Ready to Run? Your Guide to ARIN Elections Nominations

By Jason Byrne – Senior Customer Success Analyst

Are you ready to help shape the future of Internet number resource policy? Each year, ARIN community members step up to serve on our Board of Trustees and Advisory Council (AC) and on the Number Resource Organization Number Council (NRO NC). This year, the Call for Nominations opened 8 June and closes at 7:00 PM ET on 22 June. Here’s what you need to know.

Why Run?

Serving on the ARIN Board or AC isn’t just a résumé line. It’s a meaningful opportunity to protect a shared global resource. The volunteers who guide ARIN’s policy development and strategic direction help determine how the Internet’s number resources are managed across the region and support global Internet governance. If you care about a secure, stable, and accessible Internet, this is how you help build it.

The ARIN Elections process is deliberately community-driven and bottom-up; candidates are identified through self-nominations only, and nominations are open to any individual regardless of whether they are associated with a General Member organization.

Who We’re Looking For

Board of Trustees

The Board provides strategic direction and fiduciary oversight of ARIN. Trustees serve three-year terms and meet regularly to ratify policy, oversee finances, and align the organization with its mission. We’re seeking candidates with:

Professional excellence in technology, public policy, finance, law, or the nonprofit sector
Strategic governance and corporate-level decision-making experience
A commitment to ethical integrity and open-minded collaboration

For 2026, candidates who meet the “Qualified” standard and also possess one or more of the following will be rated “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills”: a CPA or equivalent credential, or experience in executive personnel oversight, management, and planning. The Board is also actively encouraging a broad and diverse pool of candidates, with diversity considered across professional experience, skills, geographic representation, and personal background. Full qualifications are detailed in the Trustee job description and the 2026 Board Guidance Letter to the Nomination Committee.

Advisory Council

The AC is the engine of the ARIN Policy Development Process (PDP). Members shepherd community proposals through the PDP, facilitate open discussion, and recommend consensus-based policy to the Board. AC members serve three-year terms and meet monthly. Strong candidates bring:

Experience in Internet number resource management or public policy
Comfort with consensus-based governance
Familiarity with the concerns of the ARIN community

Full details are in the AC Requirements and Responsibilities.

NRO Number Council

The NRO NC (also known as the ASO AC) facilitates global Internet number resource policy and selects representatives to ICANN’s Board. In 2026, the ARIN region seat will be filled by appointment rather than election. You are encouraged to self-nominate to be considered for appointment if you:

Have a track record on Internet number resource issues at a global scale
Are prepared for international travel and active participation in virtual meetings
Want a role in shaping global policy development

See the NRO NC Requirements and Responsibilities for the full picture.

How the Process Works

The nomination window is short — just 14 days — so don’t wait. Here’s the path from nomination to ballot:

Self-nominate by completing the nominee questionnaire during the open window (8–22 June 2026).
Board nominees authorize an independent background check and interview
An independent assessment firm evaluates all nominees against published qualifications*
An initial slate of candidates is announced in early September
Voting Contacts of General Member organizations vote during the election period (22–30 October 2026)

Throughout this process, the Nomination Committee (NomCom) plays an important role in recruiting a broad and diverse pool of candidates — though all nominations must be self-submitted. Learn about this year’s NomCom members in our 6 May announcement.

View the full 2026 ARIN Elections calendar.

Nominees for the Board will appear on the slate of candidates with a classification of “Qualified” or “Qualified and Additional Recommended Skills.” For the AC and NRO NC, all nominees assessed as “Qualified” will appear on the slate, but without any label next to their name. The initial slate will not include any nominees assessed as “Not Qualified.”

To be eligible, nominees must complete all required steps: the questionnaire and, for Board candidates, the background check. If any individuals are assessed as “Not Qualified,” they will have an opportunity to petition the community to be added to the ballot.

Ready to Nominate?

Watch our Leadership Development Series of two short, on-demand videos covering the Board and AC roles, then submit your self-nomination before 7:00 PM ET on 22 June 2026:

This year’s elections will fill three full-term Board seats and five full-term AC seats, with terms beginning 1 January 2027. Stay connected by subscribing to the ARIN Announce and General Members mailing lists, and follow us on social media for election updates throughout the season.

*All candidate information is handled per the Candidate Information Privacy policy, and background check details are kept strictly confidential.

Post written by:

Jason Byrne
Senior Customer Success Analyst

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