Letter from WAPOR President (October 2025)
Dear WAPOR Members,
It’s a pleasure to be in touch again with you as we move through October. The coming weeks are an active period for WAPOR, and I would like to share a short update on the association’s conferences, elections, and new initiatives that connect members across regions.
Thank you to all, who participated in the WAPOR Online Membership Forum on 24 September 2025. The forum addressed current governance matters, forthcoming elections, ongoing projects, and strategic priorities for the coming year. A full summary of the discussions is available here: https://wapor.org/wapor-online-forum-2025/. This annual event has become an important opportunity for direct exchange between the WAPOR leadership and it’s members. I encourage you to join next year’s forum!
The 2025 WAPOR elections will take place from 1 to 28 November, and we encourage every eligible member to take part. This year, you’ll be voting for four positions: Secretary-Treasurer, Chair of the Liaison Committee, Chair of the Membership Committee, and Chair of the Publications Committee. All members in good standing will receive a ballot link by email—so keep an eye on your inbox and be sure to exercise your vote. Participating in the election is not only a right of membership, but one of the most direct ways to help shape the direction of the association. This year’s election will also include a vote on proposed revisions to the WAPOR Constitution, intended to clarify and modernize core governance procedures.
Registration remains open for the 8th Annual Conference of the WAPOR Asia Pacific Chapter, to be held in Tokyo from 21 to 23 November 2025, in partnership with the Japanese Association for Public Opinion Research (JAPOR). The first day will feature a joint JAPOR–WAPOR session conducted in Japanese with English interpretation, followed by two days of English-language sessions. Further details are available here: https://wapor.org/wapor-asia-pacific-eighth-annual-conference/.
Looking ahead, we are pleased to announce that the WAPOR 2026 Annual Conference will take place in Mexico City in the fall of next year. Members are warmly invited to help shape the planning process by indicating their preference for conference dates via the following link: https://forms.gle/hRUg7Mk72yxVokzV6.
In July this year, Colombia’s Congress approved a new law regulating political and electoral surveys, which introduces a series of provisions that are cause for great concern. In particular, Article 12 requires polling firms to submit primary data—including completed questionnaires, recordings, and phone numbers—to the electoral authority. This raises serious risks for respondent privacy and data protection, and could be used to exert pressure on independent research. WAPOR reaffirms its commitment to transparency, academic freedom, and the public value of independent and scientifically grounded opinion research. As part of the global research community, we remain committed to supporting the responsible and ethical conduct of public opinion research in all contexts, and to promoting standards that safeguard both quality and openness.
The Global Report on Important Topics (GRIT), coordinated by WAPOR Vice-President Colin Irwin, is advancing its first international study on public opinion and migration. Members are invited to participate by incorporating a short, standardized module—preferably five core questions, or a reduced version as appropriate—into national omnibus or multi-topic surveys: https://wapor.org/publications/global-report-on-important-topics-grit-report/. The resulting data will contribute to a comparative cross-national dataset, which will be presented at the WAPOR 2026 Annual Conference in Mexico City and archived at the Roper Center, with full attribution to participating researchers. WAPOR continues to welcome additional participants in the project, and members interested in contributing are encouraged to follow the project link above and contact Colin and Pablo who will be pleased to answer any questions you may have: colin.irwin@liverpool.ac.uk and pp@dataopm.net.
A reminder that WAPOR’s National Representatives met on 29 October 2025. The meeting offered a space for updates on current initiatives, clarification of representatives’ responsibilities, and open discussion on the future direction of the organization (https://wapor.org/wapor-national-representatives-meeting-2025/). Members are encouraged to reach out to the National Representative in their country if they wish to raise a specific issue or share a message with the association. The full list of National Representatives is available here: https://wapor.org/about-wapor/national-representatives/. Furthermore, WAPOR invites nominations for the position of a National Representative in 2026-2027 in the following countries: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Switzerland, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
WAPOR is pleased to introduce the ‘Global Industry Advisory Group’, a new initiative aimed at giving applied researchers, polling professionals, and practitioners a dedicated platform within the association. In addition to strengthening connections between academic and industry communities, the group will provide space for those working in applied contexts to raise field-specific concerns, share practical insights, and contribute to WAPOR’s broader agenda. The advisory group will also be consulted in the planning of webinars, professional development activities, and conference panels, ensuring that the association remains attentive to the methodological and operational challenges faced by researchers in diverse settings. Members interested in contributing to this effort are encouraged to contact the WAPOR Secretariat with an expression of interest.
It is my distinct pleasure also to announce the formation and establishment of a new Presidential Advisory Group of WAPOR. This new Advisory Group consists of former Presidents of WAPOR, who very kindly accepted my humble invitation to give us advice on the basis of their amazing and outstanding experience as former Presidents over many years in the history of WAPOR. The Chair of this new advisory group is Tim Johnson (USA), other distinguished former Presidents in that new group are Marita Carballo (Argentina), Claire Durant (Canada), Kathy Frankovich (USA), and Alejandro Moreno (Mexico).
I appreciate your time, your work, your participation and your continued interest in WAPOR’s activities. Let’s keep the conversations going—online, in person, and across regions and to represent a strong voice for high-quality and high-standard public opinion research across the globe.
Sincerely,
Christian Haerpfer
WAPOR President