How Are AFRINIC Elections
The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) is the continent’s regional internet registry and plays a key role in the management and distribution of internet resources. Its governance structure embodies principles of inclusivity, representation, and community engagement. At its core is a robust election process that determines the leaders and influencers who steer AFRINIC’s direction, policies, and operations. This is a key aspect of its success as it infuses diverse viewpoints into decision-making bodies, promotes accountability, and ensures that the organisation remains relevant to the needs of the African Internet community.
The afrinic election process is run by an Election Committee, established in accordance with the AFRINIC Bylaws. The election committee is responsible for: Reporting to the Board and following the guidelines set by the Board; Calling for nominations; Prescribed criteria and qualifications for eligibility to stand; Interviewing candidates; Finalising the list of candidates for each election; and Conducting elections.
AFRINIC elections are held during a face-to-face or virtual Annual General Members Meeting (AGMM), which typically takes place around May/June every year, as well as prior to the AGMM via online voting. Eligibility to vote for the AFRINIC Board of Directors and its Governance Committee (GC) is defined by the AFRINIC Membership Terms & Conditions, and includes any AFRINIC Resource Member in good standing.
How Are AFRINIC Elections Held?
To vote in a AFRINIC election, you must login to your MyAFRINIC portal with your member and user name, and then click on ‘Vote in this Election’. You will then be presented with a list of candidates, where you can select the candidate you prefer. Once you have selected a candidate, you can choose to verify your ballot, or post it to the ballot tracking centre.
A verified ballot is a ballot that has been audited by an independent third party. The auditing process verifies that the ballot was cast and that it was submitted before the closing time of the election. The ballot is also recorded with the Member and user name, the time at which it was submitted, and the IP address of the voter. The corresponding Member organisation will receive an email after the election indicating that its registered contact has verified its vote.
If a candidate withdraws from the race, the vote for that candidate will be counted as nil votes. However, if the withdrawal is received too late for the ballot to be corrected in time for counting, then that candidate’s name will remain on the list of votes. The ballot will be re-counted and the final result will be announced at the end of the meeting.