ARIN Election Processes

Effective 19 May 2026

Per ARIN’s Bylaws, the ARIN Board of Trustees (“Board”) shall approve all nomination and election processes and make them publicly available on an ARIN website. These processes direct ARIN regarding the implementation of elections as provided in the Bylaws. To the extent there are any conflicts between these processes and the ARIN Bylaws, the Bylaws shall prevail.

I. Appointment of Board Election Officer

As soon as practical after the start of the year, the Board shall appoint a Trustee as the Board Election Officer who will not be a nominee or candidate in the upcoming election. The Board Election Officer shall, in cooperation with ARIN’s President & CEO (“President”) and General Counsel (“GC”), confirm the vote tally and certify that the election was held following the approved election processes, for any elections held that year.
The Board Election Officer will be consulted on any material issues raised in the nominee assessment process.
The Board Election Officer shall also confirm the President’s review of the list of eligible voters prior to the election.
The Board Election Officer will also explain the assessment criteria and guidance to the ARIN Membership prior to the election.

II. Formation of the Nomination Committee

As soon as practical after the start of the year, the Board shall make any necessary modifications to the Nomination Committee (NomCom) Charter for that year’s election cycle and fill vacancies from among the three Trustee seats on the NomCom.
A call to ARIN General Members (Membership) shall be issued to fill vacancies from among the five NomCom seats for recognized representatives of ARIN General Members in Good Standing interested in volunteering to serve on the NomCom.
To aid in their selection, volunteers must complete a brief questionnaire on their qualifications to serve on the NomCom.
ARIN Staff will validate that those volunteering to serve on the NomCom are associated with ARIN Members in Good Standing.
A list of volunteers that have been validated, and their questionnaire responses, will be provided to the two Trustees on the NomCom who shall review volunteers’ qualifications and, by mutual agreement, appoint the appropriate number of qualified volunteers to the NomCom in a timely manner. The NomCom shall appoint at least one but not more than two serving AC members who are also representatives from a General Member in Good Standing. The NomCom Chair may reopen the call for volunteers at their discretion.
The first meeting of the NomCom will include a training session administered by ARIN staff that includes the committee member responsibilities and familiarization with all election related materials, including the role of the Assessment Firm (as defined below).
The term of NomCom community representatives will be two years, based on staggered terms to avoid wholesale change in a single year. A NomCom member may serve up to four years, at which time they must have an intervening two-year period away from the NomCom before beginning another two-year term, to be decided as part of the appointments process with the assistance of questionnaire input.
To facilitate the recruitment of nominees, all NomCom members are to disclose to the NomCom, in a timely fashion, the potential for a conflict of interest (“COI”) and the material circumstances thereof. A NomCom member knowing a nominee or having an opinion of a nominee’s fitness does not constitute a COI. A NomCom member who has a material business relationship with a candidate or the candidate’s employer should disclose this to other NomCom members and recuse themselves, if necessary, from discussing the recruitment of a particular candidate. It shall be up to the NomCom to consider any disclosed circumstances and make its own determination of whether a COI exists.

III. Guidance Letter and Nominee Qualification Questionnaires

Nominee questionnaires are used to assist the independent third-party vendor (Assessment Firm) in determining qualification assessments in relation to the criteria described in the relevant Guidance Letter.

Board Nominee Questionnaires
1. The Board annually provides the NomCom the Trustee Job Description, which includes the requisite characteristics that Trustees should possess, together with a written guidance letter that outlines the skills and experience that they feel is most needed for their effective functioning, after consideration of existing trustee skills and the skills and experience of members whose terms are expiring (Guidance Letter). This guidance is used by the NomCom to invite potential candidates to self-nominate to stand for election as Trustees and by the Assessment Firm in the assessment of “Qualified” nominees, those that meet the requirements of the Trustee Job Description and Basic Abilities as set out in the Skills Matrix. The Assessment Firm may assess individuals as “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills” in accordance with the Guidance Letter and the provisions of Article V below.
2. Prior to the start of the nominations period, the Board will approve a base set of questions to be completed by Board nominees to aid in the assessment of a nominees’ experience and qualifications. The result becomes the ARIN Board Nominee Questionnaire (“Board Nominee Questionnaire”) for that year. The Board Nominee Questionnaire will be posted to an ARIN website prior to the start of the Nomination Submission Period.
3. The NomCom may use the non-confidential portions of the responses of a Board nominee’s questionnaire to aid in its review of a nominee’s background and experience.
Advisory Council (AC) Nominee Questionnaires
1. Prior to the start of the nominations period, the Board will approve a set of questions to be completed by the AC nominees to aid in the Assessment Firm’s assessment of a nominee’s experience and qualifications. That result becomes the ARIN AC Nominee Questionnaire (“AC Nominee Questionnaire”) for that year and will be posted to an ARIN website prior to the start of the Nomination Submission Period.
2. The NomCom may use the non-confidential portions of the responses of an AC nominee’s questionnaire to aid in its review of a nominee’s background and experience.
NRO Number Council (NRO NC) Nominee Questionnaire
1. Prior to the start of the nominations period, the Board will approve a set of questions to be completed by NRO NC nominees to aid in the Assessment Firm’s assessment of a nominee’s experience and qualifications. The resulting set of questions becomes the ARIN NRO NC Nominee Questionnaire (“NRO NC Nominee Questionnaire”) for that year and will be posted to an ARIN website prior to the start of the Nomination Submission Period.
2. The NomCom may use the non-confidential portions of the responses of an NRO NC nominee’s questionnaire to aid in its review of a nominee’s background and experience.

IV. Nomination Submission Period

The dates of the Nomination Submission Period will be specified in the Call for Nominees and posted on an ARIN website. ARIN staff will send notice to the community of the upcoming date of the nomination period. The Nomination Submission Period will be open for fourteen (14) calendar days. The NomCom may, at its discretion, extend the period for nominations, for one or more of the three categories of nominees, as it determines necessary to generate an adequate candidate slate. The extended period for nominations may be for a duration not to exceed an additional twenty-one (21) days from the date of the original close of the Nomination Submission Period.
If necessary, due to unforeseen circumstances, the timeline of the Nomination Submission Period and Nominee Assessment Period may be modified by concurrence of the President and the ARIN Board Election Officer, so long as the revised timeline remains in compliance with ARIN’s Bylaws and applicable law. Any changes to these timelines will be announced to the community and posted on an ARIN website.
The open call for nominations is posted to the ARIN Announce mailing list and an ARIN website.
Individuals who wish to be considered for candidacy for election may submit their name and qualifications for consideration, but only for one position. A completed nominee questionnaire and accurate contact information must be submitted through the specified method by the close of the nomination period in order for their nomination to be considered valid. In advance of submitting a nomination, potential nominees can view the text of the questionnaires on the website.
1. Completed Nominee questionnaires will be provided to the Assessment Firm.
2. Upon submission of each nominee questionnaire, non-confidential portions of each nominee’s response will be provided to the NomCom within one (1) business day of receipt.
Shortly after the close of the Nomination Submission Period, ARIN staff will post announcements to the Membership, relevant mailing lists, and website announcements regarding the list of nominees who have duly completed the nominee questionnaire. It is not guaranteed that all nominees will be placed on the Initial Slate of Candidates (“Initial Slate”).
If any nominees withdraw before the announcement of the Initial Slate, ARIN staff will notify the community via the relevant mailing lists and web site announcements.
There will be a mechanism for the Assessment Firm to receive comments from the community regarding any nominee.

Nominee Information

In addition to the information gathered via the Nominee Questionnaires, the following information will be considered when evaluating nominees:

Board of Trustees:
1. The Assessment Firm shall perform background checks of Board nominees’ qualifications using public sources and third-party services, always in confidence.
2. Nominees for the Board of Trustees shall be afforded the opportunity to be interviewed by the Assessment Firm which will constitute a material component to a nominee’s assessment.
Advisory Council and NRO NC:
1. The Assessment Firm may interview the nominees for the AC and NRO NC to receive clarification on their qualifications, and the experience of those interviews will constitute a material component to a nominee’s assessment.

V. Nominee Assessment Period

Nominee Assessment by Assessment Firm

ARIN staff will engage the Assessment Firm, which shall have the sole responsibility to qualify and assess each nominee as a key component to the overall nomination process. Deliberations regarding the assessment of nominees will be kept confidential. ARIN staff and General Counsel (GC) shall not participate in such discussions except when specifically requested to act in an advisory capacity. The Assessment Firm will also review nomination materials, conduct background checks, conduct interviews, and determine qualification categories as described below for all Board nominees.

All valid and complete nominations including the nominee’s name, position sought, and their completed nominee questionnaire, shall be forwarded to the Assessment Firm.
ARIN’s General Counsel (GC) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) will be the members of ARIN’s staff that arrange for an Assessment Firm to conduct the review and qualification for all Board of Trustee and Advisory Council nominees.
ARIN’s GC, CHRO, and Board Election Officer will review the background reports for each nominee and determine if there are any material issues discovered by the Assessment Firm review.
1. If any material issues are found such that the Assessment Firm intends to qualify a nominee as “Not Qualified”, ARIN’s GC, CHRO, and Board Election Officer will review the nature of the background issue with the Assessment Firm.
2. If after consultation with the Assessment Firm, the Assessment Firm still deems the issue as material, ARIN’s GC and CHRO will notify the nominee that the nominee will be assessed as “Not Qualified” by the Assessment Firm. At that point, ARIN’s GC and CHRO will inform the nominee of the options to withdraw their nomination, provide additional material to the Assessment Firm for reconsideration, or to take no action.
3. A nominee will be given the opportunity to provide a statement addressing the issue which will be provided to the Assessment Firm. The nominee will also be informed of the option to petition per the process defined in “VII. Nomination Petitions” in the event they are assessed as “Not Qualified.”
As part of the qualification process for Board nominees, ARIN will arrange for the Assessment Firm to conduct interviews. The Assessment Firm determines the eligibility for each nominee based on the requirements and guidance provided by the ARIN Bylaws and Nomination Committee Charter.

The Assessment Firm shall review the qualifications of the nominees; and at the conclusion of its review process, the Assessment Firm must assign an assessment. The assessments will be made as outlined in the Nominee Assessment Guidelines below.

Nominee Assessment Guidelines

Board Nominees

The Assessment Firm shall assess each nominee as indicated below, guided by the Bylaws and Election Processes.
1. The Assessment Firm reviews and finalizes questionnaires to be used in qualifying and assessing nominees. The Board questionnaires will focus on gathering information that address the requirements of the Trustee Job Description and the attributes outlined in the Guidance Letter with a focus on those attributes defined as “Additional Recommended Skills”.
2. The Assessment Firm shall determine whether each nominee is eligible to be considered in the evaluation process, and be included in the Initial Slate, as required by ARIN Bylaws Articles VI(1)(d-e) (Trustee Conflict of Interest and Eligibility), VI(4)(a) (Limit on Terms of Office), VIII(1)(b-c) (Nomination and Appointment Conflict of Interest; Procedure Approval and Publications), and VIII(2)(a) (Nomination Committee).
The Assessment Firm shall assess each eligible Board nominee as “Qualified”, “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills”, or “Not Qualified”, having regard for the following guidance.
1. A nominee that is “Qualified” will have:
  1. met the requirements of the Trustee Job Description and has the Basic Abilities set out in the Skills Matrix.
  2. demonstrated, to the Assessment Firm’s satisfaction, that they can perform all the duties and responsibilities required;
  3. demonstrated that they meet the very highest standards of integrity and professional competence;
  4. had the education and professional experience necessary to fulfill the role confirmed by the Assessment Firm; and
  5. the results of the background check conducted on the nominee are satisfactory in view of the Assessment Firm.
2. For Board of Trustee nominees, the rating of “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills” is given to those nominees that meet all qualifications for serving as a Trustee, but whose attributes are also particularly suited in consideration of the overall requirements of the needs of the Board of Trustees as expressed in their Guidance Letter. A nominee that is “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills” will have:
  1. met all the requirements of “Qualified”; and
  2. possesses one or more requirements for this category in accordance with the Guidance Letter.
3. A nominee will be assessed as “Not Qualified” if they do not meet the requirements stated above or, notwithstanding any of the above:
  1. they are in an irresolvable conflict of interest position or have, within the preceding five years, materially violated an applicable ARIN code of conduct in a manner that has caused material harm.
  2. their application materials make a material misrepresentation (for instance, falsified their educational background, or materially misstated their professional experience), whether by way of statement or omission, or are otherwise participating in the elections process in bad faith;
  3. they were convicted of a relevant criminal offense for which they have not been pardoned, have had a historical pattern of relevant adverse interactions with law enforcement—or, within the past 10 years, been denied directors’ liability insurance or found wholly or partly liable by an independent authority for a relevant non-criminal offense;
  4. they have served as a past director or officer of an organization during a period in which the organization’s eligibility to operate was revoked by a governmental authority for breach of requirements;
  5. their participation on ARIN’s Board, AC, or as a representative on the NRO NC would manifestly bring the organization into disrepute; or
  6. such other valid unusual grounds for disqualification that the Assessment Firm deems appropriate.
All eligible Board nominees (nominees other than those with an assessment rating of “Not Qualified”) shall be added to the Initial Slate as candidates for election.

AC & NRO NC Nominees

The Assessment Firm shall assess each eligible AC and NRO NC nominee as “Qualified” or “Not Qualified”, having regard for the following guidance.
A nominee that is “Qualified” will have:
1. met all the mandatory attributes, specified in the relevant position description available on ARIN’s website as applicable;
2. demonstrated, to the Assessment Firm’s satisfaction, that they can perform all the duties and responsibilities required; and
3. demonstrated that they meet the very highest standards of integrity and professional competence.
A nominee will be assessed as “Not Qualified” if they do not meet the requirements stated above or, notwithstanding any of the above:
1. they are in an irresolvable conflict of interest position or have, within the preceding five years, materially violated an applicable ARIN code of conduct in a manner that has caused material harm.
2. their application materials make a material misrepresentation (for instance, falsified their educational background, or materially misstated their professional experience), whether by way of statement or omission, or are otherwise participating in the elections process in bad faith;
3. their participation on ARIN’s AC, or as a representative on the NRO NC would manifestly bring the organization into disrepute; or
4. such other valid unusual grounds for disqualification that the Assessment Firm deems appropriate.
All eligible AC and NRO NC nominees not assessed as “Not Qualified” shall be added to the Initial Slate as candidates for election, but without the need to attach the “Qualified” label beside their name.

Delivery of Nominee Assessments

The Assessment Firm provides the nominee assessments to the CHRO at least two weeks before the scheduled announcement of the Initial Slate as detailed in the Election Calendar. ARIN staff provides the Initial Slate to the NomCom and Board Election Officer. At least one week before the scheduled announcement of the Initial Slate, the NomCom and Board Election Officer confirm the Initial Slate was developed in accordance with the approved Election Processes and provides it to the following ARIN staff: any staff directly supporting the NomCom; the General Counsel; and the Chief Experience Officer.

The Initial Slate, as delivered from the Assessment Firm, shall include the Assessment Firm’s assessment of each nominee, as-is and without modification, but candidates standing for election as Trustees who have been rated “Not Qualified” shall not be added to the Initial Slate. ARIN staff has the responsibility for forwarding the Initial Slate to the President. If the NomCom or Board Election Officer fails to confirm the Initial Slate was developed in accordance with the approved Election Processes before the stated deadline, the GC will review and, if applicable, take the steps necessary required for such confirmation to be made and then make the confirmation.

At the time of the publication of the Initial Slate, the number of candidates for each elected body must exceed the number of seats up for each election. If this threshold is not met, adjustments to the timeline, with the concurrence of the President and Board Election Officer, may be made so long as any such adjustment is made in accordance with ARIN’s Bylaws and applicable law.

VI. Publication of Candidate Slates

When the Initial Slate is announced, the following shall be published:
1. The Board Guidance Letter
2. The non-confidential responses to questionnaires by each nominee included in the slate as a candidate; and
3. The names of all nominees (other than those rated “Not Qualified”) and their assessment.
4. A method for collecting statements of support from the community.
The President directs ARIN staff to publish the Initial Slate to the Membership, relevant mailing lists, and web site announcements, along with a call for Intent to Petition submissions from nominees not included on the Initial Slate, no later than thirty-one (31) days prior to the Fall ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting (ARIN PPMM).
1. If no nominees were excluded from the slate, the announced slate will be referred to as the “Slate of Candidates” and no petition process is required. The announced “Slate of Candidates” will fulfill the requirements for both the Initial Slate and Final Slate (as defined below).
If no submissions of Intent to Petition are received from nominees within the time allocated, the petition process will be considered complete.
Upon completion of the petition process, ARIN publishes the Final Slate of Candidates (“Final Slate”) on an ARIN website and electronically sends the election notice to all eligible voters no later than ten (10) calendar days prior to the Fall ARIN PPMM.
Once a candidate slate is announced, the President of ARIN will notify the membership of any withdrawn candidates via email to ARIN Announce and to all eligible Voting Contacts. If candidates withdraw from the election, causing the number of qualified candidates to be less than the number required, the ARIN Board may, at its discretion, appoint the necessary number of candidates for the requirement to be met (Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 2.). In so doing, the ARIN Board shall have regard to the Trustee Job Description and Guidance Letter where any additional candidate is required to stand for election as Trustee, and shall follow the applicable Nominee Assessment Guidelines for all categories of candidates, to the greatest extent practicable.

VII. Nomination Petitions

The Nominee petition process begins after the regular nomination period closes, the nominees are assessed, and the Initial Slate is announced. The President concurrently announces the Initial Slate and the call for petitions.

Nominees not placed on the Initial Slate due to an assessment rating of “Not Qualified” may petition to be included on the Final Slate for the body for which they were nominated. Upon publication of the Initial Slate, petitioners have seven (7) calendar days to express their intent to petition and another fourteen (14) calendar days to receive the necessary signatures.
The call for petition will include notice to the nominee that a summary, created in consultation with the ARIN GC, of the nominee’s assessment regarding the nominee’s qualifications and the factors included in the assessment will be shared as part of the notice of the petition to the ARIN Membership.
Upon completion of the period to accept submissions of Intent to Petition, if any eligible submissions are received, ARIN’s CXO or designee will:
1. Establish an electronic method for the collection of support from ARIN General Members in Good Standing via their Voting Contacts for any petitions. A General Member will be considered eligible to participate if they were in Good Standing as of the opening of nominations and had a designated Voting Contact.
2. Send a message to the ARIN Announce mailing list and eligible General Members via their Voting Contacts stating that the petition is open.
3. Allow fourteen (14) calendar days, from the petition being open and announced, for eligible General Members to indicate support for any received petitions.
4. Arrange to have the casting of support for petitions will be done through a General Member’s designated Voting Contact. Each eligible General Member is permitted one ballot indicating support for as many petitioners that are on the ballot.
The name and organization affiliation of eligible Voting Contacts casting support for a petition will not be shared with the petitioner or posted publicly.
To be successful, a petition’s verified supporters must represent the Petition Threshold (defined to be at least 2% of the total General Members in Good Standing, but no less than one hundred) and is determined at the opening of the nomination period.
If the petitioner does not meet the Petition Threshold, the petition is unsuccessful, and the petitioner is informed.
When the petition process is completed, and the President of ARIN, Board Election Officer, and General Counsel have verified that the petition process was upheld according to the standards set in the Bylaws, any successful petitioner(s) are added to the Final Slate and in place of an assessment category, will be identified as “Advanced Through Petition”.

VIII. Voter Eligibility Process

Members eligible to vote are determined per ARIN Bylaws.
ARIN’s CXO or designee sends a notice to all General Members reminding them of the upcoming deadline for confirmation of voter eligibility. Voter eligibility cutoff is forty-five (45) days prior to a ballot or election.
1. Voting eligibility is dependent on the status of the organization in question. A requirement for eligibility being a General Member in good standing and having a Voting Contact designated before the eligibility deadline; however an organization may change that designation after the eligibility deadline as long as the change is submitted seven (7) days before the Voting Period.
Immediately after the voter eligibility cutoff deadline, ARIN’s CXO or designee creates an initial list of eligible voters.
By the end of the first business day following the voter eligibility cutoff deadline, the CXO or designee shall create, in the presence of ARIN’s GC and Board Election Officer, a final list of eligible voters.
The CXO or designee sends the final voter eligibility list to ARIN’s President for review.
ARIN’s GC shall confirm with ARIN’s President and Board Election Officer that the creation of the final voter eligibility list is consistent with ARIN processes and certify that there are no known discrepancies or inaccuracies.
After review, the Board Election Officer confirms the President’s review of the list of eligible voters.
Upon review and confirmation of the final voter eligibility list, ARIN’s President directs staff to publish an alphabetical list of the names of all ARIN Members who are entitled to vote in the election, including the address of each member. Voting contact names, email addresses and phone numbers shall be redacted from the public list of voters.
Within one week after the voter eligibility deadline, ARIN staff will send an email to every eligible organization’s Voting Contact to remind them that they are the voting contact for their organization and give notice of the deadline for any changes to that designation.

IX. Voting Process

Candidate Information: The public portion of the nominee questionnaire for each candidate, and any statements of support, are made available online concurrent with publishing the Initial Slate on an ARIN website and through the end of the election period.
The voting period shall begin during the last ARIN PPMM of the year, and the opening of the election is announced by the Chair at the PPMM.
The voting period is required to be for a period of at least seven (7) days, during which time eligible voters may cast votes. All votes shall be cast electronically via a system which confirms each vote is cast by an eligible party on the final voter eligibility list.
If necessary, due to unforeseen circumstances, the timeline of the Voter Eligibility and Election Processes may be changed by concurrence of the ARIN President and the ARIN Board Election Officer, so long as the revised timeline remains in compliance with ARIN’s Bylaws and applicable law. Any change to the timeline will be announced to the community and posted on an ARIN website.
In the event of a tie where two or more candidates have received the same number of votes, the President of ARIN shall proceed to determine by lot which of the candidates shall be declared elected. The CXO or staff representative will provide the names of the tied candidates on individual pieces of paper in an opaque container and ask the President to choose as many slips as there are open seats still contested. Video of this will be recorded and shared with the Board Election Officer to authenticate the process.

While a voting contact may represent more than one eligible General Member, the organization itself is the “voter” as described in this document. For clarity, a voting contact is not the “voter”. A voting contact that represents more than one organization will have a vote weight of as many organizations as they represent, and any submitted ballot will represent the votes of every General Member they represent.

X. Election Confirmation Process

Quorum is achieved by having ballots cast by at least 5% of the total eligible member organizations, as counted on the voter eligibility deadline. (Bylaws Article VIII, Section 4.a.). Quorum is determined by the number of ballots cast. This may include blank or partial ballots.
Upon conclusion of the election period, the CXO or designee prepares an election report of the voting results and forwards the election report to ARIN’s President, the Board Election Officer and GC.
ARIN’s President and the Board Election Officer shall, in cooperation with ARIN’s GC, confirm the vote tally and certify that the election was conducted in accordance with the approved election processes.
In the event of a tie for the final available open seat in a general election, the winner shall be selected by random lot, drawn by ARIN’s President, or ARIN’s President’s designee, in the presence of another ARIN Officer, Trustee, or the GC as provided in Section IX.e. above.
The ARIN Board of Trustees shall confirm the results of the election process and the President of ARIN shall formally announce the results of the voting as soon as possible, but not later than seven (7) calendar days following the close of the Election Period.

Supplementary Information

The following provides additional information pertaining to the Election Processes approved by the Board of Trustees:

Candidate Information Privacy

ARIN collects personal information from Nominees to facilitate the nomination process and ensure the integrity of its governance. This may include:

Contact details (e.g., name, address, email, and phone number).
Professional history (e.g., resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and references).
Identification documents (e.g., government-issued ID).
Background information relevant to eligibility, as required by the ARIN’s bylaws and Election Processes.

The information collected from Nominees is used to:

Evaluate eligibility and suitability for the Board of Trustees.
Conduct due diligence, including background checks.
Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

ARIN shares Nominee information only as necessary and in accordance with ARIN’s Election Processes. Specifically:

With the Background Check Firm: ARIN engages a third party, reputable Background Check Firm to conduct background verifications. The firm receives only the information necessary to perform the checks (e.g., full name, date of birth, identification data, and relevant documentation).
Internally: Information is shared with authorized personnel involved in the nomination process, such as ARIN’s CHRO, General Counsel, then-current Board Election Officer, etc.

Publicly: ARIN shares candidate name and biographic information from the non-confidential portions of nominee’s questionnaires publicly to facilitate the election process. Nominees have the right to:

Access their personal information.
Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
Withdraw their nomination, which may result in the cessation of data processing and consideration for a position on the Board.
Raise concerns or complaints regarding the handling of their information.

Confidential Nominee information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Statement or as required by law. Confidential Nominee information for unsuccessful nominees may be securely deleted or anonymized after the conclusion of the nomination process unless retention is required for legal or regulatory reasons.

Statements of Support

The candidate list and biographical information will be published online and reachable from ARIN’s website. Any individual may electronically submit Statements of Support for a candidate through Election Headquarters.

Candidate Speeches and Forum

All candidates are given the opportunity to appear before the general membership at the final ARIN PPMM of the year for the purpose of introducing themselves (Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 3.b.). Candidates are also given the opportunity to have a brief, pre-recorded speech made available to the membership.

Prior to the last ARIN PPMM, but no earlier than two weeks prior, ARIN shall host a virtual candidate forum where candidates will have the opportunity to engage with the community through a question and answer format forum.

Candidate Campaign Guidelines

Candidates for all ARIN elections may seek support via ARIN-sponsored forums. ARIN provides community Statements of Support for each candidate on its website. Candidates may also provide one link from their biography page to a social media page of their choice. Candidates may use personal social media to engage in dialogue with community members. Candidates are also provided an opportunity to speak at the Fall ARIN PPMM.

During this time, candidates are welcome to highlight their experience, including why they believe they should be elected. ARIN kindly asks that candidates use their time to talk only about themselves, their interests, and qualifications, and not mention other candidates. In order to prevent list abuse and subscriber spam, candidates may not use ARIN mailing lists for campaign purposes. A list of ARIN Member organizations eligible to vote, along with their address, is available for candidate use. Each candidate may provide up to two statements to be delivered by email in accordance with ARIN staff procedures to all voting contacts. One message would be prior to the candidate forum, and one would be after. Candidates may also send individual communications to ARIN members so long as no policies of ARIN are breached.

All Board Candidates must at all times adhere to the requirements of the Board Candidate Code of Conduction: Communications with the ARIN Electorate.

NRO Number Council Procedures

The Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC) advises the NRO Executive Council on global Internet number resource policy proposals. Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the NRO in October 2003, the NRO NC also performs the role of the ICANN Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC).

Each Regional Internet Registry (RIR) elects or appoints three representatives to the NRO NC. Nominations to fill seats are accepted from the broader ARIN-region Internet community, without regard to ARIN membership status. Two of the seats are elected by eligible Voting Contacts from ARIN Member organizations. Every third year, the ARIN Board of Trustees appoints a representative. Representatives serve staggered three-year terms, beginning on 1 January following the ARIN Election period and ending 31 December.

The NRO NC Nomination and Election requirements may be found in the MoU.

NRO NC Nominee Eligibility Requirements & Responsibilities Upon Election

NRO NC nominees are subject to the Conflicts of Interest policy, and should have a track record of involvement with issues related to Internet number resources. Nominees should also be available to travel to NRO NC and ARIN meetings, participate in conference calls, and attend to NRO NC matters. Nominees do not need to be associated with an ARIN Member organization, but they must reside within the ARIN region.

NRO NC Voting & Appointment Years

Every third year, the ARIN Board of Trustees appoints a representative to the NRO NC from the ARIN region. From the pool of eligible nominated candidates, the ARIN Trustees vote via a secret ballot according to their existing rules and procedures.

Upcoming Election/Appointment Years

2026: Appointment
2027: Election
2028: Election

Interim Appointments

Board of Trustees

In the event that one of the elected positions on the ARIN Board of Trustees is vacated before the end of the term of that position, the remaining ARIN Trustees will use the process outlined in the ARIN Bylaws, Article VI, Section 7 to fill the vacancy.

Advisory Council

In the event that one of the elected positions on the AC is vacated before the end of the term of that position, the following procedure shall be used to select an individual to fill that position until the next regularly scheduled AC election. At that time, the remaining term of that position (if any) will be open to the general election process.

When there are runner-up nominees from the previous AC election who received at least five percent of the total votes cast, the AC will ask the runner-up with the highest number of votes if they are willing to serve until the next regular election. The AC may continue down the list of candidates, in order of highest number of votes and still within the five percent category, until a replacement is found.
When there are no eligible candidates from the prior election, the AC may, by majority vote, appoint an interim representative, who is willing to serve until the next regular election.

The President and CEO of ARIN will notify the successful candidate of their interim appointment for the remainder of the calendar year and upon acceptance, will announce this to the community. The remaining term of that position will be open to the next regularly scheduled general election or appointment process.

NRO Number Council

The ARIN Board of Trustees may appoint an individual to the NRO NC to fill a vacancy created by an NRO NC representative from the ARIN region either being unable to complete their term or being removed by the ARIN Trustees. As part of this process, the ARIN Trustees form a Committee of the Whole to nominate at least two candidates for this position, and each Trustee votes via secret ballot to select an appointee.

The person receiving the majority of votes of the active members of the ARIN Board of Trustees will be the appointee. If in the first round of voting no candidate receives the majority of the votes cast, then the two candidates receiving the most votes will be placed into a run-off vote with the same rules.

Explanation of Election Process to ARIN Membership

At the final PPMM of the year, the then-current ARIN Board Election Officer shall provide a presentation to the ARIN Membership. This presentation will explain the ARIN Election Process, including but not limited to the assessment criteria and guidance. This presentation will specifically note that not all candidates that are eligible to be elected as Trustee must possess all the additional and specific skills highlighted for a “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills” rating for that year’s election cycle.

ARIN Election Processes

On this page