National Election Overview
The most visible leadership positions in the APA are determined by APA members. The voting members of the Board of Trustees, with the exceptions of the Assembly Speaker and Speaker-Elect, are elected by APA members voting in annual national elections.
The APA President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and Early Career Practitioner Trustee-at-Large are all elected by voting members. The Member-in-Training Trustee is elected by Members-in-Training and the Area Trustees are elected by members from their respective Area. The Minority Under-Represented Trustee is elected by the Minority Caucuses.
The election season begins in June of each year when the call for nominations is published on the APA website and later in Psychiatric News. The Nominating Committee reviews nominations for consideration to the final slate of candidates.
Beginning with the 2012 Election, the election cycle will begin on November 1st with the announcement of the slate of candidates on the APA website. Candidates may not campaign until this announcement has been made.
Voting will open to eligible voting members in early January and end on January 31st. Voting will be made available via electronic balloting. After the voting deadline, the Committee of Tellers will review the ballot returns to confirm the final tally. Results are posted on the APA website by late February.