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Election process (was re: [rpd] AFRINIC Board Elections - 2014: Call for Nominations)
Nii Narku Quaynor
quaynor at ghana.com
Sun May 11 10:47:58 UTC 2014
Mark,
Ehh, please, you did not answer my question ;-)
I asked about who decides on subject to avoid issues later on
I deduce however that, CEO suggests the request from rpd is administrative/operational and he would decide
So one would await a statement on this from CEO
Regards
Nii
> On May 11, 2014, at 9:26, Mark Elkins <mje at posix.co.za> wrote:
>
> Having had a successful technical experience last year and with respect
> to the discussions on RPD, the CEO has suggested to me that moving the
> e-vote count event to the time of the counting of paper ballots is a
> reasonable refinement. There are otherwise no significant changes in the
> process.
>
> For more info on the e-voting system, please look at:
> http://www.afrinic.net/en/community/elections/voting/online-voting
>
> From the web, the voting system used is Helios.
>
>> On Sat, 2014-05-10 at 17:14 +0000, Nii Narku Quaynor wrote:
>> Very good discussion and outcome though I am a little confused about
>> decision procedure
>>
>>
>> What's the correct governance procedure on such? Is it the chair of
>> nomcom that decides? Nomcom ? Election committee? or board decision
>>
>>
>> And, it would need to be well described and communicated
>>
>>
>> Best
>> Nii
>>
>> On May 10, 2014, at 16:49, Seun Ojedeji <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> sent from Google nexus 4
>>> kindly excuse brevity and typos.
>>> On 10 May 2014 16:00, "Mark Elkins" <mje at posix.co.za> wrote:
>>>>> Will that be possible without any complication?
>>>>
>>>> I believe that this is possible.
>>>>
>>>> So from this year, the three trustees will "unlock" the e-voting
>>> results
>>>> at approximately the same time as the paper ballots are counted.
>>> Thank you Mr chair!
>>>
>>> This is good progress, other recommendations for future elections
>>> (after this year) may then be put forward during the AGM.
>>>
>>> Best regards
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards
>>>>> 1. www.afrinic.net/en/community/elections/afrinic-nomcom
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, May 10, 2014 at 3:21 PM, Mark Elkins <mje at posix.co.za>
>>> wrote:
>>>>> On Sat, 2014-05-10 at 12:42 +0100, Seun Ojedeji wrote:
>>>>>> Hello Mark,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> First considering that i wrote to chair (you) and
>>> nomcom, i
>>>>> assume
>>>>>> this response is on behalf of nomcom (do let me know
>>> if its
>>>>> otherwise
>>>>>> in your individual capacity). Kindly find my comments
>>> below:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sat, May 10, 2014 at 11:10 AM, Mark Elkins
>>>>>> <mje at posix.co.za> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Firstly, NomCom does not run the elections.
>>> The job
>>>>> of NomCom
>>>>>> (Nominations Committee) is to provide suitable
>>>>> candidates for
>>>>>> various
>>>>>> elections or appointments, Board Members, PDP
>>>>> Joint-Chairs,
>>>>>> and NRO/ASO
>>>>>> representatives.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Although nomcom may seem to mean what you indicated
>>> above.
>>>>> However
>>>>>> nomcom according to the AFRINIC website means this:
>>>>>> The NomCom (Nominations and Elections Committee)
>>>>> [1]Functions of the
>>>>>> Nomination Committee:
>>>>>
>>>>>> * The Nom Com shall
>>>>>> * use its best effort towards ensuring
>>> that a
>>>>>> satisfactory number of individuals
>>> from the
>>>>> African
>>>>>> internet community stand as candidate
>>> for
>>>>> the election
>>>>>> of the directors of AFRINIC.
>>>>>
>>>>>> * have general responsibility for, and
>>> shall
>>>>> supervise
>>>>>> the conduct of the polls by the
>>> election
>>>>> Committee on
>>>>>> election day.
>>>>>> Although the second role seem to imply that there is
>>> another
>>>>> team
>>>>>> called "election committee" and at this point, i seem
>>> to be
>>>>> lost on
>>>>>> how that committee come to play. Nevertheless its
>>> still
>>>>> clear that
>>>>>> your team coordinates the process and your role
>>> exceeds what
>>>>> you have
>>>>>> stated above.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> OK - let me use less of my own words and quote from the
>>>>> Bylaws...
>>>>>
>>>>> 9 THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE
>>>>> There shall be a Nomination Committee (NomCom), which
>>> shall
>>>>> consist of a
>>>>> chairman and three other members as appointed by the
>>> Board and
>>>>> composed of qualified and experienced persons. The Board
>>> shall
>>>>> make a
>>>>> public call for voluntary nomination from the African
>>> Internet
>>>>> Community.
>>>>>
>>>>> 10 ELECTION COMMITTEE
>>>>> There shall be an election committee comprising of such
>>> staff
>>>>> members of
>>>>> AFRINIC as may be designated by the Chief Executive
>>> Officer.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks for the opportunity to participate in
>>>>> nomcom.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There are some logistics which people may be
>>>>> missing.
>>>>>> I see that there is a goal to move to 100%
>>>>> electronic voting,
>>>>>> however
>>>>>> until then.....
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes thats the final desire,(which will perhaps require
>>> the
>>>>> blessings
>>>>>> of BoD) but that is not the request for this upcoming
>>>>> election.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Practically, the e-vote needs to be terminated
>>> some
>>>>> time
>>>>>> before people collect their ballot papers.
>>> This is
>>>>> so that the
>>>>>> ballot papers can be provided only to those
>>> entities
>>>>> allowed
>>>>>> to vote because they have not
>>>>>> yet exercised that right via the e-vote. In
>>> order to
>>>>> do this,
>>>>>> logically, one needs to see which entities
>>> have used
>>>>> the
>>>>>> e-vote so their representatives are not also
>>> given a
>>>>> ballot
>>>>>> paper to vote with.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I still find it not convincing that the termination of
>>>>> e-voting is the
>>>>>> only way to avoid multiple voting. Especially since it
>>> is
>>>>> clear that
>>>>>> you go through a process before you can do e-voting,
>>> and it
>>>>> is
>>>>>> expected that anyone that opt for e-voting obviously
>>> doesn't
>>>>> want to
>>>>>> paper ballot. So its clear those to give paper ballot
>>> can be
>>>>> known
>>>>>> easily.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What needs to be avoided is having privileged prior
>>>>> knowledge of the
>>>>>> e-voting status, your comment above doesn't prevent
>>> that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> From a convenience point of view, the e-vote
>>> cut-off
>>>>> time is
>>>>>> the evening before voting day. Names can then
>>> be
>>>>> checked. From
>>>>>> the morning of voting day, paper ballots are
>>> issued
>>>>> to all
>>>>>> still legible voters. This takes time. Paper
>>> Ballots
>>>>> are
>>>>>> carried by their owners until they are
>>> "exercised"
>>>>> later on in
>>>>>> the afternoon.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Please see my comment above about why i think we don't
>>> have
>>>>> to count
>>>>>> the e-votes just to get the numbers of those who used
>>> the
>>>>> e-voting
>>>>>> platform. Even if you don't think that option is
>>> totally
>>>>> perfect
>>>>>> (because some would already gotten their BPKI) then
>>> the
>>>>> voting
>>>>>> platform should be able clearly separate actual voting
>>>>> result from
>>>>>> from users(members) who has actually voted.
>>> Considering the
>>>>> level of
>>>>>> technicality already exhibited on the e-voting
>>> platform, i
>>>>> believe a
>>>>>> feature like that is the least challenge of the
>>> technical
>>>>> team (if it
>>>>>> doesn't already exist).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I guess that in the process of checking the
>>> names of
>>>>> entities
>>>>>> who have e-voted, one may also know how they
>>> have
>>>>> voted
>>>>>> (though I might be wrong). I personally have
>>> no
>>>>> issues with
>>>>>> this as long as the e-vote
>>>>>> results are kept strictly confidential (as has
>>> been
>>>>> done).Once
>>>>>> all the paper ballots have been submitted and
>>>>> counted, the
>>>>>> results of the two systems can be safely
>>> merged into
>>>>> one
>>>>>> election result and announced.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Kindly refer to my comment above; keeping the e-vote
>>>>> confidential is
>>>>>> the main goal.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Due to the fact that I represent more than one
>>>>> entity, I have
>>>>>> more than one vote to cast. Last year, I cast
>>> some
>>>>> by e-vote
>>>>>> and some by ballot paper. I was happy to see
>>> that
>>>>> the system
>>>>>> worked.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I did mine via e-voting and i believe no body who has
>>> used
>>>>> the
>>>>>> e-voting platform would deny that it was quite
>>> functional. I
>>>>> was
>>>>>> however surprised at the AGM when it was said that the
>>>>> voting system
>>>>>> closed and the result counted. The way i know that
>>> election
>>>>> is done is
>>>>>> that you count votes in the presence of the voters (or
>>> at
>>>>> least before
>>>>>> the candidates party representatives). On that basis
>>> as an
>>>>> individual
>>>>>> and member i wouldn't know whether something has
>>> happened to
>>>>> my votes
>>>>>> (although the platform worked).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Before asking for change, please carefully
>>> consider
>>>>> how one
>>>>>> might do this better whilst we have both
>>> e-votes and
>>>>> paper
>>>>>> ballot votes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Nobody, and certainly not me is asking us to move to
>>> 100%
>>>>> e-votes for
>>>>>> now (but we agree its something to consider for
>>> future).
>>>>> What we are
>>>>>> saying is that you while may stop e-voting at a point
>>> (which
>>>>> i find
>>>>>> un-necessary though) the opening of the e-voting
>>> voting
>>>>> status by the
>>>>>> 3-trustees should be done the same time the paper
>>> ballot is
>>>>> counted.
>>>>>
>>>>>> ... and I believe I have the general details
>>> and
>>>>> reasoning
>>>>>> correct... :-)
>>>>>
>>>>>> Not quite Mark as i think you perceive we are calling
>>> for
>>>>> 100%
>>>>>> electronic voting which is not the case.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> My own personal thoughts..... (Lots of 'I')
>>>>>
>>>>> I believe Owen makes a good case for running e-voting to
>>> the
>>>>> end of the
>>>>> election time.
>>>>>
>>>>> However, it does appear to me to make things more
>>> complicated.
>>>>> I can not quantify to myself though how useful it would
>>>>> practically be.
>>>>> I have no idea what technical changes would be necessary
>>> and
>>>>> if AFRINIC
>>>>> is going to change something - I'd rather see it spend
>>> the
>>>>> energy going
>>>>> to a full e-voting solution.
>>>>>
>>>>> E-vote starts 10 days before the elections. I see it as
>>> a very
>>>>> suitable
>>>>> replacement for Proxies or for those that can not
>>> attend.
>>>>> Extending it to the last second will possibly encourage
>>> people
>>>>> to wait
>>>>> for the last second. I personally prefer the way it
>>> currently
>>>>> is which
>>>>> gives a few hours in case of technical difficulties.
>>>>> I like the KISS principal.
>>>>>
>>>>> The AFRINIC website does state that e-votes and the
>>> people who
>>>>> have cast
>>>>> them are not conjoined. As I don't know how the software
>>>>> actually
>>>>> functions, I can not comment further.
>>> http://www.afrinic.net/en/community/elections/voting/online-voting
>>>>> (last line)
>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Kind Regards
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Mark J Elkins - AFRINIC 2014 Nominations Committee Chair
>>>>> mje at posix.co.za - nomcom2014 (at) afrinic.net
>>>>> Tel: +27.128070590 Cell: +27.826010496
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>> Seun Ojedeji,
>>>>> Federal University Oye-Ekiti
>>>>> web: http://www.fuoye.edu.ng
>>>>> Mobile: +2348035233535
>>>>> alt email: seun.ojedeji at fuoye.edu.ng
>>>>>
>>>>> The key to understanding is humility - my view !
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Mark James ELKINS - Posix Systems - (South) Africa
>>>> mje at posix.co.za Tel: +27.128070590 Cell: +27.826010496
>>>> For fast, reliable, low cost Internet in ZA:
>>> https://ftth.posix.co.za
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
> --
> Mark James ELKINS - Posix Systems - (South) Africa
> mje at posix.co.za Tel: +27.128070590 Cell: +27.826010496
> For fast, reliable, low cost Internet in ZA: https://ftth.posix.co.za
> _______________________________________________
> rpd mailing list
> rpd at afrinic.net
> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/rpd
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