Elections

It depends on the office that you will be seeking. Visit ACS Elections Process & Eligibility for detailed information on the overall elections process. Most nominees are placed in the ballot via the creation of a slate. Qualified members can self-nominate to be considered for inclusion in the slate. Finally, qualified members can become petition candidates by collecting the required number of signatures from ACS members.

A qualified ACS member is a regular member who is on standard or premium package. Excluded from this are members with a basic package. In addition, only Councilors are eligible for Elected Committees and Director-At-Large while only members of a given district are eligible as candidates for their District Director seat.

You must be an ACS regular member on a standard or premium package and a councilor. If you’d like to be considered for nomination to an elected committee, please submit an entry to the self-nomination form. Learn more about the ACS elections process and eligibility requirements.

ACS has developed guidelines that must be followed by all candidates.

• Guidelines on Campaigning & Communication

A slate is a list of potential nominees agreed upon by members of the Committee on Nominations and Elections to be suitable for President-Elect, District Director, Director-at-Large, or Elected Committee member. Before officially becoming nominees, individuals listed in the slate can accept or decline their nomination.

Slates are created by the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E) via creation of a slate. A slate is a list of potential nominees agreed upon by members of N&E to be suitable for President-Elect. Before officially becoming nominees, individuals listed in the slate can accept or decline their nomination.

Council is tasked with selection two candidates from the available four nominees in the slate for President-Elect, Director-At-Large, and Elected Committees. Candidates for President-Elect and Director-at-Large compete in a national general election while candidates for Elected Committees are elected at the Council Fall Meeting.

All ACS regular members who are on standard or premium packages. Excluded from this are members with a basic package.

ACS has developed guidelines are to ensure fair, accurate, equitable, and compliant elections. 

Results of past ACS national elections can be found on the Elections Resources page.

The President-Elect office is part of the Presidential Succession. The Presidential succession is made up three separate elected officers:

• President-Elect
• President
  
• Immediate Past President

Individuals elected to the office of the President-Elect assume that role for the entirety of the calendar year proceeding the election followed by subsequent one-year terms to the office of the President, and Immediate Past President. The members of the Presidential Successions are also part of the Board of Directors.

The ACS Board of Directors is the Society's chief governing body. Its primary charge is to hold and administer all property, funds, and affairs of the Society.

A District Director can only be elected to the Board of Directors by ACS members within that given district.

A Director-at-Large is elected to the Board of Directions by Councilors in the ACS Fall Election. 

The elected committees are the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E), Council Policy Committee (CPC), and Committee on Committees (ConC). These committees have been delegated by the Board of Directors to execute ACS governance operations. Members to these committees are elected by council vote.

Duties and skills for President-Elect, Board of Directors, and Elected Committees can be found on the Elections Resources page.

Members who are elected to the Board of Directors and Elected Committees secure a 3-year term and are eligible to run for re-election as incumbent for a second and final 3-year term.

Members who are elected to office of President-Elect serve for a 1-year term followed by two subsequent 1-year terms as President, and Immediate Past President. This is known as the Presidential Succession. Members of the Presidential Succession are also members of the Board of Directors.

Districts are groups of geographically continuous Local Sections for the purpose of defining representation at the ACS Board of Directors. The ACS District map can be found on the Elections Resources page.

You can find your district by viewing the appropriate ACS District Map on the Elections Resources page.