Systemic Problems And Complaints in the Pacifica Elections Growing

Systemic Problems And Complaints in the Pacifica Elections Growing
Problems and complaints in the Pacifica elections process so far

There have been concerning reports by unpaid staff at several stations that they were not properly informed that they should have logged in their hours to qualify as Unpaid staff by May 31st 2026, which is a different deadline or date of record than the June 30 date to qualify as listener members.
There is nothing in the improperly adopted 2025 “settlement” Bylaws that even mentions May 31st as a deadline.
There has not been adequate training at some stations nor adequate communication with unpaid programmers, producers or other unpaid staff members to let them know about the deadline.
Given that these 2025 Bylaws have already REDUCED the staff representation at the PNB to only TWO representatives to represent staff at all FIVE stations, and also reduced the staff representation on the disempowered local station boards, this latest development is also REDUCING the Voter POOL of STAFF being able to RUN as well as to VOTE on their STAFF representatives. The figures provided to the mailing house for staff at each of stations shows the following: KPFA, 85; KPFK, 75; KPFT, 49; WBAI, 50; WPFW, 92. That’s a total of only 351 so- called paid staff and volunteer team members at all the stations combined. That is clear evidence of disenfranchisement. In 2024, KPFK alone had well over 200 paid and unpaid staff members. Figures for KPFA and WBAI were similar. This exposes the true intentions of the forces behind the Bylaws change and now trying to cement their control.
Therefore we demand at a minumum that the STAFF should have their May 31st deadline extended to June 30, the date of record (in parallel with the extended nomination period) to qualify as staff, with the retroactive opportunity to certify those hours until the election begins. The nomination period should also be extended similarly for all members (see below).
Difficulties in Nominations by Listener Members
Listeners are also affected by the changed Bylaws and the frustrating procedures and rules of this election process, as well as problems with the website running the nominations, electionbudy.com. As a result, the nominations period was extended for everyone, but not sufficiently to overcome all the problems. As a result, there are positions, including for the critical listener rep on the Pacifica National Board, where there are NO CANDIDATES ar several stations.
There are built-in difficulties under the imposed Bylaws, which make it possible for the same majority, possibly from a single station, to dominate the national board, which has centralized all governance authority. There were also problems with the functioning of the election process, both on the elections.pacifica.org website, where candidates were not able to submit their applications timely, and were not listed as candidates even after they have successfully submitted them; and on the electionbuddy site where nominations are supposed to be made.
People were being nominated for multiple positions that they did not submit candidate applications for, and people were being nominated who are not eligible. This resulted in a list of nominees for each position that includes people not running for that position, or the introduction of an “abstain” choice in some cases, confusing those who came to the site to make nominations.
Repeatedly, nominators were presented with a form that included a nomination for a station other than their own, after the various positions for which they were eligible to make nominations. That could distort results from other stations. That issue and others have been reported to the NES and the Executive Director. The NES response was that she had seen that problem before but thought electionbuddy.com had taken care of it. This is an unacceptable malfunction that threatens the validity of the entire process and raises questions about electionbuddy’s capacity to conduct fair and accurate elections and the final voting tabulation. They have already informed Pacifica that in the event one station does not achieve quorum in the election by Sept. 30, voting will have to be extended at all five stations as they cannot differentiate between the various electorates at the five stations. That seems bizarre, as people at different stations are voting for different candidates.
The original explanation on the elections.pacifica.org website of the extension to July 11th for nominations, which applied ONLY to people who became new members or renewed a lapsed membership during June was unclear and confusing, and there weren’t clear instructions about how such individuals were to gain access to the nominations form on the separate electionbuddy.com website. We believe that nominations need to be reopened for all positions at all stations where there is no current candidate.
The elections.pacifica.org website incorrectly named and placed several candidates for positions they had not declared for instead of the positions they had declared for – including Bruce Greif and Eleanor Elizabeth Forman at WBAI and Ambrose Lane Jr. at WPFW. These were corrected after the NES was notified, but it is not clear how that was reflected on the nominations website, or on the nominations made, before it was corrected. The nominations website continued to show the same people nominated for multiple positions, and people nominated who were not eligible. This does not bode well for the trustworthiness or competence of electionbuddy.com in managing the actual balloting.
Who will actually get to vote?
The NES announced in August that the number of members remaining with good contact information has been drastically reduced based on the electionbuddy.com data from the nomination period. Although she says they are making efforts to get good contact info for all members, it is unclear that have it in time for the link to the e-ballot to go out to all members on August 15 as planned. This is an invitation to a further disaster with thousands of valid members having to seek ballot links after not receiving them as expected.
ABSENCE OF ON-AIR LIVE CANDIDATE FORUMS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR LISTENERS TO CALL IN THEIR QUESTIONS AND GET LIVE RESPONSES
The elections.pacifica.org calendar also jumps from June 30, end of nominations to August 15 for the voting, and skips over any mention of campaigning between July 11 and August 15, or a commitment to have on-air candidate forums for all positions on all stations PRIOR to the distribution of ballots, although the NES has told the PNB that these will occur. This is a critical step to make sure listeners and other members are fully informed before they vote.
The plan proposed and implemented by the NES violates the Bylaws requirements for listener call-ins which has always previously meant live on the air, as is appropriate for radio stations and a radio network. Instead there was a zoom session where non-candidates were muted with an opportunity for three short statements by each candidate that included a response to a pre-selected listener question. The recordings will then be aired on the radio. That is totally inadequate and denies the listeners of their clear rights under even these Bylaws. At KPFK and perhaps other stations with Spanish language or bilingual programming, the candidate forums also need to be offered during such programming in Spanish or bilingually.
Most station websites and on-air broadcasts have not informed the listeners about the election adequately or educated then clearly about how to navigate the process. Sites are not fully accessible for people with visual or other impairments.
Let us know what difficulties and grievances you have experienced. Please email us at pacificamissioncoalition [at] gmail.com, and also notify the National Election Supervisor, nes [at] pacifica.org and the Executive Director, ed [at] pacifica.org
DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation, Inc. website nor an official website of any of the five Pacifica Foundation, Inc. Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio). Opinions and facts alleged on this site belong to the author(s) of the website only and should NOT be assumed to be true or to reflect the editorial stance or policy of the Pacifica Foundation, Inc., or any of the five Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio), or the opinions of its management, Pacifica National Board, station staff, or other listener members.

The election processes this year seem designed to limit member participation. Let us know what difficulties and grievances you have experienced. Please email us at pacificamissioncoalition [at] gmail.com, and also notify the National Election Supervisor, nes [at] pacifica.org and the Executive Director, ed [at] pacifica.org
Disenfranchisement of UNPAID STAFF (now called “Volunteer Team” ) in the Pacífica Foundation elections:

DISCLAIMER: This is not an official Pacifica Foundation, Inc. website nor an official website of any of the five Pacifica Foundation, Inc. Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio). Opinions and facts alleged on this site belong to the author(s) of the website only and should NOT be assumed to be true or to reflect the editorial stance or policy of the Pacifica Foundation, Inc., or any of the five Radio Stations (KPFA Radio, KPFK Radio, KPFT Radio, WBAI Radio, WPFW Radio), or the opinions of its management, Pacifica National Board, station staff, or other listener members.