1 of the year of the election (which is when newly elected Representatives take office).

    The Election Committee has the authority to set the Election Calendar that contains the following key dates for a given election season:

    • Election Announcement Date – when information is posted on the website.
    • Nomination Close Date – the last date for nominations and endorsements to be received. This date must be at least two weeks after the Election Announcement date.
    • Candidate Statement Close Date – the date by which candidate statements must be received (this can be the same date as the Nomination Close date).
    • Election Period – the start date and end date when votes may be cast by qualified electors. The period must be at least one week long, and no more than one month long.

    The detailed process is as follows:

    1. An Election Committee is appointed to run the election process for the current election season.
    2. The election season starts when a call for nominations is published via electronic means to whatever venues deemed by the Election Committee to reach interested members. Typically, this includes the BJCP website, email to BJCP members, the AHA Forum, and active BJCP Forums. The announcement states that an election will be held shortly, describes the eligibility requirements for the offices, identifies the key dates in the election calendar, and requests statements of candidacy. The information is posted on Election Information.
    3. All candidates must declare their candidacy by the published Nomination Close Date, and secure the required nominations from five Active members in good standing (other than the nominee) from the same region. Nominations are sent to [email protected] or collected via an online form, as determined by the Election Committee.
    4. Candidates must provide a position statement of not more than 500 words and a picture to the Election Committee by the Candidate Statement Close Date. These position statements and pictures will be posted on the BJCP website.
    5. Voting using an electronic voting web application or other suitable means as determined by the Election Committee begins on the published Election Start Date and ends on the published Election End Date.
    6. The Election Committee reviews the electronic voting results and certifies winners within one week of the Election End Date. The Election Committee will notify the candidates and the BJCP Board of Directors as of the results, and ensure that the results are posted on the BJCP web site.
    7. Winners assume office (or continue in office) with terms starting on June 1st of the election year.

    Officer Elections

    The BJCP Bylaws state that statutory officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer) must be elected each year after June 1st (which is when any newly elected Representatives are installed). These officers are selected by the elected Regional Representatives.

    The BJCP Election Committee supervises the election of officers. The election generally takes place as soon as the seven Representatives have been given access to all BJCP Board communication systems. As the new Representatives are known, this process may take place prior to June 1st to facilitate timely board elections. The Election Committee decides the timing and method of elections, but the standard method used in recent elections is as follows:

    • Any Representative wishing to run for one of the offices may nominate themselves. Any Representative may nominate any other Representative for one of the officer positions. Nominations can be posted on the private Board mailing list, sent to [email protected], or collected via an online form. The Election Committee provides the details of the nomination process to the Board members, including the deadline for nominations.
    • The Election Committee will verify that each nominee wishes to hold the office for which they have been nominated (unless self-nominated). A Representative may decline a nomination. A Representative can be a candidate for only one office at a time. Candidates must agree to abide by the BJCP Bylaws, and may list a short campaign statement (250 words or less) if desired. The Election Committee will ensure that the campaign statements are seen by the Representatives voting in the election.
    • If a Representative is unopposed by the time the nominations close, the Election Committee will declare that Representative the winner. If there is a contested election, votes will be sent privately to the Election Committee. Once all votes have been cast or one week has passed (whichever comes first), the Election Committee will declare a winner. The Representative with the plurality of votes is the winner.
    • The Election Committee is responsible for supervising the election and certifying the results.