2026 Chapter Board of Directors

Xintian Tina Wang	President
Chloe Tai	Vice President
Chris Chiang	Director of Finance
Helena Cheng	Director of Communications
Althea Chang-Cook	Director of Operations
Alex Kenney	Director of Partnerships
Michael Tamsuriyamit	Director of Events
Alex Lo (June. 2025 – Dec. 2026) Ron Nurwisah (Jan. 2026 – Dec. 2027)	National Board Representative
Yuna Kim Jinger Zhang	Student Representatives

Chapter Bylaws

The Asian American Journalists Association New York Chapter is governed by the bylaws, policies, and requirements of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA National), as well as these Chapter Bylaws and policies duly adopted by the Chapter Board of Directors.

If any provision of these Chapter Bylaws conflicts with the AAJA National Bylaws or a binding policy or directive of AAJA National, the AAJA National Bylaws, policy, or directive shall control.

Article I. Chapter Elections

Section 1. Election Schedule

AAJA New York shall conduct elections for Chapter officers and directors in accordance with the schedule and requirements established by AAJA National.

Consistent with the AAJA National Bylaws, elections or selections of the local Board of Directors and Chapter officers shall take place before November 1, unless AAJA National establishes a different applicable deadline.

Election results and other information required by AAJA National shall be submitted to AAJA National by the applicable national reporting deadline.

Section 2. Election Administration

The Board shall designate an Election Lead or Election Committee to administer each election.

The Election Lead should be a board member who is not a candidate in the election. The Election Lead shall administer the election impartially and shall be responsible for:

Announcing the election schedule and open positions;
Receiving candidate applications;
Confirming candidate eligibility;
Preparing and distributing candidate information;
Administering or overseeing the voting process;
Confirming and documenting election results;
Maintaining election records; and
Serving as the primary contact for questions, verification requests, and election disputes.

No candidate may administer, count, alter, or independently access ballots or vote records for an election in which that person is a candidate.

Section 3. Candidate Eligibility

Candidates must satisfy all eligibility requirements established by AAJA National and the Chapter for the office they seek.

Chapter officers must be full, dues-paying members of AAJA NY chapter. Eligibility shall be determined as of the candidate application deadline unless AAJA National requires a different date. All eligibility requirements shall be applied consistently to all candidates.

Section 4. Candidate Application and Nomination Deadline

The Election Lead shall establish and publicly announce a candidate application deadline as part of the election schedule. Candidate applications must be received by the stated deadline and through the designated submission method.

Applications received after the deadline shall not ordinarily be accepted. If no eligible candidate applies for a position by the deadline, the Board may reopen nominations for that position for a defined period, provided that all eligible members receive the same opportunity to apply.

Section 5. Candidate Withdrawal

A candidate may withdraw from an election at any time by providing written notice to the Election Lead.

If a candidate withdraws before voting begins, the candidate’s name shall be removed from the ballot when reasonably practicable.

If a candidate withdraws after voting has begun but before voting closes, the Election Lead shall notify eligible voters of the withdrawal as soon as reasonably practicable. The Chapter shall not alter or delete ballots that have already been cast. Unless otherwise required by AAJA National, votes cast for a candidate who has formally withdrawn shall not result in that candidate assuming office.

If a winning candidate withdraws, declines to serve, or becomes ineligible after the election, the resulting vacancy shall be handled under the vacancy provisions of the AAJA National Bylaws and these Chapter Bylaws. The office shall not automatically pass to the candidate receiving the next-highest number of votes. However, when conducting a new election is impracticable due to timing or other circumstances, the Board may, by majority vote, appoint the next-highest vote recipient or another qualified member to fill the vacancy, taking into consideration the individual’s prior service, demonstrated contributions to the Chapter, qualifications, and the Chapter’s operational needs, provided such appointment is consistent with AAJA National Bylaws and applicable Chapter vacancy procedures.

Section 6. Voting

Only members eligible to vote under AAJA National and Chapter requirements may participate in Chapter elections.

Each eligible voter may cast only the number of votes permitted for the office or offices being elected.

Voting shall be conducted by a method reasonably designed to:

Verify voter eligibility;
Prevent duplicate voting;
Preserve ballot confidentiality;
Maintain accurate election records; and
Permit the results to be independently verified if necessary.

Individual voting choices shall remain confidential and shall not be disclosed by the Election Lead, Board, candidates, or any person with administrative access to election records.

Section 7. Determining Election Results

Unless otherwise required by AAJA National or these Bylaws, the candidate receiving the greatest number of valid votes for an elected office shall be elected.

For elections involving multiple open director positions, the eligible candidates receiving the highest numbers of valid votes shall be elected until all available positions are filled.

Invalid, duplicate, or otherwise ineligible ballots shall not be included in the final tally.

Section 8. Publication and Confidentiality of Vote Totals

Following certification of an election, the Chapter shall announce the names and positions of the elected candidates.

As a standard Chapter practice, numerical vote totals, margins of victory, and individual voting records shall not be publicly released or routinely disclosed to candidates or members. This practice is intended to protect ballot confidentiality, reduce unnecessary competition among volunteer candidates, and maintain the Chapter’s focus on service following an election.

The underlying vote tally and election records shall nevertheless be preserved for verification, governance, and reporting purposes. Contestants can check in with National to verify the accuracy of the election result.

Nothing in this section prevents disclosure of election information when required by AAJA National, applicable law, a valid legal process, or a formal review conducted under these Bylaws.

Section 9. Verification of Election Results

Any candidate who has a good-faith concern regarding the accuracy or administration of an election may submit a written request for verification to the Election Lead within seven calendar days after the results are announced.

The request must identify the specific issue to be reviewed.

The Election Lead shall review the relevant election records and may consult AAJA National or request confirmation based on the election report or records submitted to AAJA National.

Verification is intended to confirm matters such as:

the accuracy of the final tally;
voter eligibility;
duplicate or invalid ballots;
candidate eligibility;
compliance with announced election procedures; or
a material technical or administrative error.

A verification request does not automatically entitle a candidate to receive individual ballots, voter identities, or confidential voting information.

After review, the Election Lead shall provide the requesting candidate with a written response stating whether the certified election result was confirmed or whether corrective action is required.

Section 10. Election Challenges

A candidate or eligible voting member may submit a written election challenge to the Election Lead within seven calendar days after election results are announced.

A challenge must identify a specific alleged violation of AAJA National’s Bylaws, these Chapter Bylaws, the announced election procedures, or another material irregularity that could reasonably have affected the election outcome.

General disagreement with an election result, without evidence of an irregularity, shall not constitute grounds for a challenge.

If the Election Lead has a conflict of interest, the matter shall be referred to a disinterested Board member, committee, or AAJA National, as appropriate.

The Chapter may consult or refer an election dispute to AAJA National when interpretation of national bylaws or policies is required.

Section 11. Ties

If two or more candidates receive the same number of votes and the tie affects who would be elected, the Chapter shall conduct a runoff election among the tied candidates.

The Election Lead shall announce the runoff schedule and provide all eligible voters with an equal opportunity to participate.

If AAJA National establishes a different procedure for resolving tied Chapter elections, the national procedure shall control.

Section 12. Election Records

The Election Lead shall maintain sufficient records to document and verify the election, including, as applicable:

the election schedule and notices;
candidate applications;
eligibility determinations;
the eligible voter list;
ballots or secure electronic voting records;
the certified vote tally;
withdrawal notices;
verification or challenge requests and their resolutions; and
the election report submitted to AAJA National.

Election records shall be maintained securely for at least one year following certification of the election, or longer if required by AAJA National’s record-retention policies or applicable law.

Access to records containing voter identities, individual ballots, or other confidential election information shall be limited to persons with a legitimate governance or verification need.

Article II. Vacancies

Vacancies shall be filled in accordance with Article X, Section 4 of the AAJA National Bylaws.

If six months or more remain in an officer’s term, the vacancy shall be filled through a special election. A call for nominations and notice of election shall be issued within 60 days after the resignation is tendered in writing to the Chapter Board.

If no candidates come forward during the nomination period, the Board may appoint a qualified member to serve the remainder of the term after the nomination period has expired.

If fewer than six months remain in the term, the Board may appoint a qualified member to fill the vacancy, consistent with the AAJA National Bylaws.

Article III. Fairness and Interpretation

Election rules, deadlines, eligibility requirements, and procedures shall be applied consistently and impartially to all candidates.

The Board shall not change an election rule after voting has begun in a manner that advantages or disadvantages a particular candidate.

Questions not expressly addressed by these Chapter Bylaws shall be resolved first by reference to the AAJA National Bylaws and applicable AAJA National policies. The Chapter may seek guidance from AAJA National when interpretation is necessary.

These election procedures may be amended by the Chapter Board in accordance with the Chapter’s procedures for amending its bylaws, provided that no amendment may conflict with the AAJA National Bylaws or other binding requirements of AAJA National.