Voting Inside the NRA

The ballots for the NRA Board of Directors started arriving in mailboxes last week. While many voting-eligible NRA members are receiving their ballots, many members are only left to spectate. Chances are if you are a voting-eligible NRA member you have received your ballot already. If you haven’t received your ballot, do you know who to call? In this post we will cover who can vote, when they can vote, and some tools that might help you.

Who can vote? You can vote if you are a Lifetime NRA member (of any lifetime level) or have five or more consecutive years of annual membership.

• Article III Section 6 of the NRA Bylaws
  ( e ) ( 1 ) Fully paid lifetime members and annual members with five or more consecutive years of membership, as shown in the Association’s membership records, who have attained the age of 18 years on or before the fiftieth (50th) day prior to the date of the annual meeting of members and who are citizens of the United States of America shall be entitled to vote. Each such member shall he entitled to cast a vote for not more than one person for each vacancy on the Board of Directors to be filled by the membership at any election of Directors, which vote shall be cast as provided in these Bylaws. In order for such a member to cast a vote at any meeting of members, a properly completed, fully paid application for lifetime membership must have been received by the Secretary on or before the fiftieth (50th) day prior to the date of the meeting, or an annual member must have five years of consecutive membership, as shown in the Association’s membership records, and such consecutive membership must be in effect on the fiftieth (50th) day prior to the meeting.

Last year around this time (early 2019), I was curious when I would be eligible to vote. After calling the member services number on the back of my member card, the fellow helping me said I would reach five years annual consecutive membership in 2020! At the time I was a bit frustrated as my on-again off-again membership had lapsed a couple times and I wouldn’t be able to vote at the members’ meeting in Indianapolis (of course, non-voting eligible members can still vote for the 76th director during the annual meeting). If something were to require a vote at the members’ meeting I would only be spectating.

This past week, I was looking for my ballot to arrive as I would have finally achieved voting eligibility. It didn’t come.

Frustrated once again, I first went to https://nramemberservices.org to make sure my membership hadn’t somehow lapsed. Using the Live Chat at the bottom, they confirmed that I would reach five years consecutive membership in December of 2020. I suppose the fellow last year was telling me the truth, I will reach five years of consecutive membership in 2020… but too late to vote in anything outside of the 76th director at NRAAM. Frustrating. 

If you need further assistance with your membership you can contact a membership specialist by calling 1-800-672-3888.

Suppose one wanted to vote at the Members’ Meeting in Nashville, 2020, they would have to purchase (and pay in full) a Life Membership before February 27th, 2020 which would be roughly 50 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

If you are like me, an annual member that hasn’t hit five or more consecutive years yet, don’t despair. You still have a voice in your NRA. You are a member! You can contact your directors, you can attend meetings, you can be involved! You can be educated! You can make a difference in your NRA.