- Eligible AFRINIC members must designate one voter for August vote
- Formal identity verification and public voter register introduced
What happened: AFRINIC sets out voter onboarding plan for 2025 board election
AFRINIC has started the voter onboarding process for its upcoming board election scheduled for 29 August 2025. All eligible members in good standing have received official notifications with instructions. Each member must designate one authorised voter. This person must submit a signed form, approved at the executive level of their organisation. Once designated, the voter must complete identity verification through third-party services. A provisional voters register will be published on 20 August. A final register will follow 48 hours later to allow time for corrections.
The voting period will last one week and include live-streamed opening and closing sessions. The updated process replaces the earlier use of proxies or multiple votes per entity. It seeks to ensure electoral integrity during a period of legal oversight and governance restructuring. AFRINIC aims to build trust through a clearer and stricter process overseen by a court-appointed receiver.
Also read: AFRINIC elections 2025: Everything you need to know
Also read: AFRINIC election: 2nd attempt to delay voting fails
Why it’s important
This onboarding process marks a major shift in how AFRINIC manages board elections. It removes previous practices such as proxy voting, which led to disputes in past cycles. Now, each member can register only one voter. That voter must pass identity verification to ensure transparency. The voters register will be made public to let members review and confirm eligibility. Live-streamed sessions will offer more visibility into the process.
These updates answer long-standing concerns from AFRINIC members and global internet stakeholders. The changes also follow guidance from legal authorities in Mauritius. They aim to restore credibility to AFRINIC’s leadership selection. By introducing a clear, enforceable framework, AFRINIC hopes to improve confidence among its members. The new system demonstrates the registry’s ability to conduct fair elections under external legal and community oversight. The board election process now follows a more open, documented, and standardised approach.
