Election Process

There are two ways to qualify for the ballot – nomination by the nominating committee or nomination by petition.

To qualify for board service, an individual must:

• Hold a current California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) owner’s license,
• Own at least 25% of a Thoroughbred racehorse,
• Have started a horse or horses a minimum of six times in California during the prior calendar year, and
• Be a member in good standing.

TOC Board member duties include attendance at monthly board and committee meetings and periodic attendance at CHRB and/or other industry events. Board members receive no compensation for their service, though reimbursements for necessary travel and lodging expenses are made.

There are a total of 15 directors on TOC’s board, with members serving three-year staggered terms, such that five seats are up for election each year. According to TOC bylaws:

• At least two but no more than six directors must be from the owner/trainer class of members;
• Of the owner/trainer directors, at least one must be from the Northern Zone and at least one must be from the Southern Zone; and
• At least three of the total number of directors must be from the Northern Zone at any given time.
• All qualified members, regardless of membership class as defined in TOC Bylaws, shall have the right to vote for nominees from both the owner and owner/trainer classes of members.

To Qualify by Nomination

Each year, TOC’s nominating committee considers and nominates candidates for board positions prior to March 1. Those named could include current board members or others who have expressed an interest in serving.

Owners interested in serving on the board should submit a letter to the nominating committee by February 1, including the reasons for wishing to serve on the board, confirmation of eligibility for the board, and a biographical statement. If sent by mail, these materials should be addressed to the TOC Nominating Committee, 285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007, and postmarked by February 1. Those expressing interest will be informed of the committee’s decision by March 1, with announcement of the nominees made soon thereafter.

To Qualify by Petition

Those seeking to run for the board through the Petition Process must qualify by obtaining 50 signatures from current TOC owner or owner/trainer category members supporting the candidacy, on a petition issued by TOC. To obtain the petition form, contact TOC’s Santa Anita office at (626) 574-6620 after Jan. 1. The deadline for filing a completed petition is March 1.

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TOC Board Election Timeline at a Glance

February 15

Postmark deadline for those desiring to run for board through the nomination process to submit materials to nominating committee for consideration.

March 1

Deadline to file completed petitions, for those seeking to qualify by the petition process.
Nominating committee announces nominations.

April 1

Deadline for receipt of a qualifying candidate’s statement to be included on the ballot. Details regarding those statements will be provided to those who qualify to run.

May 15

Ballots and candidate statements mailed to all TOC members.

June 15

Postmark deadline for returned ballots.

July 1

Newly elected board members take office.