[Community-Discuss] Accountability assessment - quorum

[Frank Habicht]

Hi,

On 10/4/2016 10:44 PM, Boubakar Barry wrote:
> In many countries, and not only in Africa, people buy votes and/or vote
> differently than instructed.
> 
> By limiting the number of proxies one can carry, we won't eliminate this
> risk, but we would at least reduce it.

I would argue that the members should be old and clever enough to decide
individually whether and how they want to reduce this risk.

> I don't understand the logic whereby somebody trusts a third party more
> than him/herself? What is the electronic voting facility for?

I have an example.
Suppose member A has voted electronically just before the AGMM started,
suppose member B has given a proxy without very specific instructions to
someone attending in-person.
If at the AGMM some truly significant developments come to light, like
unacceptable behaviour of sitting board members comes to light, who are
also candidates in the election, to be re-elected, and that is
significant enough to prompt a short board meeting on stage during the
meeting, and then these board members resign (presumably for a reason)
from the board, but still remain candidates in the election, then member
A might regret how he/she/it voted earlier and member B's vote can still
be changed (if desired) in response to these developments.

I don't think that this is a very unlikely corner-case.
And I consider it the case where electronic voting gives a disadvantage.

> Yes, I know some will say everybody should be given the right to vote
> the way he/she wants (paper ballot paper onsite, electronic voting or
> proxy). No problem with that.
> 
> But let's limit the risks by limiting the number of proxies one eligible
> voter can carry. There were good reasons for putting the limit.


To me it seems like the decision is between these two things:
- avoiding to get someone on the board the same way Mark Elkins did
- treating AfriNIC (resource) members like children who can't take care
   when assigning proxies
Sorry to put it bluntly.


Greetings,
Frank