Nomenclature governance of algae, fungi, and plants can become a more democratic process at the Madrid Nomenclature Section

Abstract The governance of the nomenclature of algae, fungi, and plants as prescribed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants is presently undemocratic in six ways: (1) the selection of the officers of nomenclature and the committee members; (2) restricted attendance to the Nomenclature Section because of the expense of attending; (3) attendees at the Nomenclature Section may carry up to 14 institutional votes and institutions have from 1 to 7 institutional votes; (4) the preliminary guiding vote carries little weight; (5) the General Committee can overturn decisions of the Specialist Committees; and (6) decisions of the General Committee can be approved in the Nomenclature Section by a minority (40% plus 1 vote). There is an opportunity to make nomenclature governance more democratic at the Nomenclature Section at Madrid by allowing virtual attendance, giving one and only one institutional vote to each institution, and changing approval of the decisions of the General Committee to a simple majority of 50%.