The AAPG Polls Will Be Open

Cast Your Vote Online or by Paper

Look for this button on the home page to cast your ballot ... or, why wait? Use it now. The polls are open through May 15.

FAQs about the ballot system and SBS

Review Officer Candidates

For the first time, AAPG members can cast their officer ballots over the Internet.

The use of the new technology, as allowed by recent Constitution and Bylaws changes, is hoped to make it easier for all members to vote and precluding the necessity of non-U.S. members to pay postage to submit their ballot.

The Internet ballot can be accessed at www.aapg.org.

As part of the transition process to an all-electronic ballot in the future, printed ballots were mailed to all eligible voters this year. Instructions for voting online are on the ballot for those who prefer that voting method. Future elections will dispense with the printed ballot for those with e-mail addresses, who will simply receive notice of the online balloting location. Paper ballots will always be available for members who prefer that method even if they are Web users.

Each printed ballot and log-on code are matched to preclude the counting of more than one vote. If both a printed ballot and an electronic ballot are cast, the printed ballot will be the one tallied. The codes on the paper and electronic ballots are exclusive to each other and are not linked to the identity of the member, ensuring voter anonymity.

Survey & Ballot Systems Inc. in Eden Prairie, Minn., has been selected as the vendor to handle the printing, Web technology and ballot counting.

SBS, founded in 1990, will this year handle over 1,000 slates involving 5,000 candidates and more than four million eligible voters.

Clients using the SBS services include the American Library Association (63,000 members), American Physical Society (42,700 members), Dakota Electric Association (80,000 members), Emergency Nurses Association (22,000 members) and the Public Employees Retirement Association (200,000 members).

All ballots should be cast and paper ballots received at the address provided by Saturday, May 15. SBS will notify AAPG of the election results on Tuesday, May 18.

Results will be posted on www.aapg.org and will appear in the June EXPLORER.