Members Have Until August 1 to Opt-In for Electronic Voting

The TWHBEA Corporate Rules were changed earlier this year to allow voting members* in the United States the opportunity to opt-in for electronic voting for the International Board of Directors election. The rule change also makes it mandatory for voting outside of the territorial United States to be done electronically.

Members have until August 1, 2023 to opt-in for electronic voting in this year's election. To opt-in, simply sign into your iPEDs account and click on the button that says "Option for Online Board of Directors Voting" and verify your email address. If you have questions, please call the TWHBEA office at 931-359-1574.

*As of calendar year 2023, a voting member is defined as a member who owns a walking horse in his or her name at the time ballots are mailed. Members in good standing at the conclusion of 2022 who do not own a horse but have had voting privileges shall be granted continued voting privileges provided their membership is kept current on an annual basis. A member prior to 2022 whose voting membership lapses shall lose voting membership privileges.

Candidates Must Declare by Tuesday, August 1
This Fall TWHBEA members will elect 30 individuals to serve three (3) year terms on the International Board of Directors beginning next year. As directed by the TWHBEA By-Laws, the Executive Committee confirmed the positions of directors from states and aligned regions for the coming election. There are a total of 30 seats to fill from the following states and regions:
• Alabama (2)
• Florida (1)
• Indiana (1)
• Kentucky (3)
• Mississippi (1)
• North Carolina (3)
• Ohio (2)
• Tennessee (10)
• Texas (2)
• Virginia (1)
• Region 1 (1) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom
• Region 3 (1) Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island 
• Region 4 (1) Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma
• Region 6 (1) Dominican Republic, Mexico

Anyone interested in running for an open seat must declare their intention to run by August 1, 2023 to the CEO, Mark Farrar, by emailing [email protected] or mailing TWHBEA, Attn: Mark Farrar, PO Box 286, Lewisburg, TN 37091-0286. A current list of candidates can be seen at www.twhbea.com/election.

In order to run for a seat on the International Board of Directors, individuals must meet the following qualifications:
1. Each Director shall be a resident of the state or region from which he is elected;
2. Each Director shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older at the beginning of the election period;
3. Each Director must have been a dues-paying member of the Association for at least the past three (3) consecutive years;
4. A Director may not be serving a USDA-initiated and finally adjudicated Horse Protection Act suspension of thirty (30) days or longer or have served any such HPA suspension in the last 365 days, nor be serving any HPA suspension of thirty days or longer from any USDA certified horse industry organization during the Director’s term or his/her term will be terminated;
5. Each director must take and at all times conform to the oath of office extant at the time of the director’s election and as amended at any time during the term of office;
6. Each potential Director must have had at least one horse duly registered with the Association for a period of one year, commencing as of August 1 of the preceding year to be elected, and must keep at least one horse continuously registered throughout the duration of the election period and the term.

Additionally, no person shall be eligible to be a director for more than two (2) full consecutive terms, however, a director may serve more than two (2) nonconsecutive terms. 

A complete copy of the TWHBEA By Laws and more information on the election of directors can be found here.