This document outlines the process for the 2025 election of all eight (8) AFRINIC Board of Directors seats. The election is conducted under the authority of the court-appointed Receiver. Voting will be held exclusively online, with one vote per eligible Resource Member per seat. Proxies and Powers of Attorney are not permitted. This guide details the rules for voter eligibility, candidate nominations, and the voting process.

1. Introduction & Authority
2. Election Governance
3. Board Seats & Timeline
4. Candidate Process
5. Voter Process
6. Voting Method & Rules
7. Results & Post-Election
8. Code of Conduct & Data Protection
9. Frequently Asked Questions

This guideline aims to establish a fair, transparent, and secure process for the 2025 Board of Directors election.

This election is organised under the authority of the Receiver, Mr. G. Dabee, per the Judge’s Order of 12 February 2025. The Receiver will aim to act within the purview of the laws and the Bylaws to the greatest extent possible, to organise, hold, and complete the election process.

The following bodies will help with the planning, execution and governance of this election.

• Nomination Committee (NomCom): Appointed by the Receiver to manage candidate nominations and vetting. Members of the NomCom must be neutral, experienced, and have no interest in the election outcome.

• Election Committee (Ecom): Composed of AFRINIC staff, responsible for managing the voter register and administering the online voting platform.

• Election Trustees: The Receiver, NomCom Chair, and Ecom Chair will jointly oversee the opening and closing of the online election.

• Independent Observers: Will be appointed to monitor the process and provide a public report.

Pursuant to the judgment dated 12 September 2023, confirmed on appeal on 15 October 2024, all eight (8) Board seats (Nos. 1-8) are subject to election. It is expected that the future Board will be tasked with reinstating the principles of sequential (staggered) elections.

The key timelines for the election are as follows:

• Candidates nomination Period: TBC

• Publication of Candidates slate: TBC

• Voters Designation and Registration Period: TBC

• Publication of Designated Voters Register: 22 August 2025

• Online Voting Period: 25 - 29 August 2025

• Announcement of Results: 29 August 2025

Who Can Be Nominated (Candidate Eligibility):

• Candidates must meet the eligibility criteria of the Mauritian Companies Act 2001 (Section 133(2)) and AFRINIC Bylaws 13.10 and 13.12, which require specific skills and prohibit individuals such as undischarged bankrupts.

• Candidates are not required to be representatives of Resource Members; however, Members are encouraged to nominate representatives from their own organisations if they wish.

Who Can Nominate:

• Only organisations that became Resource Members before 19 September 2023 and which are presently in "good standing" (i.e., all membership fees until 2025 are paid and formalities under Article 6.4 of the AFRINIC Bylaws are complete) may nominate candidates. Refer to the court order dated 25 November 2024.

• Each nomination requires a Primary Nominator and a Secondary Nominator (Seconder).

  • For Regional Seats (1-6): The Primary Nominator must be from the nominee’s country; the Seconder must be from the same sub-region.

  • For Non-Regional Seats (7 and 8): Both nominators may be from anywhere in the AFRINIC service region.

Voter Eligibility:

To be eligible to vote, an organisation must:

• Have been an AFRINIC Resource Member as of 19 September 2023, per the court order dated 25 November 2024.

• Be a Resource Member in "good standing" (i.e., all membership fees until 2025 are paid and formalities under Article 6.4 of the AFRINIC Bylaws are complete).

• Associate and Registered Members are not eligible to vote.

Voter Registration (Designating a Representative):

• Each eligible member must designate one Designated Voter (DV) to cast its vote.

• All members must designate a voter, even if they had done so for the past annulled election.

• The Designated Voter must be submitted directly by an executive of the company using a format that will be provided by the Elections Committee.

Publication of Voter List:

• All Designated Voters will be published in a Voters’ Register online (without their contact information)

The election will be conducted entirely online, with designated voters casting their ballots directly. For this election, Proxy voting and Power of Attorney votes are not permitted.

Each eligible Resource Member is allocated one vote per open seat.

To cast a vote, the Designated Voter will access a secure, web-based platform. Appropriate authentication (which may include ID and facial recognition) will be required before a vote can be cast.

Voters have the opportunity to review their selections before final submission. Once submitted, votes cannot be altered. A receipt will be provided to confirm that the vote has been cast.

Vote counting is automated by the system, and the results are then made available to the Election Trustees for verification.

For each board seat, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.

In the event of a tie for the final winning position, the Election Trustees shall conduct a draw to determine the winner.

• The AFRINIC Code of Conduct applies to all candidates. Misusing member data for spam or offering inducements for votes is strictly prohibited and should be reported to the NomCom Chair. Candidates are reminded that engaging in electoral malpractice may lead the NomCom to reassess their suitability to stand in this election.

• Data Protection: AFRINIC will comply with the Data Protection Act 2017. A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) will be published.