Ron Wasserstein, ASA Executive Director
At its August 2025 meeting, the ASA Board recommended two changes to the ASA’s governance documents.
The board will vote on these proposed changes in November. Per the rules set forth by our constitution and bylaws, the board seeks comments from ASA members on the proposed changes. Please send comments to ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein by November 15.
(1) Change to voting process
Constitution (words in italics are the proposed addition)
Article IX. METHOD OF SELECTION (first paragraph)
All individual members are eligible to vote for every elected position on the Board of Directors, subject to additional eligibility requirements set forth in the ASA bylaws.
Bylaws (words in italics are the proposed addition)
Article III. VOTING
1. Quorum. In any vote of the Association’s membership, all ballots received within a period set by the Board of Directors will be counted and considered a quorum.
2. Balloting. For all of the Association’s elections, the system known as approval voting will be used. Regardless of the number of candidates or the number of places to be filled, the voter may vote for any number of candidates but may not cast more than one vote for a candidate. Winning candidates are those with the highest numbers of votes. Any tie will be broken by random selection; no runoff elections will be held.
Ballots must not identify the manner by which any candidate was nominated: by the Committee on Nominations; by a Council; or by petition. Names of candidates will appear on the ballot in random order.
In case of ambiguity or lack of clarity in the election rules, the Executive Committee will determine the procedures.
3. Eligibility. In any vote of the Association’s membership, all individuals whose membership is active (that is, not lapsed as per Article I, Section 4) at the time an election begins are eligible to vote in that election.
(2) Change to Fellows eligibility
(words struck out are the proposed deletion; words in red are the proposed addition) (Note: This change would take effect for the 2027 Fellows nominations and awards.)
Article I. MEMBERSHIP. Section 6.
6. Fellows. By the honorary title of Fellow, the Association recognizes individual members of established reputation who have made outstanding contributions in some aspect of statistical work. Fellows are selected by the Committee on Fellows.
The number of new Fellows to be selected each year will not exceed one-third of one percent of the individual members. Only a person who has been an individual member of the Association for the prior three years at least five of the last six years will be eligible for selection as a Fellow. In selecting Fellows, the Committee on Fellows will evaluate the impact of the candidate’s contributions to the advancement of statistics or areas of application, giving due weight to publications, the position held by the candidate in the organization in which the individual is employed, activities in the Association, and other professional activities. The case for each candidate will be judged individually, with no one of these criteria governing selection to the exclusion of the others.
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