Election Process
The SOA elections are different.
Learn about the nomination and election process for the Society of Actuaries (SOA). Gain insights into the procedure for electing members to the SOA Board of Directors. One President-Elect and Vice-Chair and five elected Board members are chosen each year.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is composed of nine Fellows, with staggered three-year terms. The primary responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to create a ballot with the strongest candidates for the annual SOA Board of Directors election. The Nominating Committee partners with the SOA Board of Directors, committee chairs, SOA staff and volunteers to achieve the committee’s charge.
Learn more about the Nominating Committee.
Call for Nominations
The Nominating Committee publicly posts the call for nominations for Board elections. A Fellow can submit their name by completing the questionnaire covering experience, strategic thinking, core competencies, and teamwork skills plus background check forms. The Nominating Committee reviews the nominees submitted. Nominees interview with members of the committee. The Nominating Committee reviews the questionnaires and interview results, plus skills and criteria, to determine the election ballot. The committee submits the ballot to the Board for approval that they completed their work according to policies and procedures. The committee then notifies these endorsed candidates, and the endorsed ballot is announced to membership.
Petition Process
Nominees who have not been endorsed can seek member petition support. They must notify the Nominating Committee about the position for which they seek petition support. An outside vendor develops an online petition site and eligible voting members receive an email to support petitions. Petition support is optional and is kept anonymous. To qualify for the ballot by petition, nominees must obtain petition support equal to or greater than 10 percent of votes cast for President-Elect and Vice-Chair from the previous year’s election. Please note that petition candidates must have gone through the initial election process with the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee receives the petition process results. Nominees who receive the required level of petition support are added to the final ballot.
How to Vote
When it’s time to make your choice, Associates who have been members of the SOA for at least five years and all Fellows are eligible to vote. Voting is confidential and anonymous.
Eligible voters receive ballots via email. Votes are counted by an independent vendor. Find out more about the voting process.
Key 2024 Election Dates
- March 29–April 19: Call for nominations
- June 17: Ballot announcement to members
- June 18–26: Deadline for nominees not chosen to contact the SOA if they choose to begin the petition process
- July 8– August 6: Petition process
- August 19–September 6: Election Open
- September 16–17: Election results