USA Fencing Election 2026: Initial Nominating Slate and Petition Call

Published

USA Fencing's Nominating Committee published its initial slate of Board candidates for the 2026 election and opened the petition window for anyone else who wanted a place on the ballot. Two At-Large seats are elected by the membership this cycle. A third At-Large seat was filled by Board appointment in February, when Jeremy Sirota was appointed; his term also starts Sept. 1, 2026, alongside the two elected directors.

USA Fencing's Nominating Committee published its initial slate of Board candidates for the 2026 election and opened the petition window for anyone else who wanted a place on the ballot. Two At-Large seats are elected by the membership this cycle. A third At-Large seat was filled by Board appointment in February, when Jeremy Sirota was appointed; his term also starts Sept. 1, 2026, alongside the two elected directors.

The initial slate

Listed alphabetically, as published:

The Nominating Committee also advanced Damien Lehfeldt, who elected not to run for another term.

How the petition path works

The petition window ran through March 31, 2026. Under Bylaws section 9.3.b, a petition candidate needs signatures from at least 6% of voting members in good standing, drawn from at least 4% of recognized clubs as a primary affiliation, with a minimum number of signatures from each of the six regions.

Applied to this cycle — using eligible voters as of July 31, 2025 — that meant 965 signatures (6% of 16,077), from 29 clubs (4% of 729), with at least 58 signatures from each region (6% of 965 per region).

What else a petition candidate must submit

Beyond signatures, a petition candidate must provide a written willingness to serve, a current background check, a conflict-of-interest disclosure and a Qualifying Affirmation, and must hold active membership, current SafeSport training and a passed background check.

Signatures had to be handwritten on paper. Electronic petitions were not accepted. Petitions went to nominations@usafencing.org, with hard copies to USA Fencing Nominations, 210 USA Cycling Point, Unit 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, to arrive by 5 p.m. MT on March 31, 2026.

What happened next in the timeline

After the window closed, the National Office authenticated petitions and the Election Committee checked candidate qualifications. The final ballot was due on or before April 15, the general election ran May 13–31, 2026, and the winners take four-year terms beginning Sept. 1, 2026. The election hub is usafencing.org/election2026.

Why the signature math matters

The petition threshold is high on purpose: it asks a candidate to demonstrate real, geographically spread support before joining the ballot, rather than a single club rallying behind one name. That is why the per-region minimum exists alongside the national total.

You can follow this cycle through to its conclusion in our coverage of the finalized seven-candidate ballot and the 2026 election results.

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Source: USA Fencing, "USA Fencing Election 2026: Nominating Committee Announces Initial Slate of Board Candidates, Issues Call for Petitions," Feb. 19, 2026 — https://www.usafencing.org/news/2026/february/19/usa-fencing-election-2026-nominating-committee-announces-initial-slate-of-board-candidates-issues-call-for-petitions

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