Establishment of Membership Classes and Tiered Voting Rights
Proposed bylaw amendment, 2026 IMAC election
Board recommendation
Vote FOR the Proposed Bylaw Amendment: Membership Classes and Voting Rights
The Board of Directors recommends that all eligible members vote FOR this amendment.
Why the Board Recommends Approval
Most pilots flying IMAC contests outside the United States are not IMAC members. They fly under our rules and use our unknown sequences, but we have no record of them, our numbers understate IMAC's true reach, and they miss out on services like published results and standings. The Board intends to fix this by removing the financial barrier to international membership.
For current members, nothing changes. Every Full Member keeps every right, service, and benefit they have today.
What this amendment does is make that expansion safe. Adding a large number of new members without adjusting voting rights would give members who do not fund the organization equal say in electing its leadership, amending its bylaws, and even dissolving it. This amendment creates two membership classes: Full Members keep full voting rights, and Associate Members (residents outside the USA and Canada) vote for their Regional Director and are represented on the Board through that Director. Both classes compete on equal terms and receive the same services.
This is the necessary first step towards a sustainable future. With it in place, IMAC can grow into a truly global organization without putting its leadership or direction at risk.
What Happens Next
If approved by two-thirds of the members voting, the amendment takes effect 30 days after results are published. The full amendment text is provided for your review. Please cast your vote during the voting period.
The amendment text
Read the full text of the amendment
Review and discussion window
Published 2026-09-24. Members have at least thirty days to read it before voting opens.
Voting opens 26 October 2026 at 12:00 AM Arizona time (MST, UTC-7). That is 07:00 on 26 October 2026 UTC.
How it is voted on
The amendment is on the same ballot as the officer and Regional Director contests. It is the one item that must be marked: you may leave any contest blank, but a ballot cannot be submitted without For, Against, or Abstain recorded on the amendment. Abstain is an equal choice and is recorded as one.
It passes only if at least two-thirds of the valid votes cast on it are in favour. Abstentions are recorded and reported, and are not counted in that two-thirds.
Members vote by a link emailed to their address of record. There is nothing to type in here and no account to create.