Bias

Bias is any undue influence or partiality that could affect the fairness of an election. Bias takes several forms. With cognitive bias, members vote based on familiarity instead of true merit. Conflict of interest bias happens when decision-makers have a stake in the outcome of an election. Selection bias can also occur when the association only presents certain viewpoints to members, disempowering them to make informed decisions. It isn’t easy to completely overcome bias, but organizations should work hard to remove as much bias from the voting process as possible.

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