Voting & Proposals Process

Introduction#

Good governance requires that decisions be made by the right people, at the right speed, with the right amount of deliberation. This document defines how proposals are submitted, categorised, discussed, and voted on within The AI Fellowship. It is designed to protect identity decisions from being destabilised by frequent votes while giving Chapter Directors and members genuine power to shape how the Fellowship operates.

The fundamental principle: identity is protected, operations are participatory. What the Fellowship stands for is not subject to majority vote. How it works, day to day, absolutely is.

1. Proposal Categories#

Category A: Operational Proposals#

What it covers: Changes to how the Fellowship operates that do not affect its core identity. Examples: adopting a new community platform, updating the Chapter Director application process, changing the AI World Cup judging rubric, adjusting the quarterly reporting format, updating the Chapter Director Handbook.

Who can propose: Any Chapter Director or Global Council member.

Decision-maker: Global Council, simple majority.

Timeline: Standard - see Section 3.

Category B: Identity Proposals#

What it covers: Any proposed change to the Fellowship’s foundational documents: the Mission Statement, Vision, Core Values, Member Pledge, Code of Conduct, Brand & IP Policy, this Governance Charter, or the Decision Rights Matrix.

Who can propose: Any Chapter Director or Global Council member. Member proposals on identity matters must be submitted through a Chapter Director.

Decision-maker: Global Council, supermajority (two-thirds of voting members).

Timeline: Extended - see Section 3.

Note: Some identity matters are not subject to chapter or member vote regardless of support. See Section 8.

Category C: Emergency Proposals#

What it covers: Time-sensitive decisions requiring action within 72 hours. Examples: immediate platform shutdown due to a security incident, temporary suspension of a Chapter Director pending investigation, urgent response to a media crisis, emergency funding decision.

Who can propose: Global Council members only.

Decision-maker: Global Council, simple majority with accelerated timeline.

Timeline: Emergency - see Section 5.

2. Proposal Template#

Use this template for all Category A and B proposals. Copy and complete in full before submitting.

Proposal: [Short Title]
Proposal ID: [Assigned by Foundation on receipt - leave blank]
Category: [A: Operational | B: Identity]
Submitted by: [Name, Role, Chapter]
Date submitted: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Date needed by (if applicable): [YYYY-MM-DD]

Summary (2-3 sentences)
What are you proposing, and what problem does it solve?

Background and Rationale
Why is this change needed? What is the current situation and why is it insufficient? Include any data, community feedback, or precedent from other organisations. (Suggested length: 150-400 words)

Proposed Change
State the specific change you are proposing as clearly and precisely as possible. If this involves changes to an existing document, quote the current text and the proposed replacement.

Impact Assessment
Who does this affect? How? Are there any risks or unintended consequences? Does this require changes to any other documents or processes?

Resource Implications
Does this require budget, staff time, or technical changes? If yes, what is the estimate?

Consultation Conducted
Who have you discussed this with before submitting? What feedback did you receive? (Leave blank if this is a personal proposal; the consultation may happen during the review period.)

Requested Decision
What specific action are you asking the Global Council to take?

Supporting Materials
[Attach or link any supporting documents, data, or references]

3. Standard Timelines#

Category A: Operational Proposals#

Total standard timeline: approximately 28-35 days from submission to decision.

Category B: Identity Proposals#

Total extended timeline: approximately 60-75 days from submission to decision.

4. Quorum Rules#

A vote is only valid if quorum is met. Quorum is defined as:

• Standard quorum: More than half (50%+1) of current voting Global Council members must participate in the vote.
• Supermajority quorum (Category B): All current voting Global Council members must be given reasonable opportunity to vote. Reasonable opportunity means the vote was open for at least 5 business days and each member was notified directly.
• A member who is on approved leave of absence is excluded from the quorum count for the period of their leave.
• Abstentions count toward quorum but not toward the majority or supermajority calculation.

If quorum is not met, the vote is invalid and must be re-run within 10 business days.

5. Emergency Voting Process#

When it applies#

Emergency voting is reserved for situations where a delayed decision poses a significant, imminent risk to community safety, the Fellowship’s reputation, legal standing, or operational continuity.

Process#

1. Emergency declaration - A Council member proposes an emergency declaration via direct communication to all Council members (not through the standard proposal channel).
2. Confirmation of emergency status - If at least two Council members agree that the situation qualifies as an emergency, emergency process begins immediately.
3. Voting window - All Council members are notified by direct message and have 48 hours to vote. Each member must vote yes, no, or abstain. Non-response within the window counts as abstention.
4. Quorum - For emergency votes, quorum requires that more than half of voting Council members actually vote (abstentions and non-responses do not count).
5. Majority - Simple majority of votes cast (excluding abstentions).
6. Record - All emergency votes are recorded in the Decision Log with the reason for emergency status. The full standard process must be followed for any permanent changes that resulted from an emergency decision.

6. Tie-Breaking Procedure#

If a vote results in an exact tie:

1. First recourse - The vote is re-opened for 48 hours, with all members encouraged to reconsider.
2. If still tied - The Founder (Zohaib Khan) casts a single deciding vote. This is the Founder’s only voting power under normal circumstances; the Founder seat is otherwise non-voting to preserve Council independence.
3. For Category B proposals - A tie on a supermajority vote is treated as a failure to reach supermajority. The proposal may be revised and resubmitted after a minimum 30-day cooling-off period.

7. What Cannot Be Voted On by Chapters#

The following matters are reserved exclusively for the Global Council and are not subject to chapter-level vote, petition, or referendum, regardless of the level of chapter support expressed:

• The Mission Statement and Vision - The Fellowship’s fundamental reason for existence may be amended only by the Global Council via Category B process.
• The Core Values - may be amended only by the Global Council via Category B process.
• The Code of Conduct’s protected categories and enforcement ladder - The Foundation has a duty of care to protect members; chapter majorities cannot weaken these protections.
• The Brand & IP Policy’s ownership provisions - Ownership of the brand vests in the Foundation and cannot be transferred or diluted by vote.
• The AI World Cup’s core format and rules - Consistency of the competition across chapters requires central control of the format.
• The Founder’s seat on the Global Council - This is a constitutional provision of the Foundation, not a governance decision.
• Any decision that would expose the Foundation to legal liability - Legal decisions are made by the Foundation in consultation with legal counsel, not by community vote.

8. Decision Log Format#

All Council decisions - whether made by vote, unanimous consent, or emergency process - must be recorded in the Decision Log within 5 business days of the decision. The Decision Log is published to Chapter Directors and maintained as a permanent record.

Decision Log Entry Format:

Decision Log Entry
Decision ID: DL-[YYYY]-[NNN] (e.g., DL-2026-001)
Date of decision: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Proposal ID (if applicable): [Proposal ID or "N/A" for emergency decisions]
Category: [A: Operational | B: Identity | C: Emergency | Administrative]
Decision summary: [1-2 sentences describing what was decided]
Decision: [APPROVED | REJECTED | DEFERRED | AMENDED AND APPROVED]
Vote count: [Yes: X | No: X | Abstain: X | Not voting: X]
Quorum met: [Yes/No]
Effective date: [YYYY-MM-DD or "Immediately"]
Implementation owner: [Name or role responsible for implementing this decision]
Notes: [Any material context, conditions, or caveats attached to the decision]
Next review date (if applicable): [YYYY-MM-DD]

The Decision Log is a permanent public record for Chapter Directors. Historical entries may not be modified. Corrections must be added as new entries with a reference to the original.

Recommended review order for adoption:#

1. Vision & Mission (Document 1) - establishes the identity anchor
2. Member Pledge (Document 2) - can be adopted immediately
3. Code of Conduct (Document 3) - adopt before next public event
4. Brand & IP Policy (Document 4) - requires legal review before adoption
5. Governance Charter (Document 5) - requires Council formation
6. Decision Rights Matrix (Document 6) - adopt alongside Charter
7. Voting & Proposals (Document 7) - adopt alongside Charter

Legal note: Document 4 (Brand & IP Policy) references a legal entity (“The AI Fellowship Foundation, a nonprofit”). Before this document is published or enforced, the Foundation should confirm its legal incorporation status and ensure the entity name used in the policy matches the registered name. If the Foundation is not yet formally incorporated, this should be treated as an urgent priority.

Drafted June 2026. All documents are version 1.0 drafts pending Global Council review and adoption. The AI Fellowship - theaifellowship.com.