Are you a member in good standing and interested in helping shape the future of WABJ? Applications are now open for the 2027-2028 WABJ Executive Board until Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. ET. Click to Complete Application.

The offices up for election are president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian and member-at-large (two open seats). Click HERE for a detailed description of each role, as outlined in Article 8, Sections 1-8 (page 6) of the WABJ Bylaws.

Additional information about candidate eligibility, the application process, and election timeline is available below. The Elections Committee encourages all eligible members to step forward and contribute to the continued growth and success of our organization.

Election Rules & Procedures

Election Timeline (Eastern Time)

• Oct. 5–16 at 6 p.m.: Candidate applications open. (Members must submit their candidate declaration packets via the WABJ election application form. Emailed applications will not be considered.)
• Oct. 16–19: Elections Committee reviews applications.
• Oct. 19: Certified candidates announced to the membership. Candidates may begin campaigning.
• Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.: Membership renewals must be received on or before this date in order to vote in this year’s elections.
• Nov. 5 at 9 a.m.: Electronic voting begins.
• Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.: “Meet the Candidates Forum” via Zoom.
• Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.: Electronic voting closes
• Nov. 12 at 9 a.m.: Results announced.

Voting Eligibility & Terms of Office

Candidates for president and vice president must be a current full time member of WABJ, and a professional or lifetime member of the National Association of Black Journalists, as required by both organizations’ governing documents.

Candidates for other offices must be current full time or associate members of WABJ.

Candidates for treasurer must provide demonstration of prior financial management in their declaration forms.

Each eligible member may cast one ballot for president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and parliamentarian, and may vote for up to two candidates for member-at-large. Write-ins not permitted.

Each elected officer shall serve a two-year term and may serve in the same office no longer than two consecutive terms, as established in the WABJ Bylaws. In the event of a vacancy, the incoming board, by a majority vote, will appoint a member in good standing who qualifies for the office.

Newly elected officers will assume office on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027.

Declaring Candidacy & Campaigning Guidelines

Members seeking office must submit a completed candidate application within the established application period using the application form provided by the elections committee. Late applications will not be accepted.

Certified candidates may only begin campaigning after being certified by the committee and a certification announcement is made to the membership.

The committee will host a virtual “Meet the Candidates Forum.” All certified candidates will be invited to participate and given equal time to introduce themselves and respond to questions from the moderator(s) and the membership regarding their campaign platform and vision for the organization. Members may submit questions before or during the forum.

Candidates may not:

• Make knowingly false or misleading statements about another candidate;
• Harass, threaten, intimidate, or personally attack another candidate;
• Misrepresent WABJ’s position or suggest that WABJ officially endorses a candidate unless it has formally done so;
• Use WABJ funds, staff, membership lists, or other organizational resources for their campaign; or
• Interfere with the election process.

Social Media Rules

Candidates may campaign on their personal social media accounts. No candidate is allowed to use WABJ forums such as groups, Slack, email lists or other non-personal forums to campaign. Candidates are prohibited from presenting campaign posts as official WABJ communications and using WABJ’s logo or branding in a way that implies official endorsement.

All candidates will be given an equal opportunity to submit campaign materials to the Elections Committee by a specified deadline for distribution to the entire membership.

Voting & Election Results

Voting will be conducted through a secure electronic voting platform. The elections committee will provide eligible members with voting instructions before voting opens.

The ballot will clearly identify the offices and candidates. Voting will remain open during the announced election period.

After voting closes, the elections committee will verify the results and certify the election. The committee will announce the results to the membership after certification.

The candidate who received a majority of votes in each race shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie, a re-vote will be conducted within one week following the initial election by secret electronic ballot. It will be open to all members who were eligible to vote as of the membership renewal deadline for the initial election.

Any election dispute or complaint must be submitted to the elections committee in writing. Rulings by the committee may be appealed to the Executive Board. A two-thirds vote is required to overturn a decision of the committee.

Meet the Elections Committee

The committee oversees the election process for the WABJ Executive Board and develops procedures to ensure that it is fair, transparent and consistently administered. Committee members are ineligible to serve on the committee while seeking elected office. They are also required to disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality.

2026 Committee Members:
Khorri Atkinson, Chair
Javier Lewis (board liaison)
Esinu Abadjivor
Corinne Dorsey
Makayla Gray