Rule(s)
This rule describes the process by which an At-Large Board member is selected to fill the Board seat
referred to as Seat 15 within the ICANN Bylaws.27.1 Timing
For any regular term as defined in ICANN Bylaw Article VI, Section 8(1.g) the timing of
the process described in Rule 27 must meet the ICANN Bylaw Article VI, Section 8(4)
requirement to provide written notice of the person selected to the Secretary of ICANN
no later than five months after the conclusion of the annual meeting preceding the
beginning of the new term.
27.2 Board Selection Process Committee
The ALAC shall name a Board Selection Process Committee (BSPC) which will oversee
the entire selection process including the election culminating the process but excluding
those responsibilities specifically given to the ALAC or the Board Candidate Evaluation
Committee. At the ALAC’s choice, the ALAC shall either name a chair of the BSPC or may
instruct the BSPC to select a chair from amongst its members.
27.3 Board Candidate Evaluation Committee
The ALAC shall name a Board Candidate Evaluation Committee (BCEC) to compile an
initial slate of candidates for election to Seat 15. A new BCEC consisting of two delegates
selected by each of the RALOs plus a chair selected by the ALAC will be convened for
each Board seat selection process. No member of the electorate (see 27.7) may
simultaneously serve as a member of the BCEC. The BCEC shall solicit Statements of
Interest (SoI) and only those submitting such SoIs may be considered by the BCEC. The
task of the BCEC is to identify applicants who would each make an excellent Board
Director, who have the highest integrity and capability, who are knowledgeable about
both ICANN’s and At Large's mission and environment, and who are best able to
articulate and advance the views and needs of the global community of Internet endusers to the ICANN Board. The BCEC Operating Principles in use for the 2010 selection
can be found at https://st.icann.org/absdt/index.cgi?draft_bcec_operating_principles.
27.4 Committee Overlap
No person who is or was a member of the current BCEC may submit a SoI to that BCEC. A
member of the BSPC who submits a SoI must resign from the BSPC prior to such a SoI
being submitted.
27.5 Procedures
The BSPC and the BCEC shall adopt such operating procedures as they deem necessary.
Such operating procedures shall be published and are subject to ALAC oversight and
review.
27.6 Final Candidate List
Following the publication of the BCEC slate of candidates, RALOs have an opportunity to
add candidates to that list. Candidates shall only be added if they had previously
submitted a SoI to the BCEC during the current selection process, and if they receive the
support through formal action of at least three of the five RALOs.27.7 Electorate
The electorate for the final election shall be the fifteen ALAC members plus the five RALO
chairs.
27.8 Voting Process
a) All votes shall be by secret ballot. Votes may be cast electronically, in person,
telephonically or some combination thereof. For votes cast in person or telephonically,
the services of a trusted third party will ensure the secrecy of the ballot. Proxies are
allowed only in accordance with explicit ALAC Rules of Procedure governing their use, or
with explicit BSPC rules governing their use.
b) If there is only one candidate on the Final Candidate List, that candidate shall be
acclaimed the winner.
c) If there are more than three candidates on the Final Candidate List, the first vote shall
be using an accepted voting method which allows the three most preferred candidates to
be selected.
d) When there are three candidates remaining, there shall be vote of the electorate.
Should one candidate receive greater than 50% of votes cast, that candidate shall be
declared the winner. If not, the candidate with the least votes shall be removed. If there
is a tie for last position, a random selection by a method determined in advance by the
BSPC shall be used to identify the candidate to be removed.
e) When there are two candidates remaining, there shall be vote of the electorate. Should
one candidate receive greater than 50% of votes cast, that candidate shall be declared
the winner. If there is a tie, a random selection by a method determined in advance by
the BSPC shall be used to identify the winner.
f) In any cases where a random selection is called for in sub-sections d) and e), if
sufficient time remains, the BSPC, will run the tied election over again in case voter
positions have changed. In any given step of the process, this can be done just once.
27.9 History
To ensure that the process history is not lost despite the volunteer and staff turnover
and the infrequency of At-Large Board Member selections, the ALAC shall preserve ALAC
and ABSdt documents giving the history of the creation of this Rule; and the BSPC and
BCEC operating procedures and other non-confidential documents.
27.10 Transition Rules
a) For the initial selection process, the At-Large Board Selection Design Team (ABSdt)
shall serve as the BSPC.
b) This subsection 27.10b is applicable only if the ICANN Bylaws stipulate that there will
be a separate term for Seat 15 beginning at the conclusion of the 2010 ICANN annual
meeting and ending six months later at the start of the first regular term.The process used to fill Seat 15 for the first term prior to the first regular term beginning
six months after the ICANN 2010 annual meeting, shall be deemed to also fill Seat 15 for
its first regular term.
c) With the exception of Rule 27.8 on Voting Processes, all other aspects of this Rule shall
apply retroactively for the first selection of a person to occupy Seat 15. Any process
which has generally followed these procedures is deemed to have been valid.