NRO Number Council Election Procedures
Introduction
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. In the ARIN region, one seat opens each year. For two years, eligible Voting Contacts from ARIN Member organizations, NANOG meeting attendees, and ARIN Public Policy Meeting attendees elect representatives, and 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.
Nominee Eligibility Requirements & Responsibilities Upon Election
All 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 representatives from ARIN Member organizations, but they must reside within the ARIN region.
Candidate Campaign Guidelines
The following Candidate Campaign Guidelines apply for election years only. Candidates may seek support via ARIN-sponsored forums. ARIN provides unedited 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 Public Policy Meeting, held at the opening of the voting period. In order to prevent list abuse and subscriber spam, candidates may not use ARIN mailing or member lists for campaign purposes. A list of ARIN Member organizations eligible to vote is available for candidate use.
Nomination Process
Nominator Eligibility
Any individual, regardless of ARIN Membership status, may self-nominate or nominate one or more candidates for any open NRO NC position.
Call for Nominations
The dates of the Nomination Period will be specified in the call for nominees and posted on the ARIN website.
In order to be accepted, a nominator must provide the following information:
- First and last name of nominee
- The nominee’s organization/affiliation/or employer
- The nominee’s email address
- The nominee’s phone number
- Nominator’s first and last name, organization, email address, and phone number
Staff will endeavor to have the nominator complete that information if it is not submitted with the nomination, but nominations incomplete by the end of the nomination period will not be considered.
Nomination Closing
The dates of the Nomination Period will be specified in the Call for Nominees and posted on the ARIN website. All nominations must be accepted by the nominee before the close of the nomination period.
Nomination Verification
ARIN’s Chief Customer Officer (CCO) or designee will verify that all nominated individuals are willing and able to fulfill a three-year term and upon confirmation such nomination will be posted publicly in a prompt manner to the ARIN website.
Member Notification of Candidates
The names of all nominees received and confirmed by the close of the nomination period will be posted shortly thereafter.
During election years, ARIN will post the final slate of candidates to ARIN Announce and will make the slate available to all eligible Voting Contacts no later than 10 calendar days prior to the last ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting of the year. The candidate list and questionnaires are also posted on the ARIN website. Any individual may submit a Statement of Support for a candidate through a link on the Election Headquarters page.
NRO NC candidates are given the opportunity to present their credentials in a speech not to exceed five minutes during the Fall ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting.
Withdrawn Candidates
ARIN will post any known withdrawn candidates to ARIN Announce and will notify all eligible Voting Contacts. If a withdrawal results in fewer qualified candidates than are required, ARIN’s Board of Trustees may appoint candidates at its discretion to reach the required number.
Voting - Election Years
Attendees of the final NANOG and ARIN Public Policy and Members Meetings of the year and Voting Contacts from General Members in Good Standing are eligible to vote in NRO NC elections (with the exception of RIR staff). Voting Contact eligibility must be established no later than 45 days before the ARIN Board of Trustees and Advisory Council (AC) elections.
Voting will open three days before the start of the Fall ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting for non-Voting Contact attendees of the Fall NANOG/ARIN Meetings who completed meeting registration seven or more days prior to the start of the ARIN Meeting.
Voting will open on the first day of the Fall ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting for all eligible Voting Contacts from ARIN Member organizations. Voting Contacts will have at least seven (7) calendar days to electronically cast their vote.
Regardless of status as an ARIN Member Voting Contact and a NANOG/ARIN Meeting attendee, individuals may only vote once in the NRO NC election.
The Election System Instructions page explains the online voting process.
Voting - Appointment Years
Every third year, the ARIN Board of Trustees appoints a representative to the NRO NC from the ARIN region. After the nomination period closes, the ARIN Trustees vote via a secret ballot.
Upcoming Election/Appointment Years
- 2023: Appointment
- 2024: Election
- 2025: Election
Vote Counting and Announcement of Election Results
The President and CEO of ARIN and the appointed ARIN Elections Officer confirm the vote tally to determine the winners in cooperation with ARIN’s General Counsel. ARIN’s Chief Customer Officer (CCO) or designee provides vote counters with a copy of the voting log and asks each to provide an independent tally and declare the winner(s). If the three results are identical, the ARIN President and CEO reports the findings to the ARIN Trustees and verifies that the election process was upheld. ARIN posts the election results to the ARIN website and the ARIN Announce mailing list within seven calendar days of the close of election period.
NRO NC Tie-break
If multiple candidates receive the same number of votes for the final available open seat, those candidate names will be placed in a random drawing, conducted by the President and CEO of ARIN, or the President and CEO’s designee, with the Chief Customer Officer and ARIN’s General Counsel serving as witnesses.
Interim Appointments
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 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.
The President and CEO of ARIN will notify the successful candidate of his or her interim appointment for the remainder of the calendar year. The remaining term of that position will be open to the next regularly scheduled general election or appointment process.
Removal
Any elected NRO NC representative from the ARIN region may be removed from office, with or without cause, by a majority vote held by the ARIN Board of Trustees, meeting in person at a meeting where the notice describes this purpose. The individual whose removal is to be voted upon is entitled to at least 10 calendar days’ notice and may appear before and be heard at such a meeting. Removal may proceed without the ARIN representative’s presence at the meeting.