Election process
In order for someone to be elected into the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame, they must first be nominated to the ballot. Recommendations for people to be placed on the ballot are solicited from the ACBHOF Board of Advisors, a committee consisting of more than 50 professionals from across the spectrum of craft beer industry-affiliated people.
Final nominees make the ballot by this process:
Every calendar year, Advisory Board members nominate three (3) people each.
Six (6) people each for the inaugural year 2024
The top ten (10) people nominated —based on nomination percentages-- make the final ballot.
For the inaugural year, 2024, the top twenty (20) people make the final ballot
Once the ballot has been finalized, it is sent out to all members of the Advisory Board, as well as to the ACBHOF Board of Electors, which also consists of more than 50 people aligned with the craft beer industry. All votes carry equal weight.
All Advisors and Electors vote on the ten people on the final ballot, limited to five (5) votes each
Ten (10) votes each for the inaugural year (2024)
In order for any nominee to gain entrance to the Hall of Fame, they must receive a minimum of 75% of the total vote. This process is repeated once per calendar year, with each annual group of inductees entering The Hall as a Class.
Nominees not making the ballot or The Hall in any given year may be eligible again the following year, with no limit as to how many years they may be nominated.
All voting procedures are executed via private email link and are tabulated by a professional survey and statistics company. The results are guaranteed accurate and confidential.
This voting process closely mirrors that of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York; a process that has been used for over 80 years.