Election Guidelines 2026

1. Purpose and Legal Basis

1.1. These Election Guidelines (“Guidelines”) govern the conduct of elections, or selection processes, as applicable, for:

• the elected members of the AFRINIC Governance Committee (GovCom);
• the elected AFRINIC representative(s) to the NRO Number Council (NRO NC) / ICANN ASO Address Council (ASO AC);
• the appointment of PDP Co-Chairs through a consensus-based process; and
• any other AFRINIC’s election during the year 2026.

1.2. These Guidelines are intended to assist the Nomination Committee in its constitutional mandate, pursuant to Article 9 of the AFRINIC Bylaws, and shall be applied in conjunction with:

• the AFRINIC Bylaws;
• the applicable Terms of Reference — afrinic.net/govcom#tor and afrinic.net/aso-ac-nro-nc, as the case may be;
• where relevant, the NRO, ASO and ICANN governance frameworks; and
• the AFRINIC Consolidated Policy Manual.

1.3. In the event of any inconsistency, the AFRINIC Bylaws and applicable external frameworks, in particular the NRO, ASO and ICANN governance frameworks, shall prevail.

2. Guiding Principles

2.1. The election or selection process, as the case may be, shall be conducted in accordance with the following principles:

• Transparency — procedures, criteria, and timelines shall be published in advance;
• Fairness — all candidates shall be treated equally;
• Neutrality — the Nomination Committee shall act impartially;
• Integrity — eligibility and voting shall be verified using authoritative AFRINIC records such as MyAFRINIC;
• Consistency — established bylaw provisions and precedents shall be respected.

3. Nomination Committee (NomCom)

3.1 Composition and Independence

• NomCom shall be constituted in accordance with Article 9 of the Bylaws.
• No NomCom member may be a candidate in any election overseen by NomCom.
• NomCom members shall disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

3.2 Mandate and Limits

NomCom shall have responsibility to:

• Issue ‘Calls for Nominations’;
• Receive and process nominations, including interviewing candidates where appropriate;
• Verify candidate eligibility;
• Prepare and publish a final slate of eligible candidates;
• Supervise, but not conduct, the election process or the selection process, as the case may be.

4. Term of the Nomination Committee

4.1. Since the AFRINIC Bylaws is silent on the term of the members of the Nomination Committee, and the Committee is habitually reconstituted on an annual basis, it is acknowledged and understood that members serve a reduced one-year mandate, running until 31 December 2026, after which they may serve AFRINIC in other capacities following their service on the NomCom.

5. Calls for Nominations

5.1. NomCom shall publish a Call for Nominations specifying:

• the position(s) to be filled;
• term length and responsibilities;
• eligibility criteria;
• nomination procedure;
• key dates and deadlines.

5.2. Nominations may include self-nominations as long as the relevant candidates are nominated and seconded by an eligible resource member in good standing at the time of nomination.

6. Candidate Eligibility

6.1 Governance Committee (GovCom)

6.1.1. The AFRINIC Governance Committee advises the AFRINIC Board, AFRINIC Membership and the community on matters of corporate governance.

6.1.2. Accordingly, candidates must:

• be natural persons of full legal capacity residing within any subregions of the AFRINIC service region;
• have attained the age of majority;
• not have been convicted of any offence involving fraud or dishonesty by a court of competent jurisdiction;
• possess relevant skills, knowledge, or experience consistent with the role of an adviser on corporate governance;
• be nominated by two (2) distinct Resource Members in good standing at the time of nomination in order to preserve the spirit of the bottom-up framework.

6.1.3. Three (3) seats shall be open for election at the forthcoming GovCom election, and the respective terms of office shall ordinarily commence on 1 January and conclude on 31 December.

6.1.4. It has been an established practice that these elections would be arranged in such a way that, ordinarily, one (1) of the three (3) elected members is replaced or renewed every year.

6.1.5. Subject to paragraph 6.1.6 below, the elected members would ordinarily serve for terms of three (3) years in duration, which may be renewed without limitation.

6.1.6. Accordingly, and by way of an exceptional transitional arrangement applicable to this election only, the three (3) elected members shall be assigned staggered terms expiring in three (3) consecutive years as follows:

• the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2029;
• the candidate receiving the second-highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2028; and
• the candidate receiving the third-highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2027.

6.2 NRO NC / ASO AC Representative(s)

6.2.1. The NRO NC serves as the ICANN ASO AC according to the ICANN ASO MoU.

6.2.2. Responsibilities of the ICANN ASO AC include:

• Undertaking a role in the global policy development process.
• Providing recommendations to the Board of ICANN concerning the recognition of new RIRs, according to agreed requirements and policies as currently described at icann.org.
• Defining procedures for the selection of individuals to serve on other ICANN bodies, in particular on the ICANN Board, and implementing any roles assigned to the Address Council in such procedures.
• Providing advice to the Board of ICANN on number resource allocation policy, in conjunction with the RIRs.

6.2.3. For more information about the NRO NC and the ASO AC, please go to aso.icann.org.

6.2.4. Accordingly, candidates must:

• be natural persons of full legal capacity residing within the AFRINIC service region;
• have attained the age of majority;
• be nominated by two (2) distinct Resource Members in good standing at the time of nomination in order to preserve the spirit of the bottom-up framework; and
• have meaningfully contributed on the AFRINIC RPD mailing list, or that of any other RIR, for a minimum aggregate period of three (3) years, and have a clear understanding of the spirit and letter of the Consolidated Policy Manual, developed by the PDWG community process, as well as current draft proposals.

6.2.5. An eligible resource member may only nominate one candidate — and, in case of multiple nominations by the same entity, only the last nomination will be considered valid. AFRINIC or other RIR staff can neither nominate candidates nor be nominated for an ASO AC seat.

6.2.6. Two (2) seats shall be open for election at the forthcoming election, and the respective terms of office shall ordinarily commence on 1 January and conclude on 31 December.

6.2.7. It has been an established practice that these elections would be arranged in such a way that, ordinarily, one (1) of the two (2) elected members is replaced or renewed every year.

6.2.8. Subject to paragraph 6.2.9 below, the elected members would ordinarily serve for terms of three (3) years in duration, which may be renewed without limitation.

6.2.9. Accordingly, and by way of an exceptional transitional arrangement applicable to this election only, the two (2) elected members shall be assigned staggered terms expiring in two (2) consecutive years as follows:

• the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2029; and
• the candidate receiving the second-highest number of votes shall assume office upon election and serve until 31 December 2028.

6.2.10. For the purposes of transparency, particularly with respect to the GovCom and NRO NC / ASO AC elections, the NomCom shall, at the time of issuing the Call for Nominations and throughout the voting process, clearly disclose full details of these arrangements, so as to ensure that candidates, their respective nominating organisations, and voters are fully informed of the term of office applicable to each position for which a vote is cast.

6.3 PDP Co-Chairs Selection

6.3.1. Clause 3.3 of the Consolidated Policy Manual stipulates that the PDWG Chairs are chosen by the AFRINIC community during the Public Policy Meeting and serve staggered two-year terms. The term ends during the first Public Policy Meeting corresponding to the end of the term for which they were appointed. A term may begin or end no sooner than the first day of the Public Policy Meeting and no later than the last day of the Public Policy Meeting as determined by the mutual agreement of the current Chair and the new Chair.

6.3.2. It is also established practice that this selection is conducted through a consensus-based process, and participants are therefore expected to adhere to this established norm.

6.3.3. The responsibilities of the AFRINIC Policy Development Process (PDP) Co-Chairs are primarily procedural, facilitative, and neutral in nature. Their role is not to decide policy outcomes, but to ensure that the PDP functions fairly, transparently, and in accordance with the AFRINIC Consolidated Policy Manual. In practical terms, their core responsibilities include the following:

• Ensure that the PDP is conducted strictly in line with the AFRINIC Consolidated Policy Manual and established community practices.
• Safeguard the integrity, openness, and bottom-up nature of the policy-development process.
• Ensure equal treatment of all participants, without favour or prejudice.
• Chair and moderate PDP discussions during AFRINIC public policy meetings (physical or virtual).
• Facilitate discussions on the public mailing lists, ensuring that debate remains focused, respectful, and relevant.
• Encourage broad community participation and constructive dialogue.
• Evaluate discussions to determine whether rough consensus has been reached on a policy proposal within the community.
• Ensure that consensus determinations are reasoned, documented, and defensible.
• Receive and acknowledge new policy proposals and shepherd them through the PDP stages.
• Determine whether a proposal is sufficiently clear and complete to enter the PDP.
• Guide proposers on procedural matters and required revisions, without influencing substantive policy content.
• Ensure that policy texts, discussion summaries, and consensus calls are properly documented and publicly available.
• Provide clear reports to the community and the AFRINIC Board on the status and outcome of policy proposals.
• Act as an interface between the African Internet community, AFRINIC staff (Policy Liaisons), and the AFRINIC Board on PDP-related matters.
• Transmit formally adopted policies to the AFRINIC Board for ratification, without editorial modification.
• Remain neutral and avoid advocating for or against specific policy outcomes in their capacity as Co-Chairs.
• Manage conflicts of interest appropriately and transparently.
• Ensure continuity of the PDP in cases of transition, including orderly handover to incoming Co-Chairs where applicable.
• Maintain procedural consistency across policy cycles.
• In short, PDP Co-Chairs are custodians of the process, not policymakers. Their legitimacy derives from the community’s trust that the PDP is being run fairly, predictably, and in accordance with established rules.

6.3.4. Accordingly, candidates must:

• be natural persons of full legal capacity residing within the AFRINIC service region;
• have attained the age of majority;
• be well conversant with AFRINIC’s consensus-driven ecosystem, including the Policy Development Process, and possess a practical understanding of RFC 7282;
• have been meaningfully active on AFRINIC’s RPD mailing list, or that of any other RIR, for a minimum aggregate period of three (3) years, and demonstrate a clear understanding of both the spirit and the letter of the Consolidated Policy Manual as developed through the PDWG community process, as well as of current draft policy proposals;
• be accessible and willing to follow and moderate all policy proposal discussions on AFRINIC’s RPD mailing list, and to attend AFRINIC Public Policy Meetings whenever they are held;
• have participated in at least two (2) AFRINIC events, including webinars, whether in person or virtual, within the past five (5) years;
• be able to demonstrate sound technical knowledge and a good understanding of the Internet ecosystem, with at least three (3) years of relevant technical experience being an advantage;
• not be the author of any policy proposal that is currently under discussion; and
• be nominated by two (2) distinct Resource Members in good standing at the time of nomination in order to preserve the spirit of the bottom-up framework.

6.3.5. For the purpose of this selection exercise, and by way of an exceptional transitional arrangement applicable to the present exercise only, the two (2) selected PDP Co-Chairs shall be assigned staggered terms expiring in two (2) consecutive years: one selected candidate shall, exceptionally, serve a one-year term ending at the first PPM following the expiry of that one-year term, while the other selected candidate shall serve a standard two-year term ending at the first PPM following the expiry of his or her two-year term based on the wish of the PDWG during the said Public Policy Meeting.

6.3.6. For the avoidance of doubt, PDP Co-Chairs serve overlapping terms, and any appointment or departure shall be formally effected during a Public Policy Meeting, at a mutually agreed point within that meeting, in order to ensure continuity and an orderly transition.

6.3.7. For the sake of transparency, at the time of issuing the Call for Nominations and throughout the selection process at the Public Policy Meeting, the NomCom shall provide full details of these arrangements.

7. Withdrawal of Candidacy

7.1. A candidate may withdraw by written notice to NomCom no later than seven (7) days before the commencement of voting or selection exercise, as the case may be.

7.2. Withdrawals submitted after that deadline shall not invalidate ballots already issued.

8. Voter / Participant Eligibility

8.1 Governance Committee Elections

8.1.1. Eligible voters are:

• AFRINIC Resource Members in good standing, as reflected in the MyAFRINIC system at the time of voting.

8.2 NRO NC / ASO AC Elections

8.2.1. Subject to paragraph 12.6 below, eligible voters are:

• Individuals, whether acting as representatives of Resource Members or otherwise, who form part of the African Internet community and who have completed the required registration process for inclusion on the community voter register.
• Individuals not being a designated voter of an eligible Resource Member must have been on AFRINIC’s mailing list, including Resource Policy Discussion, Community-Discuss, or Members-Discuss, for at least three (3) years immediately prior to his/her online registration for the meeting and been vetted.

8.3 PDP Co-Chairs Selection Exercise

8.3.1. Eligible participants are:

• Individuals, whether acting as representatives of Resource Members or otherwise, who form part of the African Internet community and who have completed the required registration process for attending the Public Policy Meeting.

9. Voting Modalities

9.1. Consistent with Articles 12.9 and 12.11(i) of the AFRINIC Bylaws, which empower the Board to determine the appropriate voting mechanism, all voting shall be conducted electronically for the purposes of these elections.

9.2. For the avoidance of doubt, the Board is not required to implement all voting modalities at any single election.

9.3. Save where an individual is duly authorised to vote on behalf of multiple organisations, typically operating as a group of companies, each eligible voter shall be entitled to one (1) vote only, irrespective of the type of election in which he or she is participating.

9.4. Subject to paragraph 12 below, the voter registration shall be a two-stage process:

• Stage 1 — Application for Designated Voter (or confirmation of voter registration, as the case may be) and validation by the Election Committee.
• Stage 2 — ID registration with a procured third-party voting platform. Details of the relevant service provider will be communicated ahead of the voter registration process.

10. Proxies

10.1. Save where the Bylaws expressly provide for proxy voting, such arrangement shall not be applicable for the aforementioned elections. In any event, the Board is of the considered view that there is no compelling reason for a bona fide network operator to require the use of a proxy where online voting facilities are provided with adequate notice. Accordingly, provisions will be made on the designated election portal to allow any member wishing to designate a voter to do so.

10.2. Where so prescribed:

• no voter may carry more than five (5) proxies;
• no candidate may act as a proxy;
• proxies must be duly executed and submitted at least five (5) clear days before the opening of the voting period.

10.3. Where an application for proxy voting is submitted, the Election Committee may require verification of the application directly from the concerned Resource Member before accepting it.

10.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and in order to preserve the integrity of the election and selection processes, particularly in light of recent attempts to rely on allegedly forged powers of attorney, where elections are conducted virtually, proxy voting shall not be permitted. Each eligible Resource Member, being a corporate entity, shall cast its vote exclusively through its duly authorised representative.

10.5. The Board further finds it apposite to clarify that eligible Resource Members are legally fully entitled, and therefore at liberty, to both designate a voter and to nominate a candidate of their choice as long as the person making that designation or nomination, as the case may be, has the requisite authority to do so.

10.6. The Board also clarifies that any reference to a “proxy” in the AFRINIC Bylaws concerns a situation where a duly authorised or designated representative of a member organisation (e.g. ABC Co. Ltd) is requested to act as proxy for a different member organisation (e.g. XYZ Co. Ltd). The Board understands that this provision on proxy appointment was, for all intents and purposes, aimed at addressing practical situations in which an authorised representative of a member organisation is unable to travel to and attend a physical Annual General Members’ Meeting. In such cases, an individual attending in person may also represent the authorised representative of another member organisation. However, this proxy mechanism does not arise in the context of an election conducted wholly online.

10.7. Additionally, for the avoidance of doubt, a Registered Contact, or a duly authorised representative or designated voter of an eligible resource member, is not regarded as a proxy for the purposes of AFRINIC.

11. Electronic Voting

11.1. Where electronic voting is used:

• voting shall be conducted via a secure system approved by the Board;
• access shall be restricted to eligible voters only.

11.2. The electronic voting period shall:

• open no earlier than five (5) days before Election Day;
• close at the time determined by the NomCom in consultation with the Election Committee.

11.3. Vote tallying shall be conducted by designated trustees appointed in accordance with established AFRINIC practice.

12. Members Voter Register for 2026 Elections

This section covers the GovCom and NRO NC / ASO AC elections, Members’ Resolutions, and registration for the Public Policy Meeting.

12.1. For the purposes of elections conducted during the 2026 calendar year, as well as any proposed members’ resolutions considered at a general or special meeting, the voter register compiled for the September 2025 Board of Directors election shall serve as the baseline voter register, whereas members who did not participate in the voter registration process conducted in August 2025 shall be invited to do so as part of this registration exercise.

12.2. All eligible Resource Members with voting rights shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to confirm, amend, or replace their designated voter prior to the relevant election.

12.3. AFRINIC shall notify eligible Members of the confirmation and rectification process and shall specify a deadline by which any changes must be submitted.

12.4. Where no confirmation, rectification, or amendment is received by the applicable deadline, the existing voter designation shall be deemed confirmed and shall remain valid for the purposes of the 2026 elections.

12.5. The voter register shall be finalised and frozen as at the close of the confirmation period and shall be used for the conduct of the election, subject only to any mandatory exclusions arising from changes in membership status or eligibility.

12.6. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to the NRO NC / ASO AC election, a fresh voter registration process shall be conducted for the purpose of compiling a community voter register. For the avoidance of doubt, members’ designated voters shall automatically be entitled to participate in the NRO NC / ASO AC elections.

12.7. For reasons of transparency, upon the closure of all relevant voter and/or participant registration processes, as the case may be, the Election Committee shall first publish a Provisional Voter Register, followed by a Final Voter Register, after having afforded entitled persons the opportunity to request corrections or rectifications thereto.

12.8. Likewise, with respect to the selection of the PDP Co-Chairs, AFRINIC shall establish a registration process open to any individual interested in number resource management policy, consistent with Article 11.2 of the AFRINIC Bylaws. Upon completion of registration and the requisite due-diligence checks, AFRINIC shall publish a list of registered participants who shall be granted access to the Public Policy Meeting, whether in person or via its online platform.

13. Supervisory Roles: NomCom, Election Committee and Election Trustees

13.1. NomCom shall supervise the election in accordance with Article 9.3(i)(b) of the Bylaws.

13.2. Pursuant to Article 10(1) of the AFRINIC Bylaws and the spirit thereof, the Election Committee, while administratively accountable to the Chief Executive Officer or any person(s) assuming that role and expected to work collaboratively with the NomCom, is by nature and functioning an independent committee. In this respect, it has the general responsibility for, and shall handle, all the preselection process for all elections held by AFRINIC including:

• voter verification;
• ballot issuance;
• vote collection;
• counting and tabulation of results.

13.3. For clarity, NomCom and the Election Committee shall cooperate within the framework of their mandate to ensure the orderly conduct of the election.

13.4. For the purposes of these elections, a Committee of Election Trustees shall also be constituted, comprising the Chair of the Nomination Committee, AFRINIC’s external Legal Adviser, and the Chief Executive Officer (if in post), or, failing that, one representative of the Interim Managing Committee (IMC). The Committee of Election Trustees shall be responsible for overseeing the proper opening and closing of the voting period.

14. Counting of Votes and Results

14.1. For each seat, the candidate receiving the highest number of valid votes shall be declared elected.

14.2. In the event of a tie, the Election Trustees shall conduct a draw to determine the winner.

14.3. For the avoidance of doubt, where there is a single unopposed candidate for a given position, no election or selection exercise shall be held for that position, and the candidate shall be declared elected or selected by acclamation.

15. Announcement and Publication of Results

15.1. The Chair of NomCom shall announce the election results.

15.2. Results shall be published on the AFRINIC website as soon as practicable after certification.

16. Dispute Resolution

16.1. Pursuant to Article 10.2 of the AFRINIC Bylaws, where, during the conduct of an AFRINIC election at a general or special meeting, an issue arises that is not expressly provided for in the Bylaws, the members present shall resolve the matter collectively and by consensus. Any such resolution shall, for the purposes of future AFRINIC elections, be applied as a precedent and shall form an integral part of the election guidelines.

16.2. Consistent with Article 10.2 of the AFRINIC Bylaws, where such an issue is identified prior to the date of the general or special meeting at which the election or selection exercise is to be held, the process shall not be interrupted. Instead, the matter shall be raised during the said meeting for the members or the PDWG, as the case may be, present to collectively and by consensus resolve it.

16.3. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing principles shall apply mutatis mutandis to any AFRINIC election, including selection exercises conducted during an AFRINIC Public Policy Meeting.

17. Records and Transparency

17.1. NomCom should publish:

• Nomination forms and instructions
• Candidate bios and statement (if provided)
• Eligibility criteria and voter rights
• Final election results and statistics

17.2. All relevant documentation and information shall be made available on AFRINIC’s website and communicated through appropriate email announcements.

18. Timeline and Milestones

18.1. NomCom, in consultation with the Election Committee, should design and publish a timeline covering:

• Publication of Calls for Nominations
• Nomination Submission Period
• Candidate Vetting and Verification
• Final Candidate Slate Publication
• Voting Period and Platform Access
• Announcement of Results

The following durations are indicative only.

19. Code of Conduct and Data Protection

19.1. The AFRINIC Code of Conduct applies to all candidates. Misusing member data for spam or offering inducements for votes is strictly prohibited and should be reported to the NomCom Chair. Candidates are reminded that engaging in electoral malpractice may lead the NomCom to reassess their suitability to stand in this election.

19.2. AFRINIC is required to comply with the Data Protection Act 2017. Accordingly, NomCom and all stakeholders involved in AFRINIC elections shall give due consideration to, and ensure compliance with, the provisions of the Act.

20. Miscellaneous

20.1. Potential candidates are advised that AFRINIC Committee members, including PDP Co-Chairs, serve voluntarily and do not receive remuneration. However, when members are required to attend in-person meetings in connection with their mandate, the AFRINIC Board would facilitate the necessary logistics and reasonable expenses.

Notes