[amsat-bb] AMSAT 2020 BoD Ballot Arrived : ??

[Bruce Perens]

Brennan,

I am reassured. Everyone should be glad that this is in your hands.

Thanks

Bruce

On Sat, Jul 18, 2020, 14:23 Brennan Price via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
wrote:

> I do want to address both Greg's observation and Bruce's, in turn.
> 1) An interior envelope is admittedly commonly used in mail-in balloting.
> It also incrementally increases the cost and complexity of the mailing, and
> has been abandoned by other organizations in lieu of other measures to
> maintain secrecy as a result (I actually modeled this process and ballot
> design--including return envelopes with preprinted addressed for
> verification and no interior envelope--from a recently concluded and
> similarly robustly conducted election for the board of the United States
> Chess Federation, of which I am a member).
> I will cite this relevant text from my earlier advisory to this reflector:
> The package is clearly labeled as election-related and contains . . . [a]
> No 9 return envelope, which bears the address to which ballots should be
> returned and the member's name and address for verification against the
> voter list and any replacement ballot requests.
> Secrecy at the time of counting will be maintained by separating the
> ballot from the envelope without inspection, placing the ballot in a
> receptacle, and scrutinizing the ballots after all have been separated from
> the envelopes.
> I appreciate the membership's anticipated confidence in my commitment and
> ability to maintain the bylaws' requirement of a secret ballot through this
> method.
> 2) It is not correct that I have been pressured in my conduct of the
> election. I have made decisions on a number of issues that warranted
> discussion both before and after the fact, and I believe I've made at least
> one call with which every candidate would have rather me made another by
> now. These discussions, even when ending in disagreement, have universally
> been conducted with professionalism and in the absence of the vigor that
> one may detect here.
> 73,Brennan Price, N4QXSecretary, Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org> On Behalf Of Bruce Perens via
> AMSAT-BB
> Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2020 4:38 PM
> To: Gregory Beat <w9gb at icloud.com>
> Cc: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT 2020 BoD Ballot Arrived : ??
>
> Hi Gregory,
>
> I believe that Brennan was doing his best to run a fair election, and this
> is an unintentional mistake. Brennan was under pressure to make things less
> fair, and did not.
>
> On Sat, Jul 18, 2020, 1:11 PM Gregory Beat via AMSAT-BB <
> amsat-bb at amsat.org>
> wrote:
>
> > I received the 2020 AMSAT BoD ballot via US Postal Service today.
> >
> > I noticed that the envelope for this ballot is addressed to the AMSAT
> > Secretary, Brennan Price, at a post office box in Vienna, VA.
> > The envelope has my return address pre-printed in the upper left corner.
> >
> > The standard mail-in ballot practice, is to NOT use an identifiable
> > return address.
> > A separate ballot envelope (sometimes a different, specific color) is
> > provided for the member’s ballot.  This assures that the member’s
> > ballot remains Secret and the envelope only Opened during the physical
> > counting process.  This minimizes or eliminates Ballot Tampering.
> > ==
> > The 2020 mail-in ballot process is different than the 2019 election,
> > when AMSAT used a third-party to assure a secret ballot for BoD election
> process.
> > I previously worked for Ernst&Young, which handles sensitive and
> > visible balloting for many high-profile organizations (expect the
> > Oscars, that is PwC).
> >
> > I raise my hand in objection, that this 2020 mail-in balloting method
> > does not assure the line of secrecy from member to the vote counting
> > (tabulation) process.
> >
> > Greg Beat, w9gb
> > AMSAT-NA life member
> > ==
> > ANS-188 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
> > DATE: 2019 July 7
> > To All RADIO AMATEURS
> > 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Update
> >
> > The 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors election will be conducted
> > differently than in past elections. In previous years, the balloting
> > process was handled by multiple vendors. This year, AMSAT has
> > contracted with a single, independent party, ElectionBuddy, to conduct
> > and fully manage the election process.
> > Sincerely,
> > Clayton L. Coleman, W5PFG
> > AMSAT Secretary
> >
> >
> > Sent from iPad Air
> > _______________________________________________
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> > the official views of AMSAT-NA.
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> >
> _______________________________________________
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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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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