[ncc-services-wg] voting on AGM

On 6 Sep 2009, at 06:43, Hank Nussbacher wrote:

>> How about the matter of electronic voting that I had raised  
>> previously?  Why can't that be implemented?
>
> and so died the entire discussion thread of online voting.  No one  
> from RIPE NCC responded why electronic voting can't be implemented.


Hank, introducing electronic voting means changing the NCC's Articles  
of Association. As yet, nobody's come forward with firm proposals to  
do either of these things. Which is not surprising given that  
discussions haven't been under way for long and consensus has still to  
be reached. That's the short answer. For more detail, read on...

There is a general acceptance that something has to be done to  
encourage and/or to make it easier for more members to vote. [Moving  
the AGM and GM alongside the RIPE meetings has helped a little. IIUC  
more people attend than when the GMs were standalone events.] The  
board has asked the CEO to look into electronic voting and progress  
has been made. Axel presented some options at the last AGM.

There was even a discussion about voting reform at the 2009 AGM in  
May. See http://www.ripe.net/membership/gm/gm-may2009/minutes.html.  
Sadly, that discussion was inconclusive and no consensus emerged from  
the meeting about the way forward. The NCC Chairman asked the CEO to  
analyse the proposed schemes so that the membership can decide on  
adopting one (or not) before the AGM next year. So that presumably  
means there will be further discussion at the GM in Lisbon next month.  
I expect that if/when a consensus emerges an EGM will need to be  
called so that any new system could be in place before the 2010 AGM.

BTW, it's a little unfair to blame NCC staff for not responding to  
your original question. They are expected to remain neutral on  
constitutional matters like this and not allow their personal opinions  
to influence the membership. If you are/were unhappy at the lack of  
reply to your earlier email -- I don't remember seeing it and would  
have responded if I did -- you should have contacted the board and/or  
CEO.