To meet both our members’ expectations and our legal obligations in electing a Board, we have set out an election process and timeline.
Clause 79.1 of the Constitution says:
Prior to the completion of each financial year, the Board shall lay out a process for electing new directors to the board, such process to be distributed to members. The process shall be at the discretion of the board but shall be designed to be in the best interests of the Company.
Key dates
- 28 September: last day to become a member if you want to nominate or vote. Membership is free.
- 29 September – 25 October: nominations open.
- 29 October – 15 November: voting, if needed.
- 4 December: Meeting to elect directors.
Positions
There are five director positions available this year. Directors serve a two-year term. Outgoing directors are:
- Ana Belgun
- Dani Bramante (Chair)
- Nick Forbes-Smith (Deputy Chair)
- Alex Leith (Secretary)
- Jonah Sullivan (Treasurer).
Standing for the Board
To nominate, you must:
- be an OSGeo Oceania member by 27 September 2026
- provide a short bio (candidate statement)
- have an Australian Director ID, or evidence that you have applied for one
The nomination form will be emailed to members when nominations open. Before nominating, please read this overview of directors’ duties.
Director IDs
All directors of Australian companies need a Director ID. It’s free.
- In Australia: apply online. It takes about 15 minutes.
- Outside Australia: apply using the paper form. This can take up to 56 business days, so apply now.
If your ID hasn’t arrived by the time you nominate, send a copy of your application and proof of when you lodged it (e.g. a postage receipt or ABRS confirmation). Your application must be lodged before nominations close on 25 October.
Support for members outside Australia
The Board wants more of the region represented on the Board. If you live in an Oceania country or Timor-Leste and are committed to FOSS4G and OpenStreetMap in the region, we will help you through the process and reimburse your out-of-pocket costs.
Support doesn’t guarantee election. The election is open to all eligible members.
Returning Officer
The Returning Officer is an impartial volunteer who manages the nominations and, if needed, the vote. Their details will be posted here once confirmed.
Election methodology
If there are more candidates nominated than there are positions available then, as per Clause 79.5 of the Constitution, we will hold an election.
We plan to use Election Buddy again as it was simple and cost effective. In the last election we used the “single transferable vote” method to determine results. The simple description is that the “most preferred” candidate of all voters will be the first elected to the board, the second most preferred candidate is then elected and so on until all vacancies are filled. It is more complicated to manually calculate the winning candidates than a simple “first past the post” system, but is generally considered to give better representation to minority candidates. For details, see Election Buddy’s description or Wikipedia.
Voting
If a vote is needed, everyone who is a member on 27 September will be emailed a ballot. Under our Membership Policy, members who don’t vote in two elections in a row are removed from the membership list.
Voting closes at 11:59:59 pm AEDT on Sunday 15 November 2026.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM will be held on Monday 23 November 2026 in Melbourne. Details will be emailed to members.
Meeting to elect directors
The meeting to elect directors will be held on the 4th of December, at midday AEDT.
Timeline
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| 28 Sep | Member list closes |
| 29 Sep | Nominations open |
| 25 Oct | Nominations close; candidate statements and Director ID (or evidence of application) due |
| 27 Oct | Result announced, if no vote is needed |
| 29 Oct | Voting opens, if needed |
| 15 Nov | Voting closes (11:59:59 pm AEDT) |
| 16 Nov | Result announced |
| 23 Nov | AGM, Melbourne |
| 4 Dec | New Board takes office and elects its office bearers |
| 5-31 Dec | Feedback on the election process |
Questions
Email admin@osgeo-oceania.org.