stds-802-16: Re: [802SEC] +++ SEC Rules Change Letter Ballot +++ Ballot on WGelectronic voting
As discussed at a small meeting last Thursday night, I would like to
circulate a draft response to the SEC rules change ballot mentioned
below. (The specific proposed text is at <http://wg.wirelessman.org>
as "802Rules_elec_voting.pdf").
Here is my proposed response. Let me know if you have any changes to suggest.
Roger
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Disapprove, with the following comments:
E-voting is highly problematic. While the voting itself is rather
straightforward, the process of forming the motion is critical but
much more difficult to do without a meeting. Questions that arise
include:
*Under what conditions is the Chair required to put a motion on the e-floor?
*Are there e-equivalents of friendly amendments, motions to amend,
motions to table, etc? How can you amend a motion that has already
received a hundred votes and is set to close in a day or two?
*How is a quorum established? How do we decide who was "present"?
In 802.16, we have discussed these issues and would prefer to address
the problem based on our experience with an alternative voting tool
that has shown itself to work quite well electronically: the Letter
Ballot. Of the two forms of voting described in the rules, it is the
Letter Ballot, not "Voting at Meetings", that is more effectively
adapted to the problem at hand.
We propose to solve the problem by not tampering with 5.1.4.2.1
("Voting at Meeting") but only with 5.1.4.2.2. The first paragraph of
5.1.4.2.2 would stay the same:
5.1.4.2.2 Voting by Letter Ballots
"The decision to submit a draft standard or a revised standard to the
Sponsor Ballot Group must be ratified by a letter ballot. Other
matters may also be decided by a letter ballot at the discretion of
the Working Group Chair. The Working Group Chair may vote in letter
ballots."
Since "other matters" are already mentioned, the rules change is
easy. The next paragraph would just be changed from:
"The letter ballot response time must be at least forty days from the
time of "sending" postmark to the postmark of the returned ballot."
to the following:
"For a decision to submit a draft to the Sponsor Ballot Group, the
letter ballot response time must be at least forty days from the time
of "sending" postmark to the postmark of the returned ballot. The
letter ballot may also be conducted by electronic means; in this
case, the response time is reduced to 30 days. For recirculation
ballots, and for letter ballots not related to the submission of
draft standards, the response time must be at least seven days."
The rest of 5.1.4.2.2 requires no change.
In the new version, the first two paragraphs of 5.1.4.2.2 could be
more concise, but I just wanted to focus on the changes required and
show that they are quite small.
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At 7:04 AM -0500 02/04/01, Paul Nikolich wrote:
>Dear SEC members,
>
>Attached you will find the text for the SEC rules change letter ballot on WG
>Electronic Voting. (Note this is a resend of the March 17, 2002 letter
>ballot notice with the start time revised to 4/1/02 because we did not
>officially approve it for distribution until last night. Other than that it
>is unchanged).
>
>Scope: To permit voting by electronic means at the working group level.
>
>Purpose: To facilitate the WG consensus process.
>
>The ballot opens April 1, 2002 and closes June 8, 2002 12 midnight EDT
>(remember if you do not vote or abstain it is equivalent to a DISAPPROVE
>vote). Buzz, please ensure this gets sent to the 802-wide email list as
>well. WG chairs, if you haven't already done so, please invite your WG
>members to comment through you.
>
>Regards,
>
>--Paul Nikolich