Election season is underway across IEEE, giving members an important opportunity to help shape the leadership and future direction of both IEEE and the IEEE Photonics Society.
This year, eligible members can participate in the 2026 IEEE Annual Election, which includes leadership positions across the broader IEEE organization, as well as the IEEE Photonics Society election for Members-at-Large of the Board of Governors.
2026 IEEE Annual Election with Voter-Turnout Incentives
The IEEE Annual Election opened on 17 August 2026 and will close at 12:00 noon Eastern Time on 1 October 2026. Members will cast ballots for candidates seeking 15 leadership positions across IEEE, with those elected beginning their terms on 1 January 2027.
Among the offices on this year’s ballot is 2027 IEEE President-Elect. The IEEE Board of Directors nominated David Alan Koehler and Manfred “Fred” J. Schindler as candidates for the position.
The ballot also includes candidates for other IEEE leadership roles, including delegate-elect/director-elect positions, IEEE Technical Activities vice president-elect, IEEE-USA president-elect, and IEEE Standards Association Board of Governors members-at-large.
Members can review candidate biographies and statements electronically through their ballot and the IEEE Annual Election website. As part of IEEE’s sustainability efforts, the Candidate Biographies and Statements booklet is no longer being distributed in print.
IEEE is also encouraging greater member participation through a voter-turnout incentive initiative managed by the IEEE Tellers Committee. (This is a standing committee of the IEEE Board of Directors that supervises the processing of ballots received and the tallying of the votes and supervises the processing of any petitions that are to be part of the IEEE annual election ballot.)
Following acceptance of the election results by the IEEE Board of Directors, Sections with the highest voter turnout in their size category within each IEEE Region will be eligible for incentive awards.
Sections are grouped according to their number of eligible voting members:
- Large Sections: More than 1,501 eligible voting members — $1,000 award
- Medium Sections: 501–1,500 eligible voting members — $600 award
- Small Sections: 500 or fewer eligible voting members — $400 award
The initiative creates an additional opportunity for IEEE Sections to encourage their members to participate in the governance of the organization while potentially earning funding that can support local activities.
The program is administered by the IEEE Tellers Committee, which oversees the processing and tallying of ballots for IEEE’s Annual Election and other membership votes and petitions.
Cast Your Vote in the IEEE Photonics Society Election
IEEE Photonics Society members also have an opportunity to directly influence the leadership of their professional community through the 2026 Election of Members-at-Large to the IEEE Photonics Society Board of Governors.
The Board of Governors helps guide the Society’s strategic direction and oversees activities serving the global photonics community. Voting gives members a direct voice in selecting the volunteers who will help shape future priorities and programs.
The 2026 candidates for Member-at-Large are:
Ivana Gasulla
Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Spain
Dora Hu Juanjuan
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
Ho Wai (Howard) Lee
University of California, Irvine (UCI), USA
Boon S. Ooi
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), USA, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
Marek Osinski
University of New Mexico (UNM), Albuquerque, USA
Malin Premaratne
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Sarun Sumriddetchkajorn
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Thailand
Hon Ki Tsang
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Members have received email communications with instructions for accessing the online ballot and will need their IEEE Account credentials to vote. Voting in the IEEE Photonics Society Board of Governors election must be completed by 28 September 2026. The online voting site will close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on that date.
Whether voting for IEEE-wide leadership or for Members-at-Large of the IEEE Photonics Society Board of Governors, member participation is an important part of IEEE’s volunteer-led governance structure. Taking a few minutes to learn about the candidates and cast a ballot helps ensure that members have a voice in the leadership and future direction of their professional community.
Take time to review the candidates, learn about their backgrounds and priorities, and make your voice count in the 2026 elections.
