2024 AAPA Election FAQs

The AAPA Bylaws (which are approved by the Board of Directors and the House of Delegates) and applicable policies establish the eligibility criteria for running for AAPA elected offices.

Eligibility Requirements to Run in the Board of Directors General Election and House Officers Election (Bylaws Article XIII, Section 3)

• A candidate must be a fellow member of AAPA.
• A candidate must be a member of an AAPA Constituent Organization.
• A candidate must have been an AAPA fellow member and/or student member for the last three years.
• A candidate must have served in at least two leadership roles in the Academy, Student Academy, a constituent organization, or related PA organization (as defined in section (i) below) in the past five years. This experience requirement will be waived for currently sitting AAPA Board members who choose to run for a subsequent term of office.
  • Related PA organizations include the PA Foundation, PA History Society, AAPA’S Political Action Committee, PA Education Association, ARC-PA, or National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
• Up to one leadership role as delineated in Section (d) may be obtained by serving in an executive or equivalent role in a healthcare professional organization.
• A candidate for House Officer must have been a seated delegate for a minimum of two years in the past five years.

In accordance with Article VII, Section 2 of the AAPA Bylaws, members of the AAPA Board of Directors may not hold elected voting positions in the Academy’s constituent organization. Directors may hold elected or appointed non-voting positions in the Academy’s COs.

Eligibility Requirements to run for the Nominating Committee (Article XI, Section 3) Nominating Committee members may not run for any of the positions they are evaluating for the upcoming election. Additionally:

• A candidate must be a fellow member of AAPA.
• A candidate must have been an AAPA fellow member and/or student member for the last three years.
• A candidate must have served in at least two leadership roles in the past five years through service to AAPA; the Student Academy; an AAPA constituent organization; and/or an AAPA affiliated organization. Recognized leadership roles include a board member or organization officer; an elected or appointed representative; or a chair of a commission, committee, work group or task force.
• A Nominating Committee member cannot hold any other elected office or commission or work group position in AAPA during their term on the Nominating Committee.

Eligibility to run for the Student Academy Board of Directors

• Eligibility to hold office is limited to members of AAPA. Each candidate for an elected leadership position of the Student Academy must be a student of an accredited or provisionally accredited PA program at the time of election. (Student Academy Policy SA-L-100.4.2.1)
• Candidates for chief delegate must have previous experience as an HOD student delegate with the Student Academy delegation. (Student Academy Policy SA-L-100.4.2.2)
• Candidates running for two-year positions must not be graduating within three months of taking office during the first year of their term. (Student Academy Policy SA-L-100.4.2.2)

The Nominating Committee (NomCom) is tasked with identifying competencies and skillsets that support a diverse and high-performing Board of Directors. The NomCom is also charged with evaluating candidates and endorsing a single or multiple slate of candidates for each open position. The NomCom’s process typically involves a review of candidates’ application materials and a live interview. Ultimately, the NomCom will endorse a slate of candidates they believe best reflects the current needs of the Board of Directors and AAPA based on identified skills and competencies. A NomCom endorsement is indicated on the election ballot.

In accordance with AAPA Bylaws, Article XIII, Section 4, “Self-declaration, in accordance with policy, shall be permitted in the election of Academy Officers, Directors-at-Large, and House Officers.” This means that any candidate who meets the eligibility requirements defined in the bylaws but is not included on the NomCom’s endorsed slate may run as a ‘self-declared’ candidate.

The NomCom process does not apply to the Student Academy Board of Director Elections or the Nominating Committee Election. All candidates for those positions self-declare their candidacy by default.

How an organization elects its leaders is critical to the integrity of the organization, the ideals it promotes, and the value provided to its members. Elections are guided by AAPA’s Bylaws and policies, which every elected leader is obligated to uphold. Furthermore, AAPA’s election procedures are designed to encourage broader member engagement for both candidates and voters and to support transparency and consistency in processes for all elected positions.

AAPA election participation is guided by the AAPA Elections Manual, which is updated annually by the Governance Commission and provides details on the application process, expectations for candidates, communication, and campaigning guidelines.

Organizational governance, and particularly Board leadership continuity, is critical to the business of AAPA. AAPA has a legal obligation to uphold the principles, policies, and procedures in the North Carolina non-profit statute, the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and policies. AAPA has no policy that allows for an unopposed candidate to take office without a vote of the membership eligible to elect them.

YesElections (powered by Election America) is a full-service election management company, which has successfully administered complex elections throughout six continents, with millions of votes processed annually. The integrity of YesElections is guided by principles of innovation, reliability, and security. YesElections has partnered with organizations with membership ranging from fewer than 100 voters to more than 2.2 million members in a single election, and with an extensive range of policies, regulations, and governance structures. Their clients span a diverse market from retirement systems, financial service institutions, cooperatives, public-sector entities, labor unions, professional associations, non-profit, and private organizations.

In accordance with the AAPA Bylaws, Article XIII, Section 5 Eligible Voters:

• Eligible voters for President-elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and Directors-at-large are fellow and retired members, the Student Board of Directors, and apportioned student members of the House of Delegates.
• Eligible voters for House Officers and for elected members of the Nominating Committee are voting members of the House of Delegates who are present at the time of the election.
• Eligible voters for the Student Academy positions of President-elect, Director of Diversity and Outreach, Director of Student Communications, and Chief Delegate are student members, the Student Academy Board of Directors, and apportioned members of the Student Academy delegation in the House of Delegates
• Eligible voters for Student Academy Regional Directors are student members from within the respective region, the Student Academy Board of Directors, and apportioned members of the Student Academy delegation in the House of Delegates.
• For all positions, eligible voters must be current members in good standing (fellow, student, or retired) as of the date that is fifteen (15) days before the respective election.