[amsat-bb] 2018 Corrected AMSAT Board of Directors Ballots

Wed Jul 18 12:44:40 UTC 2018

What would the upfront cost of setting up electronic voting? It seems to me that it would be analogous to Solar electricity. Higher end, up front cost verses “free” power down the road.
If you are advocating the change are you willing to invest your own time energy and perhaps $$$ to reduce the cost to AMSAT? After all can a cash strapped organization afford $10k or higher solution right now, even for lower cost in the future?
Regardless this will not be an overnight solution. Like building a satellite it will require planning and deadlines and engineering, both software and social.
I personally like the idea on online voting. I also like the idea of electronic delivery of the Journal, but we have found even that is a bit more complicated and costly than one might think.

73
EMike

EMike McCardel, AA8EM
Rotating Editor AMSAT News Service
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 18, 2018, at 1:11 AM, Devin L. Ganger <devin at thecabal.org> wrote:
> 
> Concur with AF6EP. Doing electronic ballots is inexpensive. Doing them *correctly* is not.
> 
> 
> --
> Devin L. Ganger (WA7DLG)
> email: devin at thecabal.org
> web: Devin on Earth
> cell: +1 425.239.2575
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org> On Behalf Of Eric Fort
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2018 9:55 PM
>> To: Mike Diehl <diehl.mike.a at gmail.com>
>> Cc: Clayton Coleman W5PFG <tasmac at w5pfg.us>; AMSAT Mailing List
>> <amsat-bb at amsat.org>; Gabriel Zeifman <gabrielzeifman at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] 2018 Corrected AMSAT Board of Directors Ballots
>> 
>> The basic problem with electronic voting is proving who is behind the
>> keyboard and tracing the data with integrity such that each voter only casts
>> one ballot. With paper ballots this is possible. What is done is the paper ballot
>> is placed in an envelope that is signed by the voter. The signature and
>> registration info can then be compared on receipt, verifying that one and
>> only one ballot was cast by that specific voter. The ballot is then separated
>> from the envelope to be counted assuring the anonymity of the voter. In the
>> digital realm one can not have anonymity, traceability, and verifiablity
>> simultaneously. These are mathematically proven therems and entire papers
>> and PhD thesis’s have been written on this topic proving this exact thing. Do
>> the research.  Paper verified ballots really are the only way.
>> 
>> Eric
>> Af6ep
>> 
>> Sent using SMTP.
>> 
>>> On Jul 17, 2018, at 6:42 PM, Mike Diehl <diehl.mike.a at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Disagree. There are online services that are just as, if not more, secure as
>> your medical information or where you spend your money. Going to print
>> with anything takes a lot more work than simply providing some options to a
>> voting service. Then there’s postage. Online is also more convenient, you can
>> pretty much do it anytime, anywhere you want. Think of it like LOTW for
>> QSLs, saves a ton in paper, postage and trips to the post.
>>> 
>>> Last but not least is I don’t see a real threat of people “hacking” the
>> elections for jobs that don’t pay and are full of criticism.
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> Mike Diehl
>>> W8LID
>>> 
>>>> On Jul 17, 2018, at 19:44, Eric Fort <eric.fort.listmail at fortconsulting.org>
>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Let’s not get into electronic voting. Too much opportunity to “hack the
>> vote”.   It’s unfortunate that an error was made and not caught prior to
>> printing and mailing but electronic voting is not the answer.
>>>> 
>>>> Eric
>>>> Af6ep
>>>> 
>>>> Sent using SMTP.
>>>> 
>>>>> On Jul 17, 2018, at 3:40 PM, Gabriel Zeifman
>> <gabrielzeifman at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> How unfortunate that our cash strapped, technology oriented
>>>>> organization is having to waste so much money to print and mail two
>>>>> sets of paper ballots to each and every member. Seems to me that
>>>>> electronic voting would save the organization money, make voting
>>>>> more secure and efficient, prevent mishaps such as this, and prevent
>>>>> some members from not receiving ballots like last year.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 73,
>>>>> Gabe
>>>>> AL6D/VE6NJH
>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 2:33 PM Clayton Coleman W5PFG
>> <tasmac at w5pfg.us> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Due to a printing error, the beige-colored ballots mailed to
>>>>>> AMSAT-NA members for the 2018 Board of Directors election on July
>>>>>> 15, 2018 have been declared void. Any of these voided ballots
>>>>>> received at the AMSAT-NA office will not be counted.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> New ballots, labeled “CORRECTED BALLOT 7/20/2018” and printed on
>>>>>> yellow-colored cardstock will be mailed to all AMSAT-NA members.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Please vote for no more than three of the 2018 candidates:
>>>>>> Tom Clark, K3IO
>>>>>> Mark Hammond, N8MH
>>>>>> Scott Harvey, KA7FVV
>>>>>> Bruce Paige, KK5DO
>>>>>> Peter Portanova, W2JV
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The Directors positions will go to the three candidates receiving
>>>>>> the highest number of votes. In addition, there will be two
>>>>>> alternate members chosen, based on the next highest number of
>> votes received.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 73,
>>>>>> Clayton
>>>>>> W5PFG
>>>>>> AMSAT-NA Corporate Secretary
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>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>> _______________________________________________
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>> expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views
>> of AMSAT-NA.
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>> program!
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> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb