Dear Member,
The 2024-2026 National NOW Board has several vacancies, and we are calling on NOW activists to fill those seats in designated districts.
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties of NOW Board members include exercising fiduciary responsibility to the organization, implementing conference resolutions, recruiting new members, helping reinvigorate chapters, assisting new chapters as they organize, participating in actions in their districts, reporting to the board on concerns within their district, serving on National Board standing committees, reporting National Board decisions to members in their districts, and attending a minimum of 4 regular board meetings a year (some of which may be in-person, others virtually).
Please refer to Article VII of the NOW Bylaws for a full list of responsibilities.
Travel, meals, and lodging expenses for face-to-face board meetings are reimbursed (within guidelines) by National NOW.
We hope to fill these vacancies in time for the newly appointed representatives to participate in the NOW Board’s November 8 virtual meeting.
BOARD DISTRICTS
Six districts exist to ensure geographic diversity on the NOW Board. You will be a candidate for the district in which your state is located. Each district may elect two Board members from two different states, and if its delegation includes a candidate of color, it may elect a third Board member from any state in the district.
The districts currently comprise the following states:
- Eastern (1 vacancy): Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
- Heartland (1 vacancy — must be filled by a candidate of color): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Northern (2 vacancies — at least 1 vacancy must be filled by a candidate of color): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
- Pacific (2 vacancies — at least 1 vacancy must be filled by a candidate of color): Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington
- Southern (2 vacancies — at least 1 vacancy must be filled by a candidate of color) : Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South
Carolina, Tennessee - Western (1 vacancy): Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Utah, Texas
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Eligibility requirements are set by the national NOW bylaws:
- You must be a NOW member in good standing for at least two years before the date of your appointment.
- You must have held an elected or appointed leadership position in a local or state NOW chapter or the national organization.
- You must remain a resident of the district from which appointed in order to remain on the NOW Board.
Once appointed, you will serve until the election of the 2026-2028 NOW Board of Directors in summer 2026.
APPOINTMENT PROCESS
After your candidate eligibility has been verified by your District Nominating Committee (comprised of the State Presidents or their designees in your NOW district), the vacancy will be filled by a two-thirds vote of the State Presidents and remaining NOW board members in your district.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in serving on the NOW Board, you must submit your name and information via this online form by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Sunday, October 19, 2025. Your District Nominating Committee will work with the National Action Center to verify every candidate’s eligibility for office.
If you are interested in applying for one of these open board seats, please apply online via this link by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Sunday, October 19, 2025.
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions or comments about the board appointment process, please email electionscommittee@now.org.
Kim Villanueva, NOW President
Terry Sanders, Chair, NOW Elections Committee