Nominations and Election Process

Overview

HFES elections run in a manner similar to most elections; that is, the process involves two stages: Nominations and Elections.  In the nominations phase, individuals interested in running for office solicit nominations (which can include a self-nomination) from other members of the Society. For all offices (President, Secretary-Treasurer, each of the two Member-at-Large positions), a maximum of three individuals can run for office. Those individuals meeting the eligibility requirements and receiving the largest number of nominations are placed on the ballot. Once the ballot has been set, the process moves to the election phase, where ballots are distributed to all members eligible to vote, along with candidate statements. An overview of the nominations and election processes is provided below. For more detail, you can look to the HFES Operating Rules.

Nominations Process

  1. Roughly five months prior to the annual meeting, a request for nominations is published in the Bulletin. The HFES operating rules state that a minimum number of nominations is necessary to appear on the ballot, as follows: President-elect 15, Secretary-Treasurer 12, Member-at-Large 10. 
  2. Nominations may be made by eligible voting members of the Society. Individuals wishing to be nominated for a particular position may reach out to other members to request a nomination. HFES does not allow the use of TG, AG, Committee, or other listserv/HFES Connect lists to be used for this purpose. Beginning with the election to be held in 2025, candidates for office may elect to have a campaign statement distributed to the membership.  Such statements will be distributed by HFES staff and may not be sent  directly to members via Society resources by candidates.
  3. Nominations close one month after nominations are solicited. Should more than 3 eligible individuals reach the minimum number of nominations for a given position, the 3 individuals receiving the highest number of nominations will be placed on the ballot. During the one-month nominations period, the Central Office will notify candidates of the number of nominations that have been received. Should there be only one candidate for office, the ballot will go out with just one candidate.   
  4. All candidates who have been nominated will be contacted to let them know whether they have made it onto the ballot.

Election Process

  1. Candidates will be asked to provide a biographical and campaign statement of up to 500 words, which will be available when ballots are circulated and on the HFES website.
  2. Ballots are sent out to all eligible members. Starting with the 2025 election, voting will be done using ranked choice voting.
  3. Individual members of the Society are entitled to express support for nominees or candidates, including themselves, through direct contact, telephone, letter, email, text message or other means of communication (not to include use of Society listservs or HFES Connect).
  4. Note: Any member currently holding Society office must be clear that any advocacy they offer is on a personal basis, not an official endorsement by the Society. TGs, AGs,Committee chairs, etc. may not use any Society resources (newsletters, HFES Connect, listservs) to recommend a candidate or slate of candidates. Members of the Nominations and Election Committee may not advocate for any candidate.
  5. The election closes one month after the ballots are sent out.
  6. Candidates are informed of the outcome of the election by a member of the Nominations and Election Committee.
     

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