What you need to know about AVMA elections

It’s that time of year again: AVMA elections are underway. With a contested President-Elect position, it pays to understand the sometimes complicated voting procedures in the organization. See below for information and helpful links to help you plan your vote for the upcoming election.

The AVMA President-Elect and Vice President are elected by the House of Delegates at a meeting of the House of Delegates which takes place during their summer meeting at the AVMA Convention.   

The House of Delegates consists of one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate delegate appointed by the following veterinary organizations:  a. State and Territorial Organizations   b. Allied Veterinary Organizations c. The Uniformed Services Organization and d. The Student American Veterinary Medical Association. 

 Each veterinary organization represented in the House of Delegates shall have two (2) votes and each state or territory organization has weighted votes based on the total number of Association members residing in the state or territory.  The more members in a state, the more powerful their vote.  California has the most powerful vote, since the state has the most veterinarians (7,380 in 2018, per Bureau of Labor Statistics), followed by Texas (4,650), Florida (4,370), New York (3,240)  and Pennsylvania (2,960.)

Although AVMA members can’t vote themselves, they are encouraged to contact their state or territory representatives or allied agency to express their views on candidates.