Election Process

Elections are governed by Article 5 of the American Philatelic Society bylaws and the board-adopted Elections Policy and Procedures policy. The Executive Director is the chief election officer, and all election inquiries are to him. In executing his duties, he may assign specific roles to members of the APS staff.

The elected Board consists of President, three (3) Vice Presidents (nominated as a slate), a Secretary, a Treasurer, and four (4) Directors-at-Large, who, along with the Immediate Past President, must subscribe to the Society’s Code of Ethics and any Board-adopted ethics policies. Individuals are elected for three-year terms and may serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same position. The President may serve on the Board in an elected capacity for no more than three (3) terms in any 12-year period.

APS members also elect four (4) members for the Library’s Board of Trustees, two (2) every election cycle to serve a single six-year term.

Any Society member in good standing, age 18 or older, is eligible to be a candidate for any office except President. Candidates for the presidency must have served previously on the Board of Directors of the Society to have gained some knowledge of the Society’s operations.

Candidates for vice president are nominated and voted for as a slate. Because the Board of Vice Presidents is charged with reviewing applicants for Society membership and is the Society’s disciplinary body, it must meet regularly. The Vice Presidents must meet at least six (6) times a year, including twice in person.

Elections are held every three (3) years. Nominations for election to the Society Board for the 2025–2028 term or Library Board of Trustees for the 2025-2031 term can be submitted beginning October 1, 2024. All nominations and seconds must be received by March 31, 2025.

Nominations may be made by:

Society Chapters: The form must be signed by both the chapter’s President and Secretary or
Petition: The Petition must be signed by at least ten (10) APS members who are not members of a nominating or seconding chapter.

Chapter and Petition nominating forms are available.

Each nomination must have Seconds made by:

Society Chapters: Ten (10) or more chapters, signed by the chapter’s president and secretary, or
Ten (10) or more Seconding petitions, each signed by ten (10) or more members who are not members of a nominating or seconding chapter, or
A combination of ten (10) chapters and Seconding petitions.

Candidates for the Library Board require only one (1) Second as prescribed to be placed on the ballot.

Chapter Second and Seconding Petition forms are available.

All nominations and seconding petitions must be sent directly to:
    American Philatelic Society
    100 Match Factory Place
    Bellefonte, PA 16823
    Attn: Election Monitor

All nominations and seconds must be received by March 31, 2025. The Society’s Election Policy and Procedures details advertising and expectations of candidate’s conduct. To assist candidates in obtaining the necessary seconds, the Society offers a mailing to all chapters in mid-January 2025. To participate in this mailing, candidates must complete a Board Nominating Application and agree to pay their share of the mailing costs by December 31, 2024.

Photographs and biographies listing all qualified candidates will appear in the May 2025 issue of The American Philatelist. Polls close at noon on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Elected officers will be installed at the Great American Stamp Show 2025 on August 16, 2025.