SEA-PAH
← Get Involved

2027 Board Election

Board Elections

SEA-PAH is run by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by the members. Each year members vote for Directors ahead of the January Annual Meeting. Here is how it works, when it happens, and where to nominate and vote.

Nominate & Vote

5 Director seats open this election

  • 4 two-year terms
  • 1 one-year term - fills a vacant seat; the Board deferred filling it to this election

The top 4 vote-getters win two-year terms; the 5th wins the one-year term.

At its October 6, 2026 meeting, the Board voted to keep a 9-member board. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A)

Nominate

Anyone can submit a nomination - you don't need to be a member. Only members in good standing can be nominated. Nominations go to the Election Committee.

The nomination form opens October 9, 2026.

Vote

Members in good standing vote for Directors by digital ballot.

Members will receive a ballot from Election Buddy to their email on file on December 12, 2026. Voting closes January 9, 2027, when the Annual Meeting begins.

Make sure your email is up to date: log in at members.sea-pah.org to verify it.

Annual Meeting

The new Directors are announced at the Annual Meeting, along with the vote counts, and take office when the meeting closes.

Saturday, January 9, 2027

All Meetings →

Anyone can nominate. Being nominated and voting both require a current membership in good standing. Not a member yet, or need to renew? Join or renew here.

Election Timeline

Dates for the election leading up to the January 2027 Annual Meeting. Fixed deadlines come from the bylaws; the rest are set by the Election Committee and filled in here as they're announced.

  1. By September 30, 2026 Done

    Election Committee appointed

    The Board appoints three members to run the election. The President cannot serve on it, and committee members cannot run for the Board.

    (Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. A)

  2. October 9, 2026 - December 1, 2026 Up next

    Nominations

    Before nominations open, the Board sets how many Directors will serve (5 to 11). At its October 6, 2026 meeting, the Board voted to keep a 9-member board. 5 Director seats are up for election this cycle: 4 two-year terms and 1 one-year term. The top 4 vote-getters win two-year terms; the 5th wins the one-year term. Nominations go to the Election Committee, which places every qualified nominee who agrees to serve on the ballot.

    (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A; Art. VI, Sec. B)

  3. Opens December 12, 2026 - closes January 9, 2027

    Voting

    Members get a digital ballot from Election Buddy at their email on file. Voting closes when the Annual Meeting begins. Members in good standing when the ballot goes out are eligible to vote; proxy votes are not allowed. The candidates with the most votes win (plurality).

    (Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. B; Art. VIII, Sec. B; Art. V, Sec. D)

  4. Saturday, January 9, 2027

    Annual Meeting

    Members are notified 10 to 50 days ahead. The new Directors are announced and the Election Committee reports the vote counts. Any repeated balloting happens at the meeting. New Directors take office when the meeting closes.

    (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A; Art. V, Sec. A; Art. VI, Sec. A)

  5. By January 19, 2027

    Officers elected

    The new Board meets in executive session and elects its officers from among the Directors.

    (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. B; Art. V, Sec. A)

Who Can Run & Vote

Running for the Board

  • You must be a member in good standing when nominated, elected, and seated, and keep your membership active for your whole term. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A; Art. III, Sec. B)
  • Anyone can nominate you - your nominator doesn't need to be a member.
  • You must agree to serve before you're placed on the ballot. (Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. A)
  • Directors serve two-year terms, starting when the Annual Meeting closes. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A)
  • Directors can serve at most two consecutive terms. Any time served in a term - even partial - counts as a full term. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A)
  • Election Committee members can't run while serving on the committee. (Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. A)

Voting

  • Members in good standing when the ballot goes out are eligible to vote. (Bylaws Art. VIII, Sec. B)
  • Ballots are digital, sent by Election Buddy to the email on file for each member, and polls stay open at least 21 days. (Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. B)
  • No proxy voting. (Bylaws Art. V, Sec. D)
  • Plurality wins: the candidates with the most votes fill the open seats. The top 4 vote-getters win two-year terms; the 5th wins the one-year term. Cumulative voting isn't used. (Bylaws Art. VI, Sec. B)
  • If a Director leaves within three months of the Annual Meeting, the seat is offered to the next-highest vote-getter from that election. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A)

Board Expectations & Time Commitment

Directors share responsibility for running the club: planning events, managing finances, upholding the Code of Conduct, and representing SEA-PAH in the community. Directors also elect four officers from among themselves - President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer - who take on extra duties.

Commitment What to expect
Term length Two years, up to two consecutive terms. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A)
Time About 10 hours per month.
Board meetings At least quarterly. Most boards meet monthly. (Bylaws Art. V, Sec. A)
Annual Meeting Every January, plus the officer election session within 10 days after it. (Bylaws Art. V, Sec. A)
Committee participation Active in at least one committee, or responsible for at least one non-committee area (such as an officer role). See the committees.
Events Responsibilities rotate, but ideally each Director is responsible for at least one event a year (a mosh, for example). You don't have to do it all yourself - you're responsible for making it happen.
Officer roles President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, elected by the Board from among the Directors. The bylaws summarize their duties; full roles and responsibilities are in the Board Handbook - ask a current board member for a copy. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. B) Meet the current board.

Expectations

  • Stay a member in good standing for your full term. A Director who falls out of good standing is suspended and, after 30 days, is treated as having resigned. (Bylaws Art. IV, Sec. A)
  • Follow and uphold the Code of Conduct.
  • Attend Board meetings and the Annual Meeting.
  • Be available to help in person with at least one event per month. SEA-PAH runs three monthly events, so plan on helping with at least one of them each month.

Thinking about running? The best way to learn what the job is really like is to ask someone doing it. Reach out to a current board member, or contact us and we'll put you in touch.

Bylaws References

Everything above comes from the SEA-PAH Bylaws. If this page and the bylaws ever disagree, the bylaws win.

Art. III, Sec. B
Defines "member in good standing" - the bar for voting, nominating, and serving.
Art. IV, Sec. A
Board size (5 to 11, set before nominations open), Director qualifications, two-year terms, the two-consecutive-term limit, and how vacancies are filled - including by the runner-up in the first three months.
Art. IV, Sec. B
Officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer) must be Directors and are elected by the new Board each year.
Art. V, Sec. A
The Annual Meeting is held in January to elect Directors; members get 10 to 50 days notice. The new Board elects officers within ten days.
Art. V, Sec. B & D
Five percent of members is a quorum for the Annual Meeting. No proxy voting.
Art. VI
The Election Committee, the December 1 nomination deadline, electronic or mailed ballots, a voting window of at least 21 days, and plurality voting.
Art. VIII, Sec. B
Members in good standing when the ballot goes out are the eligible voters; a quorum of them is needed for the vote to count.

Questions about the election? Contact us or learn about the Election Committee.