Have Your Say! Vote Now in the Technical Advisory Committee Elections and Support Your Community

Apr 25, 2025

Thank you to everyone who registered and to those who took the extra step to nominate candidates for the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) of the OpenSSL Corporation and the OpenSSL Foundation.
We are now at the final step—voting. Your participation in this phase is essential to bring the process to completion and ensure the strength of our shared governance.

Election Timeline

Start Date: April 28, 2025 at 12:00pm UTC

Deadline for Voting: May 11, 2025 at 12:00pm UTC

Election Committee

The Election Committee is composed of the directors of the OpenSSL Corporation and the OpenSSL Foundation. This marks the first inaugural Election Committee, tasked with overseeing and managing the election processes across various communities. The Election 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 the OpenSSL Corporation and the OpenSSL Foundation.

Voting Representation for the Communities

• Academics
  • Each entity within the “Academics” group has an appointed delegate.
  • This delegate is responsible for casting a single vote of their institution, department, or research group during elections or decision-making processes.
• Committers
  • Each individual from the “Committers” has a single vote.
• Distributions
  • Each distribution within the “Distributions” group has an appointed delegate.
  • This delegate is responsible for casting the distribution’s single vote during elections or decision-making processes.
• Individuals
  • Each individual has a single vote.
• Large Businesses
  • Each business within the “Large Businesses” group has an appointed delegate.
  • This delegate is responsible for casting the business’s single vote during elections or decision-making processes.
• Small Businesses
  • Each business within the “Small Businesses” group has an appointed delegate.
  • This delegate is responsible for casting the business’s single vote during elections or decision-making processes.

Voting Process

• Completion Requirement: Voting is only considered complete when at least 15% of registered voting participants from the community have cast a vote.
• 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: Voting uses an open ballot system—each vote is publicly recorded. This transparency promotes accountability and trust in the process.

How to Vote

• Log in to your Community Group: Go to the THREADS section.
• Select the specific thread where the election is taking place. Note that the OpenSSL Corporation and the OpenSSL Foundation each have a separate thread for their respective elections.
• Select your nominee: Choose the candidate you believe will best represent your community and contribute effectively to the Technical 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 TAC is for a one-year term.

Your Voice Matters

We invite all registered voting members to take part in this important election.

By casting your vote, you help shape the direction of the OpenSSL Project and ensure that the Technical Advisory Committees are guided by the values, priorities, and insights of our community.

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