Dear IANT Community,

This is a friendly reminder that Bylaws Amendment Vote this Sunday, Oct 5th, 2:00pm-4:00pm at IANT Multipurpose Hall. Come ANYTIME between 2pm-4pm. In Shaa Allah, the process will be very quick! Bring your ID. Must be an active IANT member in good standing to attend. Free lunch provided.

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Here is the Summary of All final Proposed Changes to IANT Bylaws (2025) Board Structure and Governance.

● Unification of Board Structure: The BOD is reduced from a larger, multi-council

system to a single unified nine-member Board, streamlining decision making and

accountability.

● President Direct Election: For the first time, the President is elected directly by the

general body through a separate dedicated ballot. The eight other BOD seats are

filled by a parallel ballot, ensuring transparency and community choice.

● Officer Selection Procedures: The Board must elect its Vice President, Secretary,

and Treasurer from among its members by internal vote, with clear timelines and

supermajority quorum requirements.

● Explicit Role Definitions: The Final Text gives more detailed and separate

definitions for officer and BOD member responsibilities, promoting transparency.

Dissolution of Operations Council

● Operations Council Eliminated: All day-to-day management and executive powers

previously held by a separate Operations Council are now fully transferred to the

BOD, consolidating all governance in one body.

● Transition Procedures: There are detailed procedures for the smooth transition of

records, authority, and stakeholder communication as the OC is phased out.

Election System Overhaul

● Dual-Ballot Voting: Members now vote separately for the President and for the

remainder of the BOD via a distinct, parallel process. It is possible to run in both

races, but if a candidate wins both, the President can let go of his BOD seat and

the BOD seat goes to the next-highest vote getter (9th candidate in the BOD

ballot).

● Shortened Term Lengths: Board and President terms are reduced to 2 years,

giving the community more frequent opportunities to shape leadership.

● Modern Voting Methods Authorized: Secure electronic voting is now fully

permitted for all elections, supervised by the Membership Committee. Electronic

voters count towards quorum, and an audit procedure is required to ensure

transparency and integrity. Both in-person and electronic voting are now valid;

proxy/mail ballots remain prohibited.

● Comprehensive Tie-Breaker Rules: If there is a tie for President or for the last

BOD seat, a runoff is held within 21 days. If still tied, a public random drawing is

held within 3 days. This clarifies succession and tie-breaking for both Officer and

BOD ballots.

● Membership Renewal and Grace Periods: The Membership Committee, in

consultation with legal counsel, is empowered to grant grace periods and make

exceptions for members or candidates affected by technical or administrative

errors in renewal. This ensures that minor lapses outside the control of the

member do not unfairly disqualify them from voting or candidacy.

● Eligibility Exception Cross-References: All “X months before voting/candidacy”

eligibility requirements (e.g., “must be a member for 6 months”) now include

Membership Committee authority to make exceptions due to

administrative/system issues, making the process more flexible and fair.

● Voting Process Completely Rewritten: Section X.05 has been rewritten for clarity

and flexibility, explicitly supporting both in-person and electronic methods and

assigning eligibility verification and ID policy to the Membership Committee (not

the BOD).

Conflict of Interest Policy Improvements

● Tougher Disclosure & Restriction: Explicit prohibition of BOD members holding

executive roles or any paid position in other Islamic organizations, with stronger

language around “undivided allegiance” and stricter enforcement provisions,

including possible fines and termination.

Improved Succession Procedures

● Clarity on Presidential Vacancy: If the President resigns or is incapacitated:

● If less than one year remains, the Vice President completes the term.

● If more than one year remains, the Vice President becomes Acting

President and a special election for President is called within 60 days.

● All Board and Officer positions realigned after the special election.

Please click the below to see the final proposed complete IANT Bylaws.

Final Proposed Text - IANT Bylaws - Sept 18.pdf

With gratitude,
IANT Staff, Membership Team