Academy will allow members to vote for executive committees

Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will now be able to vote on who sits on their branch's executive committees, which determine Oscar rules and select new members.

The change, announced Tuesday, is part of the Academy's effort to pursue diversity within its ranks.

Here's how it will work. Starting Monday, members can vote on up to 10 of their peers to fill half of their executive committee. The other half of the committee will consist of the three governors, plus members appointed by the governors.

Previously, the three governors in each branch would appoint executive committee members.

To put that in perspective, Laura Dern recently became a governor of the actors branch, joining Tom Hanks and Annette Bening. They sit on their branch's executive committee, and, thanks to the new rules, will now be joined by members appointed by Dern, Hanks, Bening and those elected by the new, more democratic process.

Voting ends July 28.

The Academy's latest move was preceded by several major announcements, having set the goal of doubling women and members of color by 2020.

On Monday, they tapped six new governors, including three women (including Laura Dern) and two African Americans.

Last month, the Academy announced its most diverse new class of membership invitees ever, including Idris Elba, John Boyega, Nate Parker, Marlon Wayans, America Ferrera and Alicia Vikander.

The new 683-person class, a record in size, was 46% female and 41% people of color.

“We’re going to just keep going,” Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs told Paste BN in June. “When you set a goal, you really want to set a high one. Otherwise, what’s the point? This is a process we’re continuing until 2020. And we won’t stop then, either."