It's that time again: the next Open Source Matters board elections are coming up. Preparations are currently underway – this will take some time. However, to keep you fully informed, we have put together a brief overview for you.

We would like to return to the normal election cycle, which means that it is now time to elect Group 2 of our board. Group 2 includes the President, Secretary, Production Department Coordinator, and Operations Department Coordinator. Group 1 includes the Vice President, Treasurer, and Outreach and will be elected in the summer. We are therefore looking for new members who would like to take on these roles and actively help shape Joomla. However, I am sure that we will see at least one or even two familiar faces among the candidates standing for election or re-election.

What is Open Source Matters?

Behind Joomla is Open Source Matters (OSM) – a non-profit organization that handles everything related to Joomla. OSM manages legal matters, finances, trademarks, liability issues, budgeting, fundraising, and the long-term strategy of the project. Transparency is a particular focus of OSM: everything should be understandable and fair. This ensures Joomla remains stable, sustainable, and future-proof. At the same time, OSM supports the community and provides a reliable infrastructure – always in compliance with legal requirements.

Who leads the board

OSM is led by a board of dedicated volunteers. Members take on fixed roles such as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Department Coordinators. They invest their time, experience, and passion to support Joomla and the community as effectively as possible.

How does the election work?

1. Announcement:
   The election will be officially announced on the community page. If everything goes as planned, the manifesto of the current DC/Officer will be published at the same time, explaining what the person has accomplished in office so far, what their plans are for the future, and what new candidates would need to be prepared for if they were to take over the position.
2. Nomination:
   Interested members can nominate themselves as candidates. Submit Manifesto: Each candidate writes a short manifesto outlining their goals, ideas, and plans for their term. This allows you to see what the candidate stands for. The submission period is 28 days.
3. Meet & Ask Questions and Recommendations:
   
   
   • A dedicated Mattermost channel will be set up where you can ask questions and get to know the candidates directly.
     A complete list of all candidates for each position will be published along with their manifestos on the community.joomla.org site.
     
     
   • A “Recommendations” form will also be opened to replace the old Nominations form. Anyone with a community account can use this form to explain why they support a candidate and why they think the candidate is right for the role.The Recommendations form will be open for 7 days. The recommendations received will be published the next day, and the ballots will be sent out 7 days after that. This gives a total of 15 days for both the community and the candidates to reach out to each other and ask questions.

Who is eligible to vote?

All members who are currently active in an official Team, according to the bylaws, are eligible to vote. Once the election begins, you will receive an email with a link to an anonymous online voting tool. No one can see how anyone voted.

Voting lasts seven days, after which the results will be officially announced. The elected members will assume their positions at the designated time.

We are already looking forward to welcoming new members!
If you’re passionate about Joomla, this is your chance to step up, share your ideas, and help shape the future of our community!

If you would like to find out more about the tasks involved in each role, you can do so on the Open Source Matters website.

Timeline for the election process:

1. Day 0: Election announcement on the community page Publication of the manifesto of the current DC/Officers
2. Day 1-28: Submission of candidate manifestos (28 days)
3. Day 29: Publication of the complete list of candidates and their manifestos Opening of the recommendation form
4. Day 29-35: Recommendation form is open (7 days) Day 36: Publication of the recommendations received
5. Day 36-42: Ballots sent out and voting begins
6. Day 42-49: Voting period (7 days)
7. Day 50: Announcement of the election results. Elected members take up their positions