Upcoming Election
Procedure
The X.Org Foundation holds annual elections for its Board of Directors. The full set of election rules are laid out in the Bylaws. What follows is a brief unofficial summary.
Normally half of the board, 4 of the 8 members, are up for election each year for a two year term. If additional vacancies are present in the board, additional members will be elected to fill the remaining portion of vacated terms.
The Members of the X.Org Foundation are eligible to vote in elections. Membership is open to individuals who have contributed to the X Window System in some way, typically code, documentation or substantive public service.
Votes are collected via a web application on http://members.x.org/ during an announced period. Each voter provides a ranked list of their preferences among the nominated candidates. The results are then tallied using the simple Borda Count method.
For example, in an election with 6 candidates, the rankings are scored as follows:
rank points 1 6 2 5 3 4 4 3 5 2 6 1 none 0
Thus, refusing to rank someone denies them any points at all. Of course each rank can be assigned to at most one candidate.
Candidates with the highest point total are elected to the board until all available seats for two-year terms are taken. If any remaining seats are open to fill vacancies, the next highest scoring candidates are elected to those until they are all filled.
There is a limit of no more than two directors affiliated with the same company or institution. Once two seats are filled with affiliates of a given entity, all further candidates from that entity are skipped over in the ranked results list.
Election Process
Please also look at the documentation for the members.x.org site
Establish an election committee (generally this consists of the four current directors that are not up for re-election this year)
Add the election committee members to the elections@x.org mailing list, and make sure that no other people are on this mailing list (list admin page). All communication about the election should take place on this mailing list so that it can be archived in case of an election dispute.
Make sure that all members of the election committee have access to the membership system by giving them "Staff" and "Superuser" rights on https://members.x.org/admin/auth/user/.
Establish a chair for the committee (optional, but useful). This person will be responsible for setting up the membership website, calling for meetings when necessary, hand out tasks to other election committee members, and make sure that the election runs on time.
Determine election timeline by working backward from the election announcement date. The process takes at least 8 weeks, but padding may be required to avoid conflicts with, for example, holidays.
Week Tasks 1 Ask for renewals/new members 2 Nomination period begins 4 Nomination period ends 5 Publish slate of candidates 5 Deadline for new membership applications and renewals 6 Election period begins 8 Election period ends 8 Election committee presents results to the current X.Org board for certification 8 Results published to the membership
Create announcement that the election process will begin soon, and send it to the following mailing lists: events@lists.x.org, xorg-devel@lists.x.org, wayland-devel@lists.freedesktop.org, dri-devel@lists.freedesktop.org, mesa-dev@lists.freedesktop.org, amd-gfx@lists.freedesktop.org, etnaviv@lists.freedesktop.org, freedreno@lists.freedesktop.org, nouveau@lists.freedesktop.org, intel-gfx@lists.freedesktop.org, libre-soc-dev@lists.libre-soc.org, elections@x.org, members@x.org, and xorg@lists.freedesktop.org.
The purpose of this announcement is to have the existing members renew their membership and encourage new members to join that want to vote in the election, and to let everyone know the deadline for new memberships and renewals.
For this and future email communications it's very important to make sure messages sent to, at least, the basic non-project mailing lists at x.org like "events", "members" and "elections" are not blocked in the queue. There are multiple ways to make sure these messages go through. If the person sending the email is subscribed to the mailing list, that increases the chances a lot and likely makes this a no-op. In addition, the person sending the email can access the list moderation panel at https://foundation.x.org/cgi-bin/mailman/admindb/LIST_NAME (e.g. https://foundation.x.org/cgi-bin/mailman/admindb/events) and Accept every message they have sent related to this topic. Credentials for these moderation panels can be found in the bod-archive repo.
Immediately after sending the previous emails, create the new annual membership period on https://members.x.org/. The starting date can be set to the same day this happens, and the ending date can be a few months after the new 1-year period theoretically ends.
- It's important that the membership period name contains some indication that memberships are renewed every year, for example by including the month number in the opening and closing dates. Past evidence shows not every member or potential member is aware of the fact that memberships last one year. A membership period named "2020-2021" may be understood as covering both 2020 and 2021 (2 years), while a membership period named "03/2020-03/2021" makes it clear it's for one year and may be about to expire. Also, please note creating the membership period will nuke the current list of members and possibly their subscription to the members mailing list, which is why this step has to be performed after the previous emails have been sent. Otherwise, members subscribed only to the members mailing list will not get any notification about the need to renew their membership.
Close the previous membership period once the new one has been created, by modifying its ending date.
Create announcement that the nomination period has begun, and send it to the mailing lists outlined in step #6 when the nomination period begins. The purpose of this email is to solicit nominations, to let people know the people know how the election process works, who the current directors are and who is leaving, how to nominate yourself and/or others, and announce the deadlines for nominations.
Send reminders to the mailing lists outlined in step #6 that the election nomination period is in progress at regular intervals -- e.g., 1 week before ending, 3 days before ending, and the last day. Also include a reminder that the renewal and new membership application deadline is approaching.
Collect personal statements from potential candidates. Potential candidates are required to send a personal statement to the elections mailing list elections@x.org by the deadline. Reminders to the potential candidates are very helpful, and this will also give them the opportunity to update their statement of contribution (from their membership application).
Determine if there are enough valid candidates to run the election. After the nomination period deadline passes, the committee should convene to determine if there are enough valid candidates to run the election. If there are not enough candidates, the nomination period should be extended to allow more candidates to be nominated. If there are enough valid candidates, create an announcement with the slate of candidates and attach the personal statements they submitted and their statement of contributions (from their membership application, which can be retrieved from the membership system), and send it to the members list members@x.org.
Encourage open discussion of issues relevant to the election, the candidates' positions on issues, etc. on the members list. This can be accomplished in the announcement of the slate of candidates or by a separate email to the members list members@x.org. Also update the election wiki page so that people don't have to go search for a lost email.
Make sure that only the election members have access to the membership system - Remove their "Staff" and "superuser" rights on https://members.x.org/admin/auth/user/
After the membership renewal deadline has passed, do not approve new memberships/renewals until the election has completed.
Create an election poll on the member website from the slate of candidates, and set the start and end times. The voting system works automatically once the poll has been created.
Create announcement that the election voting is open and send it to the members list only members@x.org on the first day of the election. Include in the announcement voting instructions, and when the election period ends.
Collect, summarize, discuss and approve election results. The voting system on the members website automatically keeps track of the election's on-going results. Once the election period ends, the final results should be collected, summarized, discussed and approved by the election committee. Approval should be simple if a quorum was reached and there are no ties.
Present results to full Board of Directors for certification. Once the results have been approved by the election committee, they should be presented at a full Board of Directors for certification. If the full board approves that the election has been run properly and agrees that the results are valid, then a formal vote to certify the results can be called for and voted upon. If approved, the election committee can move forward with the official announcement. If not approved, then the board and election committee must resolve the dispute.
Announce the results to the mailing lists outlined in step #6. The final duty of the election committee is to announce the results to the members list members@x.org and the development list xorg@lists.freedesktop.org. This announcement should list the election results, the old board, the new board, and the number of votes cast/turn-out percentage. Update Board of Directors to reflect newly elected members, and add people who left into the list at the bottom.
Send an email with board@ on CC to the newly elected directors congratulating them for being elected and informing them of the time and date of the next Board meeting. Make sure new members get set up according to Duties.
Email templates
Membership signup and renewal
Subject: 20YY X.Org Foundation Membership deadline for voting in the election
The 20YY X.Org Foundation elections are rapidly approaching. We will be forwarding the election schedule and nominating process to the membership shortly.
Please note that only current members can vote in the upcoming election, and that the deadline for new memberships or renewals to vote in the upcoming election is AA MONTH 20YY at 23:59 UTC.
If you are interested in joining the X.Org Foundation or in renewing your membership, please visit the membership system site at: https://members.x.org/
$AUTHOR, on behalf of the X.Org elections committee
Request for nominations
Subject: 20YY X.Org Board of Directors Elections Nomination period is NOW
We are seeking nominations for candidates for election to the X.Org Foundation Board of Directors. All X.Org Foundation members are eligible for election to the board.
Nominations for the 20YY election are now open and will remain open until 23:59 UTC on AA MONTH 20YY.
The Board consists of directors elected from the membership. Each year, an election is held to bring the total number of directors to eight. The four members receiving the highest vote totals will serve as directors for two year terms.
The directors who received two year terms starting in 20XX were $FULLNAME1, $FULLNAME2, $FULLNAME3 and $FULLNAME4. They will continue to serve until their term ends in 20ZZ. Current directors whose term expires in 20YY are $FULLNAME5, $FULLNAME5, $FULLNAME6 and $FULLNAME7.
A director is expected to participate in the fortnightly IRC meeting to discuss current business and to attend the annual meeting of the X.Org Foundation, which will be held at a location determined in advance by the Board of Directors.
A member may nominate themselves or any other member they feel is qualified. Nominations should be sent to the Election Committee at elections@x.org.
Nominees shall be required to be current members of the X.Org Foundation, and submit a personal statement of up to 200 words that will be provided to prospective voters. The collected statements, along with the statement of contribution to the X.Org Foundation in the member's account page on http://members.x.org, will be made available to all voters to help them make their voting decisions.
Nominations, membership applications or renewals and completed personal statements must be received no later than 23:59 UTC on AA MONTH 20YY.
The slate of candidates will be published BB MONTH 20YY and candidate Q&A will begin then. The deadline for Xorg membership applications and renewals is CC MONTH 20YY.
Cheers, $AUTHOR, on behalf of the X.Org BoD
Extension of elections timeline
Subject: 20YY X.Org Board of Directors Elections timeline extended, request for nominations
We are seeking nominations for candidates for election to the X.org Foundation Board of Directors. However, as we presently do not have enough nominations to start the election - the decision has been made to extend the timeline by $DURATION. Note this is a fairly regular part of the elections process.
The new deadline for nominations to the X.org Board of Directors is 23:59 UTC on AA MONTH 20YY.
(Copy paste the rest of the "Request for nominations" message here, starting from line 3)
Email to the nominees
Hello,
Congratulations, you have been nominated for the X.Org board of directors!
If you wish to apply, you are required to be current members of the X.Org Foundation. You should then submit a personal statement of up to 200 words that will be provided to prospective voters. The collected statements, along with the statement of contribution to the X.Org Foundation in the members account page on http://members.x.org, will be made available to all voters to help them make their voting decisions.
I hope you will apply!
$AUTHOR
Announcement of nominations
Subject: 20YY X.Org Foundation Election Candidates
To all X.Org Foundation Members:
The election for the X.Org Foundation Board of Directors will begin on AA MONTH 20YY. We have $NUM_CANDIDATES candidates who are running for $NUM_OPEN_SEATS seats. They are (in alphabetical order):
- $FULLNAME1
- $FULLNAME2
- $FULLNAME3
- $FULLNAME4
Attached below are the Personal Statements each candidate submitted for your consideration along with their Statements of Contribution that they submitted with the membership application. Please review each of the candidates' statements to help you decide whom to vote for during the upcoming election.
If you have questions of the candidates, you should feel free to ask them here on the
The election committee will provide detailed instructions on how the voting system will work when the voting period begins.
$AUTHOR, on behalf of the X.Org elections committee
$FULLNAME1 Personal Statement ... Statement of Contribution ...
$FULLNAME2 Personal Statement ... Statement of Contribution ...
Voting is open
Subject: 20YY Election and By-laws approval voting OPEN
To all X.Org Foundation Members:
The X.Org Foundation's annual election is now open and will remain open until 23:59 UTC on AA MONTH 20YY.
$NUM_OPEN_SEATS of the eight director seats are open during this election, with the $NUM_OPEN_SEATS nominees receiving the highest vote totals serving as directors for two year terms.
There were $NUM_CANDIDATES candidates nominated. For a complete list of the candidates and their personal statements, please see the following e-mail: $LINK_TO_CANDIDATES_EMAIL
In addition to the board election, we are also voting on whether or not to approve of the new By-laws.
Here are some instructions on how to cast your vote:
Go directly to the voting link
https://members.x.org/ballot/$CORRECT_NUMBER/vote
You might need to log into the member system first.
For the election: There is a pull-down selection of candidates next to each preference level.
Note that you are NOT required to select your preferences for all $NUM_CANDIDATES candidates. You can leave more than one blank.
For the By-laws: If you approve of the new By-laws, select the "Yes" radio button. If you do not approve of the new By-laws, select the "No" radio button. If you wish to abstain from this question, select the "Abstain" radio button.
There is a link to the new By-laws in this question, or you can find the latest version of the By-laws here: $LINK_TO_BYLAW_CHANGES
Note that answering this question is required for your vote to be validated.
After you have completed your ballot, click the "Vote" button. Note that once you click this button, your votes will be cast and you will not be able to make further changes, so please make sure you are satisfied with your votes before clicking the "Vote" button.
After you click the "Cast vote" button, the system will verify that you have completed a valid ballot. If your ballot is invalid (e.g., you duplicated a selection or did not answer the By-laws approval question), it will return you to the previous voting page. If your ballot is valid, your votes will be recorded and the system will show you a notice that your votes were cast.
Note that the election will close at 23:59 UTC on AA MONTH 20YY. At that time, the election committee will count the votes and present the results to the current board for validation. After the current board validates the results, the election committee will present the results to the Members.
$AUTHOR, on behalf of the X.Org elections committee
Results
Subject: 20YY X.Org Foundation Election/By-laws vote results
The Board of Directors election and the vote on the By-laws concluded at 23:59 UTC on AA MONTH 20YY. There are $NUM_MEMBERS current Members of the X.Org Foundation, and $NUM_VOTES Members cast votes. This is a $TURNOUT_PERCENT% turn out.
In the election of the Directors to the Board of the X.Org Foundation, the results were that $FULLNAME1, $FULLNAME2, $FULLNAME3 and $FULLNAME4 were elected for two year terms.
The old full board is: $FULLNAME1 $FULLNAME2 $FULLNAME3 $FULLNAME4 $FULLNAME5 $FULLNAME6 $FULLNAME7 $FULLNAME8
The new full board is: $FULLNAME1 $FULLNAME2 $FULLNAME3 $FULLNAME4 $FULLNAME5 $FULLNAME6 $FULLNAME7 $FULLNAME8
Regarding the question of whether or not to approve the new By-laws: $LINK_TO_BYLAW_CHANGES
the results were:
Approve $APPROVE_PERCENT Reject $REJECT_PERCENT Abstain $ABSTAIN_PERCENT
The total number of eligible votes cast in the new By-laws approval question was $NUM_VOTES (after excluding the $NUM_ABSTAIN_VOTES abstentions) with $NUM_APPROVE_VOTES approving the new By-laws and $NUM_REJECT_VOTES rejecting the new By-laws. With $BYLAW_PERCENT% voting for approval, the new By-laws are approved.
$AUTHOR, on behalf of the X.Org elections committee
Recent Elections
BoD Election 2015 & Vote on Bylaw Changes
BoD Election 2016 & Vote on Bylaw Changes
BoD Election 2017 & Vote on Membership Agreement Changes
Board of Directors Election 2019
Board of Directors Election 2020
Board of Directors Election 2021
Board of Directors Election 2022
Board of Directors Election 2023