SIAM Section Election Practices

These guidelines explain in detail how SIAM section elections should be run. At least two candidates must be nominated for each office and the nomination process must provide the opportunity for all members of the SIAM section holding elections to nominate candidates. All SIAM members who are members of the section and either live or work within the section boundaries are eligible to vote in SIAM section elections.

The Section Chair is responsible for assembling the Section Nominating Committee.

Section Nominating Committee

  1. Members of the Section Nominating Committee must be voting members of the section and may include current officers of the section.
  2. The Section Nominating Committee should be composed of four to six members, including at least two section members who are not current officers of the SIAM section and at least one current officer.
    1. Current officers planning on standing again for election to any officer position should not sit on the Section Nominating Committee.
  3. The Chair of the Section Nominating Committee is responsible for convening the Committee. In consultation with the current SIAM section officers, the Vice President at Large (VPAL) will also appoint the Chair of the Section Nominating Committee. The SIAM VPAL must approve the Section Nominating Committee membership before it begins its deliberations.
  4. The Section Nominating Committee is responsible for contacting each nominee after approval by the VPAL to ensure that the nominee is willing to run for the designated office.
  5. Typically, an announcement of the Section Nominating Committee is made at a SIAM section business meeting, in a SIAM section newsletter, and/or on the SIAM section Engage community. This announcement should include a solicitation for possible election candidates.
  6. Current officers are eligible to run for the same officer position or for a different officer position. No SIAM section officer may serve in the same position for more than two consecutive terms.

Nominees for Office

  1. Elections must be contested by at least two candidates. Exceptions must be approved by the SIAM Vice President at Large.
  2. Members of the Section Nominating Committee are ineligible to run for office.
  3. Individuals who are chosen to stand for a SIAM section office must be current members of SIAM and of the SIAM section holding elections.
  4. As a professional society, SIAM is committed to empowering equitable, diverse, and inclusive participation in all aspects of our community. Section Nominating Committees are expected to consider the various axes of diversity when choosing slates of candidates. Diversity should also be sought in gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious belief, age, marital status, disabilities, veteran status, and field of expertise.
  5. Slates of candidates across all officer positions should not include more than one person from any institution.
  6. SIAM section officers may serve up to two consecutive terms in the same office. Exceptions must be approved by the SIAM VPAL.
  7. The slate of candidates must be approved by SIAM VPAL.

Other Considerations

  1. Election ballots cannot be altered after they have launched.
  2. If voting members require special accommodations with voting, they may reach out to SIAM for assistance.

Section Election Cycle

  • Submit names for Section Nominating Committee to SIAM for review (Target Date: April 1)
  • Appoint Section Nominating Committee (Target Date: May 1)
  • Election nominees submitted to SIAM (Target Date: August 1)
  • Nominees approved by SIAM (Target Date: September 1)
  • Election open (Target Date: October 1)
  • Election complete (Target Date: November 1)
  • Notify section members of election outcome (Target Date: December 1)
  • New officers take office (Target Date: January 1)