Electronic voting

[Guest David]

Our local cultural organization of 300 members is considering whether or not to allow electronic voting and wondered about other organization's experiences, both good and bad. The nominating committee chooses one candidate per office and the ballot has a space for write-in. Concerns include vote secrecy, how to insure against fraud and whether it gives too much advantage to the nominating committee candidate.

[Dan Honemann]

Our local cultural organization of 300 members is considering whether or not to allow electronic voting and wondered about other organization's experiences, both good and bad. The nominating committee chooses one candidate per office and the ballot has a space for write-in. Concerns include vote secrecy, how to insure against fraud and whether it gives too much advantage to the nominating committee candidate.

I'm afraid that a discussion of this sort would be beyond the scope of this forum, which deals with the proper application of the rules contained in RONR for the conduct of business in deliberative assemblies.

"It is a fundamental principle of parliamentary law that the right to vote is limited to the members of an organization who are actually present at the time the vote is taken in a regular or properly called meeting ..." (RONR, 11th ed., p. 423)

[Rev Ed]

I concur, don't go for it. It is only going to create issues.

[Guest David]

Thank you. Allowing paper absentee ballots for elections (currently allowed) is very different from voting by email or through a website (the proposed options), but many on the board don't seem to see the difference. I'm convinced it would be a big mistake, but am having trouble getting the others to understand possible issues.

[Sean Hunt]

Thank you. Allowing paper absentee ballots for elections (currently allowed) is very different from voting by email or through a website (the proposed options), but many on the board don't seem to see the difference. I'm convinced it would be a big mistake, but am having trouble getting the others to understand possible issues.

The issues lie in mixing votes taken outside the meeting with votes taken at the meeting. Paper ballots are fine if they are handled under the same circumstances, such as the meeting perfecting (amending) the motion before it is put to a vote, and then sending out a ballot to everyone. The really big issues arise when you accept ballots before the meeting, because then it is possible that different people have different perceptions of the question when they cast their votes.