With our Nebula nominations ballot all wrapped up, SFWA is now entering its 2026 Board Election voting cycle. Voting for Board candidates is a membership privilege for Full Members, who simply need to enter their Membership Portal to access their ballot on the main portal page, right under the “Welcome” graphic.
(Everyone else? Look sharp for that final Nebula Ballot, opening after our finalists are announced on Sunday, March 15. Thank you to everyone who voted!)
2026 SFWA Election
The Elections Committee announces an election for the following roles on the Board of Directors:
Vice President
Chief Financial Officer
Two (2) Director-at-Large positions
Below, you will find ballot instructions, the election timeline, the official Call for Candidates, and role descriptions.
The 2026 election information (including candidate platforms) can be found on the Forum. You must sign in first and then click the link for access, or go directly to an elections topic from the righthand side of your Membership Portal.
Voting Instructions:
1) Review Election Timeline and Call for Candidates
2) Review candidate platforms
3) Select candidates
4) Submit ballot
You must be a Full Member of SFWA to vote in this election.
LOG IN NOW
You should see a “Welcome Back, Writer” graphic below the regular website header when you do. Below that graphic, you will see your ballot if you are a Full Member. If you do not see your ballot, write to office@sfwa.org for help.
Voting begins on March 3, 2026 and will run through March 31, 2026.
If you have any election-related questions, please contact elections@sfwa.org.
Optional Paper Ballots
Should you decide to participate via paper ballot, you must request a paper ballot before March 16, 2026. Paper ballots must be received by the SFWA Office by March 31, 2026. If you vote by both paper and online, only your paper vote will be counted.
To request a paper ballot, email office@sfwa.org, or write to:
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Inc. (SFWA)
2261 Market Street
Suite 86695
San Francisco, CA 94114
Election Timeline
Official call for candidates: January 6, 2026
Candidate platforms posted by: February 10, 2026
Voting link emailed to all Full Members: March 3, 2026
Election ends: March 31, 2026
Election Timeline
Official call for candidates: January 6, 2026
Candidate platforms posted by: February 10, 2026
Voting link emailed to all Full Members: March 3, 2026
Election ends: March 31, 2026
Official Call for Candidates
SFWA is a 501(c)(3) public charity organization, and the Board of Directors is essential to the organization’s operations. The SFWA Board consists of the President, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and five (5) Director-at-Large positions. Board roles and responsibilities are dictated by the SFWA bylaws, which you can find here:
As noted above, in 2026, the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and two (2) Director-at-Large roles are up for re-election. All SFWA Full Members in good standing are encouraged to consider volunteering to serve on the board and guide SFWA into the future.
BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled members are especially encouraged to run.
Eligibility requirements and role descriptions are listed below, followed by next steps for those interested in running for office.
Vice President
Eligibility Requirements
- To be elected Vice President, the member must have previous experience on the Board or other significant experience relative to the position as specified in the OPPM.
- Must be a Full Member who has maintained their membership in good standing for a period of at least two consecutive years at the start of their prospective term.
- Must have Internet access.
- Must be able to attend regular board meetings throughout their service.
- May not be employed as a regular or contract employee with SFWA in any capacity, while serving or within two years thereafter, with the exception of SFWA Publications contractors.
- Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement before start of term.
The role as seen by former VP, John Murphy:
“First, the VP is a member of the Board, with all of the responsibilities that entails: keeping tabs on matters of concern to the community, being available to the members, participating in meetings of the Board, and fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities. Like other Directors, the VP can and should pursue their own projects to advance SFWA’s mission. Beyond that, the Vice President’s fixed role is deliberately vague, requiring only that the VP serve as backup to the President.
In practice, that means that the Vice President needs to be much more involved with staff and the operation of SFWA than other Directors, to be able to step in where needed. The Vice President should be willing and able to act as a close advisor to the President; as the President’s and Vice President’s respective terms are staggered, that relationship is key to maintaining continuity in leadership, and the two roles bring each other up to speed.
Beyond that, the role is whatever it needs to be. Every Board and every President will need different things, and adaptability in a VP will serve the organization well. In my view, what SFWA needs most out of a Vice President is inside support: enabling the rest of the Board to do what they were elected to do, pinch-hitting where needed, understanding the needs of staff and the volunteer organization. Ideally, the VP would have strong project management skills, an even temperament, and great patience for criticism. I have none of those, though, and have muddled through reasonably well.”
Chief Financial Officer
We are seeking someone with extensive expertise and experience with non-profit entities to further ensure the success of the organization. One of the more heavy-duty roles of the organization, time commitment can be considerable each week.
A past CFO says: “The Chief Financial Officer position has changed remarkably in the last eight years from simply making deposits and writing checks to managing the organization’s investment and bank accounts, setting financial policies, ensuring accurate and timely tax reporting, keeping the Board informed on SFWA’s financial standing, organizing and managing a multi-year budget, and evaluating advice from the Financial Advisory Board, Comptroller, Tax advisor, and Bookkeeper.”
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Full Member who has maintained their membership in good standing for a period of at least two consecutive years at the start of their prospective term.
- Must have Internet access.
- Must be able to attend regular board meetings throughout their service.
- May not be employed as a regular or contract employee with SFWA in any capacity, while serving or within two years thereafter, with the exception of SFWA Publications contractors.
- Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement before start of term.
Core Duties of the CFO, in addition to the duties listed for Directors-At-Large:
- Keep or maintain adequate and correct books and accounts of SFWA’s properties and transactions.
- Send financial statements and reports to the Board of Directors as needed and share a general financial statement with the membership at least twice a year (at the business meeting).
- Deposit all money and other valuables within ten days of receipt.
- Administer and review SFWA’s investments according to the rules laid out in the OPPM.
- Prepare a budget with the President once a year, near the start of the fiscal year.
- Work with SFWA Publications to set subscription costs, fulfill contracts, submit annual budgets, and keep records of such transactions and paperwork.
- Receive Givers Fund Grant applications and send them to the Grants Committee for review. Notify recipients of the funds and disburse the funds.
- Manage the comptroller and bookkeeper and work with them on budgets, financial statements, and annual statutory filings.
- Place four calls for budget items to the membership for the upcoming draft budget and manage requests from members for changes to budget line items.
- Administer the Emergency Medical Fund, Legal Fund, and Givers Fund grants.
- Review and approve the ACA affidavit.
- Chair the Audit Committee and lead it in reviewing outside audits and presenting the audits to the Board.
Director-at-Large
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a Full Member who has maintained their membership in good standing for a period of at least two consecutive years at the start of their prospective term.
- Must have Internet access.
- Must be able to attend regular board meetings via Zoom throughout their service.
- May not be employed as a regular or contract employee with SFWA in any capacity, while serving or within two years thereafter, with the exception of SFWA Publications contractors.
- Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement before start of term.
Role Description (these are also the general requirements for all board members)
- Familiarize themselves with SFWA’s Bylaws, Operating Policies and Procedures Manual (OPPM), mission statement, and the restrictions placed on 501(c)(3) public charity organizations.
- Perform fiduciary duties for SFWA, including reading, understanding, and approving the annual budget, basic financial statements, investment strategy, tax filings, and the use of SFWA’s resources.
- Facilitate communications with and represent concerns to the Board. To do this successfully, Directors should read SFWA Publications; participate in and/or monitor online discussions on the SFWA Forums, Discord, and outside of SFWA; and correspond with members and potential members when possible.
- Act as liaisons for committees, reporting to the Board and the membership on committee activity, and otherwise facilitating the committees’ work.
- Vote on issues in a timely manner; contribute to discussions and advise the President and Vice President on decisions, including appointing committee chairs and commissioners and hiring SFWA staff.
- Consider and propose potential changes to the membership requirements, if needed.
Thank you for contributing to the future of SFWA!
Steve Davidson is the publisher of Amazing Stories.
Steve has been a passionate fan of science fiction since the mid-60s, before he even knew what it was called.
