Sounders FC Launches “Sounders Ballot” for Alliance Members with Slate of Club Referendums, Including 2022 General Manager Vote
September 9, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Seattle Sounders FC News Release
SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC today announced the launch of the “Sounders Ballot” for Alliance Members, providing the club’s Season Ticket Members – collectively known as the Alliance – with the opportunity to cast votes on several referendums related to team and Alliance business. Headlining the Sounders Ballot is the 2022 General Manager Vote, which gives the Alliance the opportunity to cast a vote of retention or no confidence in the club’s general manager every four years of that executive’s tenure.
In addition to the General Manager Vote, the Sounders Ballot includes the following items:
Constitution: Alliance Members can vote on amendments to the Alliance Constitution, presented by Alliance Council.
Humanitarian of the Year: Alliance Members can vote on the player representative from Sounders FC, Tacoma Defiance and Sounders FC Academy to be named Humanitarian of the Year for their respective playing level.
Fan-Funded Field: Alliance Members can vote on the official name for the Fan-Funded Field being built next season. Fans can continue to donate to this cause here.
Scarf Vote: Alliance Members can vote on the design of the 2023 Alliance Member Scarf that 2023 Alliance Members receive at the beginning of next season.
The Sounders Ballot is currently open, with voting closing at 5:00 p.m. PT on September 28. Alliance Members can cast their ballots at SoundersFC.com/Ballot or in person at the club’s next two home matches on September 10 and September 27, where voting stations will be staffed and available in the Northwest Field Plaza. Members and their seat designees will receive further detailed communication via their registered account email.
“Voting serves a critical role in our society, and it’s something that our club is passionate about promoting and providing further education for,” said Sounders FC Owner & President of Business Operations Peter Tomozawa. “While it’s not a local, state or federal election, the Sounders Ballot is still important for our Season Ticket Members. Democracy in Sports has long been a guiding principle of Sounders FC and this ballot gives those who support us most fervently the opportunity to make their voices heard in a way not offered anywhere else in American sports.”
“Democracy in Sports is more than a catchphrase; it is the lifeblood of our club,” said Alliance Council President Cameron Collins. “Everything we do is built upon this idea; built upon the notion that our fanbase is more than just supporters. It is crucial to the club’s success. The Sounders Ballot is the latest extension of this great collaboration between the club and the Sounders faithful. Bringing together the GM Vote, constitutional ratification and other important ballot measures, this ballot is a chance for the Alliance’s voice to be heard. This is Democracy in Sports in action!”
Championed by Drew Carey as a condition to joining the newly minted Sounders FC ownership group in 2008, Democracy in Sports is a pillar of the franchise that believes that fans of the team are empowered to have a real, tangible say in the organization with the right to determine the overall course of the team. This ethos is highlighted by the General Manager Vote, which takes place every four years of a given executive’s tenure. Current General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey, hired ahead of the 2015 season, was retained following his first General Manager Vote in 2018 and now faces his second.
Under Lagerwey, Sounders FC has amassed a 116-85-54 MLS regular-season record and 17-5-3 postseason record, including four MLS Cup Final appearances and two league championships. Additionally, the club became the first MLS team to claim the Concacaf Champions League – and thus qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup – in 2022. On its development side, Sounders FC’s Academy has had a strong run, producing multiple First Team contributors and winning Generation Adidas Cup titles in 2018, 2019 and 2022, the U-17 U.S. Soccer Development Academy championship in 2018 and the Youdan / Sheffield Cup from 2016-2019.
Lagerwey has also been responsible for some of the most notable player signings in Sounders FC history, including Nicolás Lodeiro, Raúl Ruidíaz, Albert Rusnák, Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan, among others.
Further information regarding the General Manager Vote can be found below.
WHO CAN VOTE
Alliance Members are granted voting privileges. The Alliance was established in 2008 and it exists to offer its members a voice in their club. By purchasing season tickets, fans are granted membership in the Alliance and receive all associated benefits. This includes full-season package holders and suite holders.
ABOUT THE VOTE
Eligible fans are able to vote either yes or no in regard to the retention of the club’s general manager. A vote of yes signals retention, while a vote of no signals a vote of no confidence.
The vote is weighted, such that each Season Ticket Member / Alliance Member holds as many votes as seats owned. For example, a fan with four season tickets then has four votes to cast in the General Manager Vote. Account holders with multiple seats may designate their additional votes to others; the deadline for this process in the 2022 vote has passed. If additional votes in an account are not specifically designated, then all votes in an account are cast in the same direction as the primary vote for that account.
VOTE RESULTS
The club’s bylaws require that 40% of eligible Alliance Members participate in the General Manager Vote for the final tally to be considered valid, so those with votes are highly encouraged to take part in order to ensure that the final vote can be official. For a vote of no confidence to move forward, it must be chosen by the super-majority of no less than 67% of all votes cast.
Results of the 2022 General Manger Vote will be announced at the club’s Annual Business Meeting in November. The remaining items on the Sounders Ballot are being announced separately.
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