Good morning Chapter members,

Please find an important update from the Elections Committee below.

Best Regards - Martin Emanuel (WMZA - Administrator)

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Elections Committee electcom@wikimedia.org Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2025 at 17:39 Subject: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees selection 2025 - Change to the order of the selection process To: Elections Committee electcom@wikimedia.org Cc: wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org, all-affiliates@lists.wikimedia.org

Dear all,

The Governance Committee and the Elections Committee are changing the order of the Board selection process to conduct the background checks and media checks and Governance Committee interviews for all six shortlisted candidates now rather than after the close of the vote. In order to permit those checks to occur, the voting period for the upcoming Board selection process will now open October 8 and close October 23. The campaigning period will be extended as well.

This is based on best practices, increased scrutiny the board faces and to reduce uncertainty around candidate eligibility before community members vote. This change will ensure that all candidates in the voting roster are able to be seated. It also means that the community does not go through a voting process where the Board is then unable to implement the outcome. The final two candidates will still need to be appointed by the Board in a vote, which requires an executive session meeting of the Board.

New board members will still be seated in the December 2025 Board meeting as originally planned.

If it is determined that a candidate cannot be seated based on the outcome of these processes, the candidate will be informed before the election. Candidates will have the opportunity to withdraw before the voting begins or before being formally disqualified, for this or other reasons.

On behalf of the Elections Committee and the Governance Committee,

Abhishek Suryawanshi