Business Advisory Committees Elections Are Now Open - Vote for Your Community Representative

Dec 6, 2024

Thank you to everyone who registered, as well as those who took the extra step to nominate candidates, for the Business Advisory Committees of the OpenSSL Foundation and OpenSSL Corporation. We are now at the final step - voting - which is essential to complete the process.

Start Date: December 5, 2024
Deadline for Voting: December 15, 2024 11:59pm Pacific Time (US/ Canada)

Election Committee

The Election Committee is composed of the directors of the OpenSSL Foundation and the OpenSSL Corporation. This marks the first inaugural Election Committee, tasked with overseeing and managing the election processes across various communities. The committee is dedicated to ensuring that voting is conducted fairly, transparently, and in alignment with the established rules and procedures.

Current Election Committee

• Anton Arapov, OpenSSL Corporation
• Matt Caswell, OpenSSL Foundation
• Tim Hudson, OpenSSL Corporation
• Richard Levitte, OpenSSL Foundation
• Tomas Mraz, OpenSSL Foundation

We anticipate that future Election Committees will include external members outside of OpenSSL. Additionally, we expect input from the formed Business Advisory Committees (BACs) and, later, the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) to play a significant role in shaping the election process.

Voting Representation for the Communities

• Academics
  • Each individual from the Academics has a single vote.
• Committers
  • Each individual from the Committers has a single vote.
• Distributions
  • Only one vote per distribution will be counted, regardless of the number of individuals participating.
  • In cases where multiple votes are cast by a distribution for multiple candidates, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be deemed the choice of the distribution.
  • This ensures equal representation across all groups while maintaining fairness in decision-making processes.
• Individuals
  • Each individual has a single vote.
• Large Businesses
  • Only one vote per company will be counted, regardless of the number of participants from that company.
  • In cases where multiple votes are cast by a business for multiple candidates, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be deemed the choice of the business.
  • This ensures equal representation across all groups while maintaining fairness in decision-making processes.
• Small Businesses
  • Only one vote per company will be counted, regardless of the number of participants from that company.
  • In cases where multiple votes are cast by a business for multiple candidates, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be deemed the choice of the business.
  • This ensures equal representation across all groups while maintaining fairness in decision-making processes.

Voting Process

• Completion Requirement: Voting is only considered complete when at least 15% of registered voting members in the community have cast a vote. A group of employees of a company are treated as one voting unit.
• Threshold for Valid Election: If the 15% participation threshold is not met within the voting period, the seat will remain vacant.
• Trigger for New Election: A petition signed by 15% of community members can initiate a new election for any vacant seat in that community.
• Inactivity Consequence: Failing to vote in two consecutive elections without an approved leave of absence will lead to removal from the community voting register, meaning members must participate actively in elections to retain their voting rights in the advisory committee.
• Privacy: Ballots are cast anonymously to ensure that voters cannot be coerced or influenced.

How to Vote

• Log in to your Community Group: Go to the THREADS section.

• Select your nominee: Choose the candidate you believe will best represent your community and contribute effectively to the Business Advisory Committee.

• Flexibility: You can change your vote as many times as needed during the election period.

Announcement of the Results

• Elections results will be announced:
  • On the community’s website.
  • Via direct email to the successful candidates.
• Public announcement:
  • Elected representatives’ profiles and vision statements will be shared with the entire OpenSSL community.

Term

• Each elected seat on the BAC is for a one-year term.

Your Voice Matters

We encourage all registered voting members to make their voices count and participate in this important election! Your vote is essential in guiding OpenSSL’s direction and ensuring that our Business Advisory Committees reflect the community’s needs and priorities.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the election process, please contact us at communities@openssl.org.