July 2023 Leader Letter
Prepare to Cast Your Vote
Get ready to vote on important Toastmasters business and learn how to assign a proxy.
Every year, members and clubs have the opportunity to vote on important business matters that help shape the future of Toastmasters International. This year the voting membership will vote to elect new International Officers and Directors to the Board of Directors. All clubs in good standing will have two (2) votes on each item brought before the voting membership. To help lead your club(s) through the voting process, read this guide and be ready to cast your club's votes at the Annual Business Meeting on August 18.
Preparing Your Club's Decisions
The first step is to organize a discussion at an upcoming club meeting about which candidates best meet the needs of Toastmasters International. Encourage your members to learn more and decide how they would like your club to cast its two (2) votes for the candidates for election to the Board of Directors. Learn more by visiting the International Candidates page.
Club Voting Procedures
Your club should hold a vote to determine who will be the club's proxyholder and what voting instructions, if any, should be provided to the proxyholder for the Annual Business Meeting. Here are some points to keep in mind regarding club voting procedures:
- For any club business or voting to be officially recognized, a quorum, or minimum number of members, must be present. The quorum for Toastmasters clubs is a majority of active club members. Likewise, the quorum for a club's executive committee is a majority of committee members.
- Each active member is entitled to one (1) vote on any matter presented before the club membership for a vote.
- Proxy voting or absentee ballots are not permitted during the club voting process.
- A majority vote by all present and active members is all that is required to pass a proposed item.
Designating a Proxyholder
All clubs must designate a proxyholder to vote, as there is no default or automatic assignment.
You can designate a delegate from the club, another active member, or the District Director as the club's proxyholder. The proxyholder must be able to attend the Annual Business Meeting on August 18, either onsite in Nassau, Bahamas, or online. As the world has begun to recover from the pandemic, the Board's legal authority to take temporary emergency measures because of the pandemic has now ended. In a review of California law, which governs Toastmasters International, it was determined that all voting must occur live during the Annual Business Meeting. So be sure your designated proxyholder is able to attend the entire meeting, from start to finish.
Club Presidents or Secretaries, please follow these steps to assign your club's proxy:
- Log into toastmasters.org with your email/member ID and password.
- Click on “Club Proxy & Voting Instructions” and choose the club(s) you are assigning proxies for.
- The club's proxy must be assigned on August 11 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) or Coordinated Universal Time -4 (UTC -4).
If you are the Club President or Secretary and you are planning to be the proxyholder for your club, you must assign the proxy to yourself. It is not automatic!
Next Steps
Proxyholders must complete Credentials on the Toastmasters International website between August 12 and 15 to vote at the Annual Business Meeting. The Credentials process validates the proxyholder to access the electronic ballot.
More information on proxy assignment will be emailed to Club Presidents, Secretaries, and liaisons this month.
Important dates to keep in mind:
- Proxy assignment will go live no later than July 10, 2023.
- Proxy assignment will close on August 11, 2023.
- The online Credentials process will be conducted August 12-15, 2023.
- Voting will take place, both onsite and online, during the Annual Business Meeting on August 18, 2023.
If you have any questions, please email proxyinfo@toastmasters.org.
Additional Resources: