Voting 101 – When, Where, Who and How
When is the next Board elected?
The voting period to select a slate of directors will take place in spring 2024 and end before the 2024 SOCAN annual general meeting. The slate of directors selected by members during this voting period will then be confirmed and elected at the 2024 SOCAN annual general meeting.
For the 2024 elections, SOCAN is transitioning to a staggered election cycle as part of the approved changes to our By-laws. A staggered election cycle means that in the future we will move to holding elections every year to elect six new directors to the Board for three-year terms, rather than holding an election every three years to elect eighteen new directors to the Board for three-year terms.
To accomplish this transition, in 2024, SOCAN members will be electing eighteen new directors to the Board for three different terms: six (6) directors serving a 2024-2025 term, six directors serving a 2024-2026 term, and six directors serving a 2024-2027 term. Each of these terms will be evenly split with three Writer Directors and three Publisher Directors being elected per term.
The slate of directors selected by members will be organized to fulfill these three different term requirements. The slate of directors, and their respective terms, will be confirmed and elected at the 2024 SOCAN annual general meeting.
How long will the new Directors serve?
The term of each elected director will be either from:
- June 2024 to June 2025
- June 2024 to June 2026
- June 2024 to June 2027
Who is eligible to vote in the 2024 election?
All SOCAN Members who received royalties from SOCAN in the 2023 calendar year are eligible to vote.
How are my votes weighted?
Writer members who have received performing right royalties from SOCAN in the 2023 calendar year have one vote, plus one vote for every five hundred dollars, or part of each five hundred dollars, received in the 2023 calendar year that is in excess of the first five hundred dollars received, to a maximum of 20 votes.
Publisher members who have received performing right royalties from SOCAN in the 2023 calendar year have one vote, plus one vote for every thousand dollars, or part of each one thousand dollars received in the 2023 calendar year that is in excess of the first twenty-five hundred dollars received, to a maximum of 10 votes.
Where do members go to vote?
Eligible members can vote exclusively via their SOCAN online account.
How do members vote?
Members can only vote through their SOCAN online account. After logging in, members can select the the VOTE link on the homepage, in order to be redirected to the eBallot voting website for the SOCAN Board elections.
How long do members have to vote?
The voting period will extend for at least 3 weeks in spring 2024. Exact dates will be published in advance of voting.
How are votes tabulated?
SOCAN is transitioning to a staggered term system in 2024. As a result, six directors will each be nominated for a one-year term (2024-2025); a two-year term (2024-2026); and a three-year term (2024-2027). Of those six directors for each set term, 3 must be Writer Members and 3 must be Publisher Members. Below is how the votes are tabulated to ensure the Board Composition Objectives are met.
- Writer Votes:
(i) The two writers designated as Audiovisual Music irrespective of region, receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected, providing that both are not from the West, or both are not from Quebec. In the event that two writers designated as Audiovisual Music with the highest number of votes are both from the West or are both from Quebec, then, from those two, the writer with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected and a writer with the highest number of votes and designated as Audiovisual Music, as the case requires, from another region shall be declared elected.
(ii) The five writers designated writers of Music Other Than Audiovisual Music with the highest number of votes, being at least one from the West, at least two from the East and at least two from Quebec shall be declared elected.
(iii) The two writers, irrespective of whether they are designated as Audiovisual Music or Music Other Than Audiovisual Music, who have the highest number of votes after those declared elected by virtue of items (i) and (ii) above and who have the regional qualifications that are necessary to complete the writer representation required by the By-laws shall be declared elected.
The elected Writer members above are to include at least three writers designated as Francophone with the highest number of votes.
In the event that this voting tabulation above does not include at least three Francophones then the required number of Francophones with the next highest votes and with the regional, Audiovisual Music and Music other than Audiovisual Music qualifications required under the SOCAN By-laws shall be declared elected.
- Publisher Votes:
(i) The publisher from the West with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
(ii) The three publishers from Quebec with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
(iii) The five publishers from the East with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
The elected Publisher Members are to include at least three publishers designated as Francophones with the highest number of votes.
In the event that the voting tabulation above does not include at least three Francophones then the required number of Francophones with the next highest votes and with the regional qualifications required above shall be declared elected.