Overseer and Elected Director Elections

April 1 to May 19, 2025

Photograph of Harvard’s Loeb House

Elections for Harvard’s governing boards started on April 1, 2025 and voting is open until May 19, 2025.

Alumni may vote for Harvard’s Board of Overseers and Elected Directors of the Harvard Alumni Association. As before, you will be able to vote either online or by paper ballot. 

Members of the Harvard community entitled to vote are to receive further information about the elections shortly before voting begins. Harvard Elections Process has additional information.


 


    (Loeb House, meeting location for Harvard Governing bodies.)


 

For further background, please see:

Information on Candidates for these Harvard elected offices

Information on nomination and election process


 

Ballots are sent to alumni to arrive prior to April 1, 2025. If you do not have a ballot needed to vote online, or have question regarding their ballot, please contact Harvard Elections:


Call the Election Services Corp. (ESC) help desk toll-free at:
1-866-720-4357 (M-F, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET)
1-516-688-7013 (international)

You can also email the help desk at: Election Services - Harvard Elections

Please include your name, mailing address, degree, and graduation year.

 

For more on the election basics, you can review the elections website, a playlist of elections-related videos and FAQ. Amelia Muller AB ’11, MUP ’20 and Sid Espinosa MPP ’00, members of the alumni-led nominating committee, also shared their perspectives on why it’s so important for alumni to vote. We encourage you to watch their short video and share it with your community.

Elections for Harvard University’s Board of Overseers and Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) Elected Directors will begin April 1. We hope you will take some time to become informed and vote.

How do you vote? You may vote either online or by paper ballot. To vote online, you will receive an email next week with instructions about accessing your digital ballot. To vote by paper ballot, materials will be mailed by April 1 to the most recent address Harvard has on file for you.

Why should you vote? The Board of Overseers is one of Harvard’s two governing boards along with the President and Fellows, also known as the Corporation. Harvard Overseers play an integral role in the governance of the University. The HAA Board of Directors is an advisory board that empowers volunteers to strengthen the Harvard alumni community.

By voting, you help shape Harvard’s future. We encourage you to learn more about this year’s candidates and vote this spring.
Learn about the candidates

Voting in these elections is an important way to have a voice in Harvard’s future. Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate this spring.


From the HAA:


Every spring, alumni vote for Harvard Overseers and HAA Elected Directors. The Harvard Board Elections, which represent one of the earliest forms of alumni engagement at the University, provide an annual opportunity for alumni to get involved. Harvard Overseers ensure Harvard maintains its academic excellence and advise University leadership on a range of issues; HAA Elected Directors work to deepen the alumni community’s relationship with both Harvard and each other.

With 2025 elections beginning next week, as an alumnus/a you are asked for your help in getting out the vote by encouraging those in your alumni community to participate. You may find the following resources helpful: 

Thank you for taking the time to engage with this year’s elections.


About the Elections

All Harvard degree holders as of Jan. 1, except for officers of instruction and government at Harvard and members of the Harvard Corporation, are eligible to vote for Overseer candidates. All Harvard degree holders as of Jan. 1 may vote for HAA elected directors.

 

 

The Board of Overseers is one of Harvard’s two governing boards, along with the President and Fellows, also known as the Corporation. Formally established in 1642, the board plays an integral role in the governance of the University, complementing the Corporation’s work as Harvard’s principal fiduciary board. As a central part of its work, the Board of Overseers directs the visitation process, the primary means for periodic external assessment of Harvard’s Schools and departments. Through its array of standing committees, and the roughly 50 visiting committees that report to them, the board probes the quality of Harvard’s programs and assures that the University remains true to its charter as a place of learning. More generally, drawing on its members’ diverse experience and expertise, the board provides counsel to the University’s leadership on priorities, plans, and strategic initiatives. The board also has the power of consent to certain actions, such as the election of Corporation members. The current membership of the board is listed here.

 

 

The HAA board, including its elected directors, is an advisory board that aims to foster a sense of community, engagement, and University citizenship among Harvard alumni around the world. The work focuses on developing volunteer leadership and increasing and deepening alumni engagement through an array of programs that support alumni communities worldwide. In recent years, the board’s priorities have included strengthening outreach to recent graduates and graduate school alumni and continuing to build and promote inclusive communities.

 

 

(Photo from Harvard Magazine: Loeb House, meeting location for Harvard Governing bodies.)