DACN Elections 2025

Posted by Liz Blackbourn
April 29, 2025

It is time to elect the 2025-2027 Leadership Board of Democrats Abroad China!

DACN Positions

We, the 2025 DACN Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC), are pleased to be calling for nominations of candidates for Democrats Abroad China Leadership Board positions:

Executive Committee: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, IT Officer
Officers: GOTV Coordinator, Events Coordinator (Member-At-Large), Onboarding Coordinator (Member-At-Large), General Member-At-Large, General Member-At-Large

Term: Two (2) years

Notes: DACN has three (3) DPCA Voting Representatives. According to DACN Bylaws, the three (3) DPCA Voting Representatives are the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. If one of these positions is vacant or gender parity cannot be reached, the DPCA Voting Representative will follow the order of positions as elected. This means the position will be open to the Executive Committee, starting with the Treasurer.

Bylaws: Democrats Abroad China Bylaws and Rules outline the roles for each Leadership Board position and guide the DACN election process. Members are invited to view DACN Bylaws, Meeting Minutes, and more on the DACN Wiki.

Election Schedule

April 25 – Call for nominations, endorsements, and candidate statements begins.

May 25 – Call for nominations, endorsements, and candidate statements ends.

June 1 - Statements published.

All eligible candidates and candidate statements will be posted to the DACN website. On a rolling basis, the NEC will verify that all candidates are DACN members eligible to run for office. Final edits will be made to the candidate announcement page on DACN’s website. The candidate announcement page will be made as soon as nominations come in, and this page will be edited and updated by an NEC Officer/Site Administrator no later than June 1.

June 4 – Member IDs sent.

All DACN members will be sent their unique Democrats Abroad voting ID via email, with other relevant AGM and election announcements. Alternately, you can log in to Democratsabroad.org and find your DA member name and ID number there. To access your ballot on Election Day and vote, all members must enter their name as listed with DA and their DA member ID number.

June 14 – Election.

The DACN Election will be held during Democrats Abroad China’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Ballots will be distributed, collected, and counted. Results will be announced during the meeting. Results will be sent to the Regional Vice Chair and International Secretary. Results and certified Meeting Minutes will be emailed and published on the DACN website and Wiki.

June 21 – Rain delay.

Democrats Abroad China’s AGM Part II (as-needed date to complete any unfinished DACN AGM business).

Rules

Announcements:

Announcements will be published using Democrats Abroad China’s official platforms, which include DACN’s website and Wiki pages. There may also be membership emails. Social media platforms may include the DACN Announcements group on WeChat, and official DACN Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

Note that any/all candidate information will only be posted on the Website and WeChat with the express permission.

Official Democrats Abroad and DACN platforms may not be used for campaigning.

Nominations and Voting:

E-mail and Google Forms will be the official platforms used to receive nominations.

To ensure your ballot is counted on Election Day, members must enter their name as listed with Democrats Abroad and their Democrats Abroad member ID number. Every member will receive an email ten (10) days before the election. Alternately, you can log in to Democratsabroad.org and find your DA member name and ID number there.

E-mail and Google Forms will be the official platforms for ballots. Ballots will be distributed during the election. NEC Officers will be available to troubleshoot live during the AGM via the Zoom chat box and WeChat.

Eligibility Requirements:

The eligibility requirements for DACN Leadership Board Members are as follows:

Be a citizen of the United States.
Be a member of Democrats Abroad residing within mainland China.
Adhere to the principles of the Democratic Party of the United States.

Campaigning:

Once events are finalized, the NEC will post a list of all candidates on the DACN website “News” page. Any NEC-approved events will be posted as well.

FAQs

I see my name on the candidate list. How can I confirm or withdraw my nomination?

We will email all nominees, and you can respond to that email saying “yes, I accept” or “no, I decline”.

Is there anything else candidates need to do before the election?

Candidates can email a statement of 500 words or less, but it is not required. Endorsements are not mandatory.

Verified DACN members may submit an endorsement of under 300 words.

How will the election speeches be handled at the AGM? How much time do candidates have, and who will get to speak first?

We will call on candidates in alphabetical order. Each candidate will receive 2 minutes.

Will there be a special Zoom session before the election for candidates to give their speeches?

No.

Is there early voting?

No. There will be no early voting as nominations may be taken from the floor. Anyone who wishes to vote MUST be present at the meeting.

How will voting on the election day be handled?

All DACN members will be emailed their Democrats Abroad ID 10 days before the election with a short explanation on how to vote on the day of the election.

Will there be any live events in any of our constituent cities?

None are scheduled.

Will members nominated from the floor be given a prescribed and limited amount of time to make a statement?

Yes, each nominee will receive 2 minutes.

Will there be an opportunity at the meeting for members to ask questions of all candidates, or will that all happen at prior scheduled forums only with candidates who filed?

We will allow 2 minutes for speeches and 2 minutes for questions on the actual day of the election.

Questions for candidates nominated before the AGM can be sent to the NEC via [email protected].

10) What is the deadline to accept/decline the nomination?

Nominations can be accepted/declined until the election.

11) Where are these candidate statements supposed to be uploaded to?

Statements will be uploaded to the Democrats Abroad China website and/or Wiki.

12) Can I campaign in official Democrats Abroad China WeChat groups?

No, candidates cannot campaign inside official DACN WeChat groups.

NEC Officer Information

Election announcements regarding Bylaws, Member-At-Large positions, and members of Democrats Abroad China’s Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC) were announced on the DACN website and DACN Wiki. The NEC oversees the election of the 2025 DA China Leadership Board. DACN’s 2025 NEC Officers are Patrick Cranley, Terry Watkins Jr., and Liz Blackbourn. The International Secretary, AP Regional Vice Chair, and the International Helpdesk will assist the NEC as needed.

The NEC can be reached via email: [email protected].