Voter Information

How Do I Become Eligible to Vote at the Connectional Lay Council Convention?

There are three (3) requirements for voting in the Connectional Lay Council elections:

Voting must be done in person only
Registering for the convention is required to vote (see below)
CLC Membership Dues must be current to vote (see below)

Additionally, the by-laws state that voting is open to laity only. While clergy can be members supporting the laity mission, they are unable to vote. Also, laity must be over the age of 18 to be eligible to vote.

Voting must be in person, according to the Connectional Lay Council Bylaws (found in the 2021 AME Zion Church Book of Discipline; page 348, Section 3. Voting Body) which states “In the year of the quadrennial convention, all memberships must be paid 30 days prior to the opening date in order to be eligible to vote at the convention. The voting body of the convention shall be of current members who shall have registered with the convention.”

It is also important to note that “No member shall vote in more that one capacity. There shall be no absentee voting or voting by proxy.” (Found in the 2021 AME Zion Church Book of Discipline; page 348, Section 5. Voting) Therefore you must be in attendance.

Steps to Prepare for Voting in the Election:

Step One: Register for the Connectional Lay Council Convention and make plans to attend in person in order to vote. The convention is scheduled to take place from Saturday, July 26 through Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the Benton Convention Center, Twin City Quarter, 301 West 5^th Street, in Winston-Salem, NC. Elections and voting will take place on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

Registration must be submitted by the July 11, 2025 deadline. Registration costs are as follows:

Early Registration by May 31, 2025 ($175.00)
Pre-Registration by June 30, 2025 ($185.00)
Late (July 1, 2025) and On-site Registration ($200.00)

For Connectional Lay Council Convention Registration:

CLICK HERE

For Hotel Reservation:

CLICK HERE

Step Two: Confirm that your CLC Membership Dues is up-to-date! Membership dues must be submitted by June 15, 2025 in order to be eligible to vote at the convention. Check with your local church Lay Council, or contact CLC Membership to verify that your dues was submitted before the deadline date (June 15, 2025). Your CLC dues should be in the amount of:

$3.00 ($2.00 for CLC and $1.00 for Regional) the other portion of your $5.00 dues goes to
Your conference ($.50),
your district ($.50) and
your local church ($1.00)

Step Three: Plan to attend the convention. If your schedule or finances for a hotel stay do not allow you to attend the full convention, arrive early on or before Election Day (Wednesday July 30) and visit the check-in table. Be prepared to have your credentials (convention registration and current dues status) checked to certify you for voting.

I need your attendance at the convention to cast a vote for me! Please consider making the trip to Winston-Salem, NC on or before Wednesday, July 30, 2025!

If your local church has not submitted dues on your behalf, or your local church does not have an active Lay Council, contact our team to assist and walk you through the steps to help you create an active local church Lay Council.