Attention: Get Ready for Voting

June 25, 2020 by Elizabeth Quinn

Voting for the NATA presidential election is July 1-31. As with previous NATA presidential elections, voting will be conducted electronically. All certified NATA members with a valid email address will be sent an email July 1 with further voting instructions. This email will be sent from NATA Election Coordinator noreply@directvote.net.

Make sure your email is up to date with NATA, as this is how members will receive information on voting, by logging in to the NATA website. Emails should be updated before July 1 to ensure a member receives all voting information.

Mail-in ballots are available upon request. NATA recommends anyone who needs a mail-in ballot to request one no later than July 15. All ballots must be received by Survey Ballot Systems before 5 p.m. CDT July 31 to be counted. Members can request a ballot from Survey Ballot Systems now, but Survey Ballot Systems will not be able to receive the paper ballot before July 1.

To assure election-specific broadcast emails arrive safely in your inbox July 1, add noreply@directvote.net as an approved sender. If you don’t receive the voting email July 1, check your junk folder. Those who don’t have an up-to-date email address on file with NATA will receive a letter informing them how to vote online.

For questions about voting or to request a paper ballot, contact Survey Ballot Systems at support@directvote.net or by calling 952-974-2339. The NATA presidential election results will be announced in August. The new president will then take office during the 72nd NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in 2021 and will serve a three-year term. Visit the NATA Presidential Election webpage for more information.

The two presidential candidates, Kathy Dieringer, EdD, LAT, ATC, and Katie Walsh Flanagan, EdD, LAT, ATC, were introduced to the NATA membership following the NATA Joint Committee Meeting in January. Since then, members have had the opportunity to learn more about the candidates through NATA’s various communication channels, including the NATA News and NATA Chats on Facebook Live.

NATA Chats will host two more virtual Q&A with the NATA presidential candidates. The next is at 2 p.m. CDT Thursday, June 25, on Facebook Live. This event will focus on cultural competency and be hosted by NATA Hall of Fame members Pat Aronson, PhD, LAT, ATC, and René Shingles, PhD, ATC.

The last NATA Chats Q&A with NATA presidential candidates is at 4 p.m. CDT Tuesday, June 30, on Facebook Live. This event will focus on the student population and is hosted by NATA Student Leadership Committee Chair Midge Peterson. If you are a student, you can email questions for the candidates to marketing@nata.org.

Additionally, members will have another opportunity to hear from the candidates during the 2020 NATA Virtual Clinical Symposia & AT Expo. During the virtual Face Time event July 15, the candidates will answer questions submitted to NATA by members. If you have a question for the candidates, submit it to marketing@nata.org, and be sure to register for VNATA 2020.

Note: There will be no changes to votes after it is submitted. Therefore, if the Face Time address is important for a decision, adjust accordingly. Once a vote is in, it is final.