BOARD-L Archives

Archiver > BOARD > 2002-05 > 1020425420


From: Holly Timm <>
Subject: Re: [BOARD-L] Absentee Ballots
Date: Fri, 03 May 2002 07:30:20 -0400


The term proxy was used too loosely. A proxy vote is actually when you give
someone else your voting power. The intended issue is what someone has
earlier referred to as an *absentee ballot* and I think that is an accurate
enough term. Proxy votes technically give someone else the power to decide
your vote (one would presumably choose someone one thinks would vote the
way you would want to). An absentee ballot is the actual vote sent in ahead
of time because one is going to be out of touch when a specific item or
motion comes to a vote.

I am of the opinion that absentee ballots should be permissable but not
proxies. I see no reason why someone must make their vote public beforehand
on any issue (posting on board-l) or even to just the board as a whole (on
the exec list). It should definitely be sent to the NC as that is who
should post it when the vote is actually called (and the entire message
should be posted, headers and all) and in case of straying mail, to one
other designated person, probably the board secretary if we have one or the
RAL. There is certainly nothing to prevent someone from posting it to
others if they like but the one to forward it to the board when voting
takes place should be the NC.

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