At Crossref, we believe that every member’s voice plays a vital role in shaping the future of scholarly communications. As a not-for-profit membership organization governed by a board, we rely on our members to help guide our direction—and that’s where Voting contacts come in. When your organization first joined Crossref, you were asked to designate a Voting contact. But what exactly does this role involve, and why is it so important?
We are committed to community-led governance - all members have the option to stand for a seat in our board, and all members can vote for board candidates. The Voting contact is central to this. Each Crossref member account is entitled to one vote in our annual board election, cast by the registered Voting contact. This reflects our core truth of “One member, one vote”: every member has an equal voice, regardless of size or location. Whether you’re a large publisher or a small organization, each vote carries the same weight in shaping a board that truly represents the diversity of our community. Each account must have a unique Voting contact, including a distinct name and email address. Your Voting contact must be someone from within your member organization — not an outsourced contractor or third party. This ensures that each vote truly reflects the interests of the member organization.
Your voting contact person is empowered to vote in board elections on behalf of their organization, helping shape the leadership and strategic direction of Crossref. If you as an individual work with more than one member organization, you can only be the voting contact for one of these members, to avoid confusion.
Why Your Voice Matters
By participating in board elections, Voting contacts help select the individuals who guide Crossref’s priorities, policies, and long-term vision. This is more than a procedural task — it’s a meaningful opportunity to influence how Crossref evolves to meet the needs of the global scholarly community.
For example, the recent Resourcing Crossref for Future Sustainability (RCFS) program was a major initiative aimed at making fees more equitable, simplifying the fee schedule, and rebalancing revenue sources. The board helped to initiate the program, and also recently approved the proposals to create a new, lowest member fee tier. Your participation ensures that decisions like these reflect the values and needs of our whole membership.
When Does Voting Take Place?
We maintain a balanced board of 8 seats for large-sized member organizations and 8 seats for small-sized member organizations. Each year, some of these seats will come up for re-election. Crossref sends an election email to the registered Voting contact at each member organization in September. Voting is conducted online, and results are announced during our Annual Meeting in October or November. You can check our most recent annual meeting (October 2025) here.
The election process is overseen by a nominating committee, which includes three board members not up for election and two non-board members. This structure ensures fairness, transparency, and broad representation.
Keeping Your Contact Details Up to Date
To ensure your organization’s vote is counted and your voice is heard, it’s important to keep your Voting contact information current. If you need to update any of the contact details we hold for your account, please contact us.
If you have any questions about the election process or the role of Voting contacts, feel free to contact us directly. We are happy to help clarify and support your participation.