Summary

  • ARIN’s candidate pages display counts of Statements of Support, and its policy lets any individual submit one without ARIN membership.
  • Formal Board and Advisory Council ballots use one designated Voting Contact per eligible General Member organization, so statement counts are not vote totals or turnout.

ARIN’s 2026 election has moved from its final slate, announced on 7 October, to a candidate forum held the next day. The ARIN Election Headquarters pages now put a number of Statements of Support beside each candidate. The counter is visible; its relationship to the ballot is not a poll result.

ARIN’s policy says the forum is meant to give voting members more information about candidates. It also allows any individual to submit a statement, without requiring an ARIN membership or regular participation in the community. Submissions are moderated and processed within one business day. The policy says the statements remain public and archived after the election closes.

The ballot has a narrower rule. Each ARIN Member organization may designate one Voting Contact per Org ID, with a valid ARIN Online account. The organization must be a General Member in Good Standing 45 days before the election. For 2026, changes to Voting Contacts close on 15 October; voting runs from 22 October at 3:00 PM ET to 30 October at 7:00 PM ET.

That makes the counter a count of statements, not eligible voters, ballots or turnout. The public pages do not show whether each author is an eligible Voting Contact, how many distinct member organizations are represented, or whether the statements correlate with votes. They do not establish that any particular author is outside the electorate, either.

The distinction does not make the statements less useful. A person who is not a voting contact may still offer relevant experience or context to the members who decide. The record supports a precise reading: ARIN provides an open, moderated information channel alongside an organization-based ballot. The count describes activity in the first channel; it cannot stand in for support among voters in the second.

Sources