[rpd] Fwd: Discussion about e-voting

Mon May 12 20:20:40 UTC 2014

On May 12, 2014 10:38 PM, "Mark Elkins" <mje at posix.co.za> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 2014-05-12 at 20:54 +0400, Kofi ansa akufo wrote:
> > Mark
> >
> > Thanks for pointing out the voting procedure for individuals with
> > multiple votes.
>
> My pleasure. I hope I do not come over as being too heavy handed. I've
> been around a while.

Not at all it is the very essence if discussion list :)

> >
> > What I am driving at is the integrity of the votes cast and how it
> > fairly represents the diverse community.
>
> I believe that the Elections and build-up processes that AFRINIC has are
> good. AFRINIC really does a pretty darn good job.

Obviously the RIR is doing a good job by resorting to sensitizing members
primarily through mailing list of upcoming elections :)

I believe that as
> AFRINIC grows more towards a fully e-vote system, the integrity will
> improve though I should add I'm not aware of there ever having been a
> voting irregularity from the aspect of AFRINIC staff or systems.

Voting irregularity does not occur only through manipulating of results.
Should I understand that you not hearing of any irregularity mean the
system is clean and not necessary to improve it? Could it be you are not
paying attention or refusing to hear :)

I would
> though personally miss the Paper Ballots and having the Staff from
> Visiting RAR's doing the counting...
> >
> > Member entities should be encouraged as much as possible to
> > participate in the election process as well as being ptesent in
> > meetings instead of encouraging proxies be it they understand "AFRINIC
> > politics" or NOT to vote for multiple representatives.
>
> AFRINIC does stream most of the events - so its possible to be
> "included" without being physically there. A proxy (or preferably
> e-vote) is at least a sign of interest. I'd personally love to see all
> members vote.
>
> > I believe the community can do better by exploring how to map entities
> > eligible to vote to the electoral system to involve the diverse
> > community.
>
> Go look at: http://afrinic.net/en/about-us/our-members
> At time of writing, we have 738 resource members who can vote (those in
> Good Standing).
>
> This e-mail written from my personal viewpoint.

I am also neither writing on behalf of AFRINIC nor any group but I believe
the process should be clean and conducted by people independent and
unbiased.

The RIR could do better to reach out to sensitize members on nominations
other than primarily through mailing list, and again allow enough time for
open vetting of candidature as part of the election process. This part of
the process is relevant to ensure diverse participation. 738 members is
nothing to pose a challenge to elections to resort to multiple votes by a
single individual on the pretext of proxy voting.

Cheers

Kofi

>
> > cheers
> >
> > Kofi.
> >
> > On May 12, 2014 7:55 PM, "Mark Elkins" <mje at posix.co.za> wrote:
> >         On Mon, 2014-05-12 at 18:42 +0400, Kofi ansa akufo wrote:
> >         > Dear All
> >         >
> >         > 1. I am currently curious how individuals representing more
> >         than one
> >         > registered and / or resource member currently proceeds to
> >         casting
> >         > votes online.
> >
> >         I have posted on this subject a few postings ago....
> >         I am perhaps a perfect example of this scenario.
> >
> >         > Does the person login with the same nic-handle or different
> >         > nic-handles to cast multiple votes respectively?
> >
> >         The same NIC handle and Password to the same account.
> >
> >         Once in, there is a drop-down box to allow the representative
> >         (me, in
> >         this case) to 'switch' to which ever entity I need to
> >         represent or
> >         manage.
> >         This is a very convenient way of managing different entities.
> >
> >         > If by nic-handle wouldn't it be easy for voters to be
> >         identified by
> >         > the entities the represent (e.g. organisation ids) at least
> >         as a
> >         > secondary check prior to login to vote.
> >
> >         Generally, it is the entity that is the Member, not the person
> >         with the
> >         NIC-Handle.. more correctly, it is the entity's voting
> >         representative
> >         who can vote. There may be more than one person per entity who
> >         is
> >         enabled to use that privilege, but there is only one vote per
> >         entity,
> >         for example "Resource Member".
> >
> >
> >         > I ask this because this will facilitate implementation of
> >         dispensing
> >         > machine for paper ballot sheets for those not able to
> >         exercise
> >         > e-voting based on logic and eliminate ending one voting
> >         option before
> >         > the other as well as human errors. Obviously NOT in the
> >         coming 2014
> >         > elections but later.
> >
> >
> >         > 2. Going forward IMHO I think we should discouraged multiple
> >         voting by
> >         > an individual for different members since the probability of
> >         voting
> >         > differently is low and this only goes to increase votes
> >         across one
> >         > side only. A "polished form" of election rigging. I know
> >         some will
> >         > argue one can still like gin with different credentials and
> >         vote one
> >         > sided but then :)
> >         >
> >         > Could someone from the community enlighten me on this
> >         please.
> >
> >         I'm a Director of multiple, independent companies each with
> >         their own
> >         resources and each members of AFRINIC in their own right. My
> >         fellow
> >         Directors may prefer me to do all the voting because I
> >         understand a fair
> >         amount of the 'Politics' of AFRINIC. Are you suggesting I
> >         should not be
> >         allowed? That will not make them happy.
> >
> >         Board Members have a Vote. If they also represent a resource
> >         Member, are
> >         you going to disenfranchise them that direct resource vote???
> >
> >         As you almost suggested, all I need to do then is sit down
> >         with various
> >         collogues and have them login to my-afrinic and cast their
> >         vote
> >         according to my suggestions.
> >
> >         Your suggestion will achieve inconvenience.
> >
> >         Simply creating extra NIC-Handles should not work as AFRINIC
> >         requires
> >         the official Identity of everyone who wishes to use the
> >         e-voting
> >         system.
> >
> >
> >         Posted on my own behalf - representing multiple AFRINIC
> >         resource
> >         members.
> >
> >         > Kofi
>
>
> --
> 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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