The Java Community Process (JCP) is Sun's officially-blessed standards body that guides the evolution of standard Java APIs (JSRs). The JCP is made up of two executive committees (EC), one devoted to Java SE/EE, and the other to Java ME. According to the JCP program office:

The EC members guide the evolution of the Java technologies. The EC represents a cross-section of both major stakeholders and other members of the Java Community. Duties are: select JSRs for development, approve draft Specifications for Public Review, approve Final Specifications, review TCK appeals, approve Maintenance revisions and possibly defer some features to a new JSR, approve transfer of maintenance duties between members and provide guidance to the Program Management Office (PMO).

Each year, some members of the executive boards are up for election by the community. The current phase of the JCP elections invites nominations from the broader community. This year's nominees for the SE/EE committee are CodeGear, the Eclipse Foundation, Ericsson AB, Google Inc., Interface21 Inc, and individual members Klaus Meffert, and Perret Pierre-Henry. Nominees for the ME committee are Intel, Orange France SA, and individual nominees Sean Sheedy, Luiz Carlos Bentes dos Anjos, and Marlon Faria da Luz.

Developers have until midnight Pacific Time to vote on these nominees.