2024 WAPOR Call for Nominations

Dear WAPOR members,

Herewith, WAPOR invites nominations and self-nominations for four Council offices to be filled in elections to be held this year:

  • Chair of the Conference Committee. Responsible for program planning and administrative arrangements for WAPOR’s annual conference and other conferences and seminars of the Association, and for coordination with other organizations sharing the conference site. This council position has a two-year term and runs 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2026.
  • Chair of the Education Committee. Responsible for planning and organization of WAPOR education and training activities including, but not restricted to, webinars and the in-person workshops held in conjunction with WAPOR’s annual conference. This council position has a two-year term and runs 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2026.
  • Chair of the Professional Standards Committee. Maintains, monitors, and works to improve professional standards in public opinion and survey research. The committee promotes the WAPOR Code of Ethics, guides any relevant task forces and/or initiatives, and provides members with resources on professional ethics and best practices. S/He works as a liaison to other associations in the field and is responsible for the continued work on the Freedom to Publish Opinion Polls This council position has a two-year term and runs 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2026.
  • Vice President/President-Elect. Serves on the WAPOR Council for a total of six years beginning 1 Jan 2025—two as Vice President, two as President, and two as Past President. The Vice President/President-Elect acts as the President’s deputy and is a member of the Executive Council. As President, s/he works with WAPOR Council to advance the organization’s mission. The President oversees both strategic and operational efforts that include, but are not limited to, personnel training and exchange, international polls, research development, advancement of the field, and task forces on the conduct and use of polls in elections. The WAPOR Constitution requires that the President and Vice President/President-Elect be from different countries. Consequently, members from the United States are ineligible for consideration.

Nominations

Nominations, including self-nominations, are due by October 13 and shall be sent to the WAPOR Executive Director at waporoffice@gmail.com and/or admin@wapor.org. All nominations will be reviewed by the Electoral Committee, who will then prepare a slate of nominations from the individual membership, presenting two or more candidates for each office (Article V, section 3 of the WAPOR Constitution). 

All nominations should mention the name of the nominee, their qualifications, and the position of interest. The nominee’s short bio and/ or a resume should be accompanied by a 1-page statement outlining the reasons why you (or the candidate) is interested in running for a particular position and what areas/ activities/ projects you would like to develop (or the candidate could develop) in this position. One person can submit a nomination for one position only.  

Eligibility  

All nominated or self-nominated candidates must be members in good standing (Article V, section 3 of the WAPOR Constitution). Likewise, to be eligible to vote for an office, a member shall have paid their dues 30 days before the start of the election (Article III, section 5 of the WAPOR Constitution).

Voting

Voting will take place over a 4-week period of time beginning 1 November 2024. All WAPOR members who have their dues paid before October 1 will be eligible to vote in this election. Voting will be organized electronically; an individual personalized link to the electronic ballot will be sent to every member. Voting is anonymous. Results of the elections will be announced no later than December 1.

Information about the electoral process

The Electoral Committee of WAPOR, chaired by the WAPOR Past President, is responsible for the electoral process. All communications to the membership are sent out through the Executive Director for communication to the Committee.

The committee’s role is to examine all the suggestions that it receives from members and, taking into consideration the essential diversity that we seek on the Council, as well as availability and qualifications, propose two or more candidates for each office. The committee is not limited to the members’ suggestions, it can also seek candidacies. The electoral committee will try to propose slates of candidates that will respect WAPOR goals, and help it grow everywhere and in all the fields in which our organization is or should be active.

We very much look forward to receiving your nominations!

Sincerely,

WAPOR Electoral Committee