How to Prepare for ARIN Elections in Six Simple Steps

How to Prepare for ARIN Elections in Six Simple Steps

By Joe Westover- Director of Customer Experience and Strategy

Voting is the primary responsibility of our General Members, as it helps direct the future of the organization's governance and the development of Internet number resource policy. As we prepare to open the polls in the 2024 ARIN Elections, we encourage you to take some time to create a voting plan to help you learn about this year's candidates running for the ARIN Board of Trustees and Advisory Council (AC) and the Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC).

We've broken the process down into six easy steps you can take to get ready for when voting opens at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, 24 October.

1. Get to Know the Candidates

First and foremost, get to know your candidates! This year we have an additional open seat to fill on the Board, the final addition in the phased expansion to nine elected Trustees. So, the 2024 elections will fill three full-term Board seats. For the AC, there are five full-term seats to fill. The election for the ARIN region representative to the NRO NC will be for one full-term seat.

The Nomination Committee has put forward the 2024 Slate of Candidates for the terms beginning 1 January 2025.

We created a Voter Guide to provide you with all the details you need to know about the candidates. The guide includes information from each candidate about their job experience, education, related experience, views on the future of ARIN, and much more.

The candidates for all elected positions were evaluated by an independent third-party firm based on the Nominee Classification Process in the Nomination Committee Charter. When viewing the slate of candidates for the Board, the classification that you see next to their names will also appear on the ballot. These classifications were based in part on the Guidance Letter submitted by the Board that describes desired relevant experience and backgrounds for candidates.

2. Join the General Members Mailing List

All candidates have been subscribed to the General Members Mailing List, where they can answer questions from the voting community. If your organization is a General Member at ARIN and plans to vote this year, we encourage you to join the mailing list to be part of the dialogue with candidates and to keep informed of ARIN Election activity.

3. Read or Make Statements of Support

After familiarizing yourself with the candidates, take time to reflect on the issues that are most important to you, your organization, and your community and to determine the representative(s) you believe will best address those concerns. Then it's time to read and/or make statements of support. This is a great way to support your candidate(s) of choice and learn about what others in the community are saying.

Please note that all Statements of Support are held for moderation and will be posted, upon approval, within one business day. All submissions are subject to the Statements of Support Acceptable Use Policy.

4. Attend the Virtual Candidate Forum

On Wednesday, 16 October, at 2:00 PM ET, ARIN General Counsel Michael Abejuela will moderate a virtual forum for the Board of Trustees candidates. Tune in to watch the candidates answer questions about their experience and perspectives.

General Members are encouraged to register to attend the Candidate Forum via Zoom webinar: arin.net/candidateforum. The event will also be livestreamed on ARIN's YouTube channel.

5. Watch Candidate Speeches at ARIN 54

As part of the ARIN 54 Public Policy and Members Meeting being held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and online, prerecorded speeches by the candidates for the Board, AC, and NRO NC will be presented on the afternoon of Thursday, 24 October. Registration - and additional information - is available on the ARIN 54 website.

Candidate speeches will also be made available on ARIN's YouTube channel, the candidates' Statements of Support pages, and our election headquarters shortly after their broadcast at the meeting.

6. Cast Your Vote!

Now that you have completed steps one through five, it's time to plan when, where, and how you'll be casting your ballot.

Don't forget that voting is now a requirement for maintaining your organization's General Member status. Following each year's ARIN Elections, General Members that did not cast a ballot^* in any of the previous three elections will be reclassified as Service Members and can request General Membership again at any time.

General Member Participation in ARIN Elections

In 2024, designated Voting Contacts may cast ballots on behalf of eligible General Members for the Board, AC, and NRO NC. Voting opens at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, 24 October 2024, and closes at 7:00 PM ET on Friday, 1 November 2024.

Please note that to cast a ballot in ARIN Elections, a General Member must be in good standing (as of 9 September 2024); this includes having an individual with a valid ARIN Online account designated as the Voting Contact for their organization.

After voting eligibility is established, Voting Contacts may be updated or changed until seven days before the elections; this year that deadline is 3:00 PM ET on 17 October 2024.

Voting is fast and easy and can be done online from anywhere, anytime during the voting period. To access and cast your ballot, log in to your ARIN Online account and click on the "Vote Now" link located on your dashboard.

For help navigating ARIN's election system, visit the Voting Instructions page to view walkthroughs with screenshots.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 (4, 5, 6)!

There you have it! In six simple steps you'll be ready to vote in our 2024 elections and fulfill a vital community responsibility by helping shape the future of ARIN and the Internet. We thank you in advance for your participation in this year's elections. If you have any questions throughout this process, please email [email protected] and visit our election headquarters to learn more.

*Organizations may submit a blank ballot. Your participation in the elections will still be recorded, and the organization will maintain General Member status.

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