Elections

OMA elections provide all members with an opportunity to meaningfully engage with their association. Whether you put your name forward as a candidate or simply cast a vote, your voice and your leadership matters to the OMA. Continue reading to learn more about how the election process has changed this year.

Changes to 2025-26 elections

We regularly review our elections process and policies to make sure they reflect members’ needs and experiences. This included receiving feedback from voters, candidates, third-party recruiters, and physician leaders.

The recommended policy and process amendments stemming from the review were approved by the board at their October meeting and have been implemented for the 2025-26 election period.

Key highlights of these changes include:

• Board candidate screening process. Our third-party recruiter will conduct a screening process for board candidates, which will be overseen by the Governance and Nominating Committee (GNC). It will focus on evaluating candidates against a core set of competencies, the preferable knowledge and skills outlined in the Individual Board Director Position Description, and skills in priority areas for the board identified on an annual basis. These changes support OMA members’ expectations that their board directors have the skills and experience the board needs to be successful.
• Shortlisting process. Based on the results of the screening process, a shortlist of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) candidates per open board position will be presented to GNC for approval. Once approved, those candidates will be presented to members for voting. The total number of candidates to be shortlisted will depend on the skills and experience in the initial pool of candidates, the board’s identified needs, and the number of vacancies available in any given year. This change responds to members’ input that the increasing number of candidates for the board, with a total of 39 names on the ballot in 2024-25, was a significant impediment to making an informed decision.
• ONCA legislation compliance. As part of our annual election review process, we conducted a legal review of our policies to ensure they were aligned with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), which came into full effect in 2024.
• Social media checks. Our policy on social media checks has been expanded to include all constituency chair candidates, in addition to board and president-elect candidates. This is in response to members who voiced concern that not all OMA leaders were adhering to the Member Code of Conduct & Civility. It is important to note that social media checks are not concerned with the opinions or positions members express on social media, but rather in their approach to expressing them and their interactions with other members. Concerns arising from a candidate’s social media check will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with the candidate and OMA Legal to determine whether there are impacts on eligibility to hold office.

You can also review the amended Single Election Period policy, Board Recruitment Policy, and Election Communications Guidelines for further details.

The role of your elected representatives

Overview of nomination and election process

Past presidents discuss balancing the personal and professional demands of the job

Past presidents talk about their experience