National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Overhauls Voting Process

The Hall of Fame is reducing its voting panel and implementing new rules for candidate eligibility.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is making significant changes to its nominating and election process ahead of the 2026 induction cycle. The Hall is reducing its voting panel from 172 to 154 members and implementing new rules, including a 10-year limit on how many times a retired horse, jockey, or trainer can appear as a finalist before transitioning to the historic review process.

Why it matters

These changes aim to ensure the Hall of Fame's voting process maintains the highest level of integrity and results in the most deserving inductees. The move comes after criticism over the Pro Football Hall of Fame's selection process, highlighting the importance of transparency and credibility in major sports halls of fame.

The details

The Hall of Fame is dropping over two dozen voters after a survey last December was used to create a voting body that is 'deeply connected to the sport, knowledgeable, passionate and responsive.' New voters have been invited, resulting in a 154-member voting group. Retired horse, jockey and trainer candidates can now only appear as finalists a maximum of 10 times before transitioning to the historic review process, though there is no limit for active jockeys and trainers. Voters will also receive past voting percentages as a reference tool.

  • The changes will be implemented ahead of the 2026 Hall of Fame election cycle.
  • A survey was conducted in December 2025 to evaluate the voting panel.

The players

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

The organization that oversees the induction of horses, jockeys, and trainers into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

D.G. Van Clief

The chair of the Hall of Fame's nominating committee, who stated the goals of the changes are to ensure integrity and select the most deserving inductees.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Another major sports hall of fame that has faced criticism over its voting process, which prompted the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame to implement these changes.

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What they’re saying

“Our goals are to ensure this process is always defined by absolute integrity and that it yields the most deserving class of Hall of Fame inductees each year.”

— D.G. Van Clief, Nominating Committee Chair (AP)

What’s next

The new voting process and eligibility rules will be implemented for the 2026 Hall of Fame election cycle.

The takeaway

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's overhaul of its voting process demonstrates the importance of maintaining transparency, credibility, and integrity in major sports halls of fame. These changes aim to ensure the most deserving candidates are inducted, which is crucial for upholding the prestige and significance of such honors.