With a total of 98 votes cast, this election marks an important milestone in shaping the direction of our collective efforts towards creating a democracy, fit for the 21st century.

The election process was conducted with utmost transparency and fairness using Opavote. Each voter was given the opportunity to rank their preferred candidates in order of preference. Those organisations that had the highest preference within the ten allocated seats and thematic areas, were duly elected. In addition to the ten allocated positions, three remaining seats were allocated based on the next highest preferred organisation. However, in cases where there were already two representatives from a particular thematic area, the seat was allocated to the second highest preference within a different thematic area. We used this process to ensure diversity and representation across all areas of our sector’s focus.

After careful deliberation and tabulation of the votes, we were pleased to share the organisations that have been elected to serve on the new Steering Group:

• Demos
• Electoral Reform Society
• Unlock Democracy
• Sortition Foundation
• Operation Black Vote
• mySociety
• Citizen Network
• Newspeak House
• Elect Her
• Notwestminster
• Runnymede Trust
• Democracy Matters
• Public Interest News Foundation
• Involve (automatically selected as secretariat)

These organisations have demonstrated strong support and alignment with the values and objectives of the Democracy Network, and we are confident that they will bring valuable perspectives and expertise to the committee.

We want to assure those organisations that were not elected that there are still plenty of opportunities to engage with the network and contribute to our shared goals. There are various opportunities participate in other decision-making roles, such as our campaigns and advocacy action groups. Additionally, we also have new places available within in our Council of Reference, whose expertise and guidance helps to shape the strategic direction of our network.

A big congratulations again to the elected organisations, and a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes. The coming months will prove to be pivotal for our democracy. We look forward to working with the newly elected Steering Group as we seek to strengthen relationships and increase our collective influence in preparation for the general election and beyond.