The apportionment ballot election is conducted annually over early November to mid-December to determine the composition of APA’s Council of Representatives.
Each voting member of APA receives a ballot with 10 votes to distribute among eligible constituencies—divisions and state provincial and territorial associations (SPTAs)—according to his or her interests.
The total number of seats for representatives from divisions and state/provincial/territorial psychological associations on Council is 162. These are divided into two pools, one for divisions and one for SPTAs. The percentage of the total 162 seats that each pool receives is determined by the percentage of total votes each pool receives. Each division and SPTA receives one Council seat from their pool and additional seats from the pool are awarded to a division or SPTA based on the following calculation:
- 1.5% to less than 2.5%—one additional seat.
- 2.5% to less than 3.5%—two additional seats.
- 3.5% to less than 4.5%—three additional seats.
- And so on.
Those divisions or SPTAs that are entitled to additional seats from their pool are awarded additional seats in the following manner. The division or SPTA with the highest percentage in a pool will receive the first additional seat, and an additional seat will be awarded to other divisions or SPTAs entitled to one or more additional seats in descending order of their percentages. If a pool is not exhausted after the awarding of the first additional seat to those divisions or SPTAs entitled, additional seats will be awarded to those divisions or SPTAs that are entitled to more than two seats in descending order of their percentages. This process continues until either all additional seats in a pool have been assigned or until all divisions or SPTAs in a pool entitled additional seats have been assigned all of the seats to which their percentage entitles them.
If additional seats still remain in a pool after they have been awarded by virtue of the percentage received by a division or SPTA, remaining seats will be awarded to the division or SPTA that came closest to being awarded another seat.
The results of the apportionment ballot, together with the current membership of Council, are taken into account as the Election Office generates a listing of division and SPTA vacancies on Council for the following year. It is important to note that:
- A division or SPTA that is allocated fewer seats for one year than those allocated the previous year must recall the appropriate number of representatives.
- Once a representative is recalled, the individual's term is over (APA Bylaws, Article V, Section 5). Even if the division regains the lost seat on the next apportionment vote, a new election for Council representative must be held to fill the seat.