Voting for 5 Board of Directors seats, and for the Board President will take place starting August 10, and ending at 5:00 pm on August 17, 2026.
Eligible voters will receive an emailed link to vote.
Three Board seats are for a three-year term.
One Board seat is for a two-year term.
One Board seat is for a one-year term.
The President serves for a one-year term.
All terms start Wed., August 19, when our Annual Membership Meeting closes.
- When is the election?
- How are our Board Members selected?
- Why should I run?
- Who should run?
- Who is eligible to be a Board Members?
- What is expected of Board Members?
- Who can vote?
- How do we vote?
- How do I run for the Board?
- How do we elect our President?
- How are the votes counted?
- What if I still have questions?
- Who is on the Board now?
What are the dates for this election?
- Wednesday, July 8: Nominations for Directors and President open.
- Friday, August 7, 5pm: Nominations close.
- Monday, August 10, 6pm: Candidates Night.
- Attend via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87823298166
- Nominees must be members by this date.
- Online voting opens at the end of this meeting.
- Monday, August 10, 7pm: Voting links emailed to eligible members.
- Monday, August 17, 5pm: Online voting closes.
- Wednesday, August 19, 6pm: Annual Membership Meeting.
- Elections results are announced.
- Attend via Zoom at http://us02web.zoom.us/j/84789060820
How are board members selected?
Our Board Members (aka “Directors”) and our President are elected by the organization’s membership.
The Board consists of nine persons, serving “staggered” three year terms, with three seats coming up for a vote each year.
Vacancies on the Board are filled by appointment by the Board only until the following August, at which time someone is elected to serve for the remainder of the incomplete term.
The President is elected annually by our membership. To be eligible, the President must either be a current board member or win a board seat in this election.
To be eligible to vote, individuals must be members of the District – not just on the mailing list – 90 days before the elections are held.
In 2026, members who joined by May 21, and are still in good standing are eligible to vote.
Why Should I Run?
Being a Director of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District means having a voice in the future of our South of Market neighborhood: helping it thrive and remain the vibrant, safe, and uniquely kinky space we love and enjoy.
Who Should Run?
We encourage members of the local queer and kink community to nominate themselves.
We are looking for individuals with skill sets to help us improve and grow the queer and kinky community in SOMA. These include, but aren’t limited to:
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- Communications & social media
- Art promotion
- Event production
- Experience navigating city bureaucracy
- Land use advocacy
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Fundraising
- Volunteer coordination
To achieve diverse representation on our Board, we encourage the nomination of individuals who represent various communities and constituencies including:
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- Women
- Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Nonconforming Folks
- People of Color
- Kinky Heterosexuals
- Young People
- Traditional and Non-Traditional Families
- Artists
- Business Owners and Managers
To ensure the independence of individuals serving on the Board, not more than one member of an immediate family shall concurrently serve as an officer, Director or employee of the District. “Immediate family” shall include spouse, domestic partner, siblings, children, parents (both legal parents and stepparents), or other comparable intimate relationships. Please do not nominate yourself if your election would violate this policy. If you are in doubt, please disclose any possible such relationships in your Candidate Statement.
This refers only to full Board Members.
Who is eligible to be a board member?
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- A Qualified Candidate to be elected as a Director must be a Voting Member in good standing, who has consistently complied with the Organization’s governance standards, policies, and codes of conduct.
- Every Director shall embrace and commit themselves to furthering the Mission & Vision of the Organization, and shall meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Having lived or worked within the boundaries of the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District (the “District”).
- Been born or raised in the boundaries of the District.
- Have had a history of activism in alignment with the Organizations’ Mission and Vision.
- Have served reliably on one or more of the Organization’s committees for at least one year.
What is Expected of Board members?
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- Board Members are expected to attend the annual Board Retreat, and to attend Board meetings as regularly as is possible and practical for them.
- Board Members are expected to join and actively participate on at least one Cultural District committee.
- Board Members are expected to actively participate in annual fundraising, by raising funds and/or by making a personal contribution at a level that is meaningful to them.
- Board Members are encouraged to attend and volunteer at Cultural District events at a level that is meaningful to them.
- Additionally, Board Members are urged to be involved in other Cultural District volunteer activities, such as artist and entrepreneur programs, SOMA Walking Tour Guides, or the Save SOMA Network.
Who can vote?
To be eligible to vote, individuals must have been a member by May 21, and remain in good standing on August 10, 2026.
How do we vote?
Online voting will open at 6:30 pm on Monday, August 10, 2026, and close at 5:00 pm on Monday, August 17, 2026.
Eligible voters will receive an emailed link and instructions from OpaVote, a secure voting platform. We use ranked choice voting. The voting Web site has a list of candidates; drag the names up and down until your choices are listed in order of preference with first choice at the top and last choice at the bottom.
Results will be announced at the Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The board terms begin at the end of this meeting.
All eligible voters are encouraged to read the Statements of Candidates who have nominated themselves.
There will be a Candidates Night on Monday, August 10, 2026, starting at 6:00 pm, at which candidates are invited to speak and respond to questions. Attend via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85674155941
I want to Run. What do I do?
To nominate yourself, please use:
The form allows you to upload a photograph accompany your Candidate’s Statement. The Nominations Committee reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of the picture or video, and to use the media on its website and elsewhere.
Candidate’s nomination details are posted as they are received, nominations close at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on Friday, August 7, 2026.
Plan to attend the Candidates Night (via Zoom), at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, August 10. Candidates can make a short statement, followed by Q&A. You may also share a short video (submitted at least 24 hours in advance). If you are unable to attend on August 10, we will read your statement or play your video.
All candidates must be a member of the Cultural District by August 10, 2026, to be eligible to run. (Membership fees are waived on request.) Become a member today!
See the Cultural District’s Vision and Mission Statements
See our Bylaws.
How do we elect the Cultural District President?
The President of the LCD is elected by online voting at the same time as the board seats. Only current board members and people elected to a board seat in this election are eligible to become president.
Current Directors may nominate themselves for President, using on the same nomination form.
How Will the Votes Be Counted?
OpaVote.com is our online election platform, using “ranked choice voting” (RCV) methods.
For more information about RCV, this page may be helpful.
The new Board will decide how to allocate the various terms to the newly-elected Directors at the organizational meeting following the election results announcement.
What if I still have questions?
If you have questions or concerns, please write as soon as possible to nominations@sflcd.org.
The Nominating Committee is chaired by Jonathan Ojinaga,
Who Is on the Board Now?
You can view our current Board of Directors here.
Thank you.