From Sept. 7-21, eligible AAP members will have an opportunity not shared by members of every national medical association. They can vote for their officers.
AAP Fellows, specialty Fellows, board-certified post-residency training members, candidate members and senior members — all in good standing — are eligible to vote.
Executive committee members of the Section on Pediatric Trainees can vote for president-elect, who will become president in 2021.
An email sent to each individual contains a personalized link to the ballot. For this election, voters will select a president-elect (Pamela K. Shaw, M.D., FAAP, or Lee Savio Beers, M.D., FAAP), other national positions in Districts I, II, IV, V, VII and IX, and three at-large candidates. Terms begin Jan. 1, 2020.
Traditionally, AAP voting was conducted with paper ballots. In 2003, voters had a choice of paper or online; in the past decade, only online voting has been offered.
Regardless of the method, member response has room for improvement. As recently as the early 1990s, about 40% of AAP members voted, but the percentage has declined to the mid-teens.
While the voting process usually runs smoothly, common questions include the following:
Q: What is the URL to vote? I can’t find my personalized email.
A: Go to www.aap.org/vote.
Q: Does it matter what browser I use?
A: Internet Explorer is preferred.
Q: I can’t log in. How do I obtain my password?
A: Email [email protected] for assistance or call 1-866-THE-AAP1 (1-866-843-2271). Also, members who have trouble voting should confirm that their membership is up to date.
