For immediate release | March 13, 2012

2012 ALA elections open March 19

CHICAGO - Voting in the 2012 ALA elections will begin at 9 a.m. CDT on March 19, 2012. Between March 19 and March 21, the ALA will notify voters by email, providing them with their unique passcodes and information about how to vote online. The polls will close at 11:59 p.m. CDT on Friday, April 27.

For the fourth year in a row, the American Library Association is holding its election exclusively online. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be members in good standing as of Jan. 31, 2012. Although the election is being conducted online, there remains one exception. Members with disabilities and without Internet access may obtain a paper ballot by contacting ALA customer service at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 5. Those without Internet access at home or work can easily access the election site by visiting their local public (or in many instances academic or school) library.

Voters will receive email reminders throughout the election period – on March 28, April 9, and April 20 (broadcast email process is completed over a 48 hour time frame). Voting may be completed in one sitting, or an individual may “park” their ballot and return at a later date; however, a ballot is not “cast” until the “submit” button is clicked. Anyone with a “parked” ballot will receive an email reminder to complete the voting process prior to April 27.

Information about the ALA election and the candidates can be found in “Your Guide to the 2012 ALA Elections.”

A PDF version of the guide is also available.

Voting is your way of ensuring that the Association leaders hear your voice!

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