Establishment of Membership Classes and Tiered Voting Rights
Proposed bylaw amendment, 2026 IMAC election
Proposed by the IMAC Board of Directors pursuant to Article X, Section 1
Article IV, Membership
Add new Section 6 - Membership Classes and Voting Rights:
IMAC shall maintain two classes of membership, both considered members in good standing for purposes of these bylaws:
A. Full Members: Members who pay annual dues as established by the Board of Directors under Article V, Section 2. Lifetime members, as may be established by the Board of Directors, shall be considered Full Members. Full Members have full voting rights for all elections and organizational matters, including Executive Officer elections, Regional Director elections, bylaw amendments, organizational dissolution, and membership meeting resolutions.
B. Associate Members: Members for whom the Board of Directors has set annual dues under Article V, Section 2, which may be zero dollars or any other amount as determined by the Board. Associate Members may vote for Regional Director within their region but may not vote for Executive Officers, bylaw amendments, organizational dissolution, or membership meeting resolutions. Only persons residing outside of the United States and Canada shall be eligible for Associate Membership.
All membership classes are considered members in good standing when current with their applicable dues requirements and maintain equal rights to participate in contests, receive services, and engage in organizational activities except as specifically limited to voting rights in this section.
Article VI, Officers
Sec. 1B - Executive Officers (Revised):
The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by IMAC members in good standing The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by Full Members in good standing by mail ballot, electronic ballot or combination of both, and shall hold office for two years from date of installation, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
Sec. 1C - Regional Directors (Revised):
Regional Directors shall be elected by IMAC members in good standing within their region Regional Directors shall be elected by all members in good standing within their region by mail ballot, electronic ballot or combination of both, and shall hold office for two years from date of installation, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
Article VII, Board of Directors
Sec. 5 - Vacancies (Revised):
In the event of a vacancy of the President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer's office, the remaining Directors shall fill such vacancy by appointment from the IMAC membership Full Members in good standing. In the event a Regional Directorship becomes vacant, the Board shall appoint an acting Regional Director from Full Members in good standing. For the next 60 days, members of the region may nominate new regional director candidates and a special election for that region will be held. If no new nominations are received within the 60 days, the person appointed by the board will be considered the regional director for the remaining term.
Article VIII, Meetings of Members
Sec. 8 - Plurality (Revised):
A majority of the members Full Members present may adopt a resolution at any membership meeting. Except in cases stated in these Bylaws where a two thirds vote is required.
Article IX, Nominations and Elections
Sec. 1 - Nominations (Revised):
Nominations for all offices shall take place during September of the election year. To be eligible for nomination, a candidate must be a member Full Member in good standing.
Article X, Amendments
Sec. 1 - Amendments (Partial Revision):
The existing text of Article X, Section 1 remains unchanged except for the following:
The proposed amendment must receive at least 2/3 majority of members Full Members approval in the online vote to pass.
Article XI, Dissolution
Sec. 1 - Dissolution (Revised):
This organization may be dissolved upon a vote of two-thirds of the members Full Members.
Back to the Board recommendation and the supporting materials