Hi, nalexander30 -- First, I want to commend you for thinking about how you can keep *all*  of these interested volunteers engaged! Your group is lucky to have you.

It should be a good problem to have so many people interested in a position, but it's true that feelings can be hurt by the outcome. If there are only 2 people interested in a position, you could suggest that both people take on the role and serve as co-leaders.

If it's more than two people, then a great first step is to talk to or email everyone collectively (so that it's transparent). Let them all know that there's been a lot of interest in the position, and the group's top priority is to have as many people participate as possible. Then share the other open board positions, along with the job descriptions, and ask whether any of those positions are of interest.

*As far as elections, what do your bylaws say?* If the bylaws lay out that board positions are filled by election, then that's what your group will need to do. In that case, you could have each candidate speak for 90 seconds to  2 minutes (use a timer) about their qualifications and desire to serve in that role.

If you aren't required to hold an election and you you still have 3 or more people interested in the job, you could draw a name from a bowl and fill the role that way. Again, be transparent by letting everyone involved know that's how it will be decided, and do the name draw at an official meeting, same as you would any regular board election.