Voting

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I plan to attend the GM. What voting options do I have? →

If you plan to attend the GM, you can vote electronically or vote by paper ballot. Note that if you plan to attend the GM, you must register to attend the GM.

How do I vote electronically? →

If you have completed the registration process in full, then before the election you will receive an email with instructions on how to vote and how to access the BigPulse voting application.

When can I vote? →

You can only vote during the GM on 4 May 2011. Details on times are available in the Draft Agenda.

How many votes do I have? →

Each member with full membership status has one vote to cast.

I am a contact person for more than one LIR. How many times can I vote? →

If you represent more than one LIR, you can vote as many times as the number of LIRs you represent. If your voting choice is different depending on the LIR you are voting for, before selecting the candidate, you should select the number of votes you would like to use each time you cast a vote. If, on the other hand, you would like to select the same candidate preference for all the LIRs you represent, you only need to submit your votes once if you are using all your votes.

How does the BigPulse voting system know how many LIRs I represent? →

The number of votes you have is based on the number of registries you registered for in the registration process. If you are the registered contact for five LIRs but you only registered for four LIRs in the registration process, then you will have four votes.

Can I vote electronically if I am not a registered contact person for an LIR? →

No. If you are not an LIR contact person you cannot vote in representation of your LIR.

If I vote electronically, how do I select my candidate of choice for the RIPE NCC Executive Board? →

The candidates are presented on the voting page in alphabetical order. You rank your candidates for the Executive Board in order of preference. The first candidate selected will be your first preference, the second candidate selected will be your second choice, and so on.

Why do I need to select the candidates in order of preference? →

The RIPE NCC uses the instant run-off voting method to calculate the results. Voters rank candidates in order of preference (first, second, third, etc.). If no absolute majority is achieved (majority from remote and onsite voters), the candidate with least number of votes is dropped and the next preferences of all ballots assigned to that candidate are added to the other candidates’ totals. This process is repeated until a candidate achieves an absolute majority (more than 50% of the total votes cast).

Can I vote for only one candidate or do I need to vote for all candidates? →

You can select all candidates in order of preference, select one candidate or select some but not all candidates. Whichever option you choose, your first selected candidate will be your first candidate of choice.

Can I change my vote after I have voted electronically? →

No. Once you have voted you cannot change your vote.

What should I do if I want to abstain when voting electronically? →

If you wish to abstain, you can select the option “Abstain” in the BigPulse voting application. If you choose this option, follow the voting instructions to finalise the voting process.

How do I know that my electronic vote has been correctly cast? →

The voting process consists of three steps: voting, confirmation and “thank you” screen. On the last screen, you have the option to view the voting receipt. This voting receipt is automatically sent by email to the voter. The confirmation receipt demonstrates that your vote has been cast correctly.

Is the process of counting the votes performed by the RIPE NCC? →

No. Counting the votes is done automatically by BigPulse. In this way, the RIPE NCC can assure integrity of the results.

How can I verify that my electronic vote has been received by the system? →

BigPulse provides an audit report that is displayed on a webpage, which can be used to let people verify that their vote is properly recorded. The BigPulse URL shows that the data is coming directly from the BigPulse server.

Why have I received two different invitations to vote electronically? →

There are two vacant seats on the Executive Board to be filled and so two voting rounds will be held. Both voting rounds will take place during the GM. Both voting rounds will be held in the same way. Once the first voting round is complete and the results are announced, the winner of the first seat is removed from the list of candidates for the second voting round.

How are the results calculated? →

Once the voting period is closed, paper ballots received during the GM will be entered in the BigPulse system as well. The BigPulse application will then calculate the results according to the instant run-off voting method and the RIPE NCC Articles of Association. The Chair of the GM will then announce the results of the voting round.

Is my vote anonymous if I vote electronically? →

Yes. By using BigPulse, the RIPE NCC can ensure that all voting data is anonymous because votes cast cannot be associated with the voter's identity.