The set of bylaws that governs the Alumni Fellow nominating and election process is contained in a document titled "Miscellaneous Regulations of the Yale Corporation." The regulations for the election articulate a complex process and resist simplification. For those wishing to understand the process in detail, it is best to view the relevant section of the Miscellaneous Regulations in its entirety. They can be found at the following location: www.aya.yale.edu/corpelection/miscregs.htm.

Essentially, there are two ways in which a candidate may be placed onto the Alumni Fellow election ballot. An Alumni Fellow Nominating Committee is appointed each year to poll widely among alumni and University personnel for possible candidates, conduct extensive research on the careers and public records of possible candidates, and then compose a slate of from two to five candidates to present to alumni. (In the past fifteen years, there have been five slates of two candidates, seven slates of three candidates and three slates with either four or five candidates.)

The Alumni Fellow Nominating Committee consists of at least six AYA Board members appointed by the AYA Chair plus the following ex officio members: Chair of the AYA Board, University Council President, Vice-President for Development, Secretary of the University, and one current member of the Yale Corporation.

It is also possible for an eligible alumnus/a to obtain a place on the ballot through a petition process. This process is described fully in the Miscellaneous Regulations, and it involves the collection of a number of petitions equal to 3% of the prior year's number of qualified electors. Electors are alumni who have obtained any degree from a Yale graduate or professional school as well as all Yale College degree holders who are five years or more out from their graduation.