The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) Committee is disappointed that members did not pass the proposed bylaw amendment to grant graduate students voting privileges in APA. APAGS will, however, keep mobilizing to advance this issue and ensure increased representation for students. 

Here’s the background: In 2018, APAGS proposed a measure that would enable graduate students to vote on the same issues after one year that all full APA members, and associates after five years of membership, are eligible to vote for: Elections for APA President-Elect and Board Members-at-Large, bylaw amendments like this one, and apportionment ballots. The measure would have also aligned the voter-waiting period for associate members with that of graduate student members.

The Council of Representatives agreed to put the matter before the current voting bloc this fall. The ballot closed Dec. 16, 2019, resulting in 8,436 total votes, with 5,566 (65.98%) in favor. Because this item is a bylaw amendment, it requires not a simple majority but a two-thirds majority (66.67%) in favor to pass. Translation: The measure was 58 votes shy of passage.

This was an incredibly close outcome. Our committee is so glad that a groundswell of voters supported this measure, including many who otherwise would not have voted at all (in fact, the turnout for a bylaw amendment vote has not been this high since 2011). We recognize the support of the APA Board of Directors, the Council Leadership Team, the Council of Representatives, many APA presidential candidates, and a number of APA Divisions and State Psychological Associations that came out favoring the measure. 

Of course, our sincerest thanks are to our fellow students who could not vote, but encouraged their professors, supervisors, and colleagues to do so. We believe most members would agree with us that enfranchising graduate students is the right thing to do for APA. This is, in fact, reflected in today’s results. This outcome is not a verdict on our competency to vote, but on readiness for change. In my tenure as 2019 APAGS chair, I am reminded that everything takes the time that it takes. In less than one-and-a-half years, our committee moved an issue from idea into action, challenging traditional timelines, and falling a tiny bit short – 58 votes, to be exact. Stick with us as we regroup, because we’ll need you!

Our enthusiasm for APA’s future is undeterred. And our desire to strengthen APA through our voices is only increasing!

Yours in solidarity,
Roseann Fish Getchell, PsyD
2019 APAGS Chair