[Lnc-business] Electronic Balloting For POTUS/VP

Thu May 7 21:04:17 EDT 2020

For the price, does Opavote provide any real time support for setup and 
voting? Do we foresee that as something that may be required?

In Liberty,

Steven Nekhaila
Region 2 Representative
Libertarian National Committee

Impotentes defendere libertatum non possunt
"Those without power cannot defend freedom"

On 2020-05-05 11:38 AM, Sam Goldstein via Lnc-business wrote:
> Dan,
> 
> I already did that for you:
> 
> Electronic Voting Proposal Using Opavote and Zoom
> 
> Assuming the LNC authorizes a POTUS/VPOTUS nomination process outside
> the normal Bylaws mandates process due to the emergency  situation
> created by the pandemic,   I would propose the following for the
> nomination of Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees.
> 
> With adequate notice to credentialed delegates by email  (one week)
> the Secretary would set a Zoom meeting for delegates (all muted with
> no video on their side) for nominations and elections.
> 
> During that week credentialed delegates would be assigned a code to
> vote in an Opavote poll to determine which of the announced candidates
> for President and Vice-President of the United States would be
> nominated.  No delegate may join in nominating more than one candidate
> for each office.  Losing Presidential candidates would be offered an
> opportunity to run in the Vice-Presidential nomination process
> following the conclusion of the Presidential nomination.  Any
> candidate garnering at least 30 votes in the poll would be nominated
> on Voting Day
> 
> Each nominated Presidential candidate would get 16 minutes for
> nominating speeches from the candidate/supporters.  Following
> nominating speeches each credentialed delegated will receive an
> Opavote ballot with a one-time code and will have 15 minutes to vote.
> The Secretary will announce the results of the first ballot and if no
> one gets 50% plus 1 vote we proceed to drop the lowest and those with
> less than 5%.  Those dropped would be offered two minutes address the
> delegated through the Zoom meeting if they so choose.  The Election
> process would then proceed as at an in-person convention until the
> party has a nominee for President of the United States.
> 
> Following the selection of the Presidential candidates the above
> nomination and voting process would be repeated for Vice-President
> with nominating speeches being limited to 8 minutes.
> 
> OPAVOTE is $90.00 per round of voting for up to 2000 voters.
> 
> 
> ---
> Sam Goldstein, At Large Member
> Libertarian National Committee
> 317-850-0726 Cell
> 
> On 2020-05-05 10:59, Daniel Fishman via Lnc-business wrote:
>> Dear LNC:
>> 
>> I am confident that I can solve the technical aspects of the simple 
>> process
>> of voting for a President and a Vice President which is IRV, single 
>> vote in
>> each round, given 2 weeks notice.
>> 
>> I would not use Voatz, which is too complicated for this simple task.
>> 
>> We could either use OpaVote, which I am somewhat hesitant about 
>> because of
>> a) its reliance on email
>> b) ignores the benefits of voting by states
>> 
>> Alternatively we could make use of a publicly visible google 
>> spreadsheet
>> where the secretary would record each state's totals as reported. The
>> states could vote as they see fit, but LPHQ would be happy to provide 
>> a
>> technological solution (web form) for each state.
>> 
>> Bottom line, to enable a technical solution for President and Vice
>> President I would need 2 things
>> 
>> 1) The credentials committee to close credentialing a week before the 
>> vote.
>> 2) 2 weeks set up and testing
>> 
>> Dan
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ---
>> Daniel Fishman
>> Executive Director
>> The Libertarian Party
>> Join Us <http://www.lp.org/join>
>> 
>> 
>> On Tue, May 5, 2020 at 3:38 AM Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business <
>> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>> 
>>> Mr. Wendt, you have broken the curse however.  I wish I had you as my
>>> alternate when I was regional.  My life would have been immeasurably
>>> easier.
>>> 
>>> *In Liberty,*
>>> 
>>> * Personal Note:  I have what is commonly known as Asperger's 
>>> Syndrome
>>> (part of the autism spectrum).  This can affect inter-personal
>>> communication skills in both personal and electronic arenas.  If 
>>> anyone
>>> found anything offensive or overly off-putting (or some other social 
>>> faux
>>> pas), please contact me privately and let me know. *
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 11:31 PM Francis Wendt <francis.wendt at lp.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> > I can only speak for myself and not Ms. Sexton. It is my opinion that
>>> > alternates may have served a distinct purpose when the were incorporated
>>> > into the bylaws. Debate is relevant, but incomplete, thus I must
>>> > disagree with your assessment. Their purpose is merely a fail-safe to an
>>> > inoperable LNC. In a word, alternates are insurance.
>>> >
>>> > Before COVID-19 I had submitted amendments to the Bylaws Committee to
>>> > attempt to rectify this situation the proper way with full respect to
>>> > the bylaws, delegates, and history of the party. Now that we are in the
>>> > environment we are in, I do not believe it is imperative to the survival
>>> > of the party to consider them this term. You have mused that the Region
>>> > 1 alternate seat is cursed. My assessment is that it is a factor of 11
>>> > states of work with little recognition or meaningful voice. I do not
>>> > mean any of this as a derogatory statement to any members of this
>>> > committee past or present. It is just the nature of the beast.
>>> >
>>> > My main opinion is that when a custom, rule, or law becomes obsolete or
>>> > hindering as the environments change, we must have the personal courage
>>> > to change that failing into a workable success. I applaud the members of
>>> > this committee that have done the sincere work to find that workable
>>> > success in this new, changed environment.
>>> >
>>> > Sincerely,
>>> >
>>> > ---
>>> > FRANCIS WENDT
>>> > LNC Region 1 Alternate
>>> >   406.595.5111
>>> >
>>> > On 2020-05-04 23:08, Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business wrote:
>>> > > To Ms. Sexton and Mr. Wendt - please let me know if the committee has
>>> > > done
>>> > > anything to make  you feel diminished by your alternate status.  The
>>> > > several comments today made me feel as perhaps we have done something
>>> > > wrong, and if I have ever made you feel like your voice was lesser, I
>>> > > apologize.  While it is true that you cannot vote as a matter of right,
>>> > > I
>>> > > also found that debate rights are far more important, and that you have
>>> > > equal to everyone else on this list.
>>> > >
>>> > > *In Liberty,*
>>> > >
>>> > > * Personal Note:  I have what is commonly known as Asperger's Syndrome
>>> > > (part of the autism spectrum).  This can affect inter-personal
>>> > > communication skills in both personal and electronic arenas.  If anyone
>>> > > found anything offensive or overly off-putting (or some other social
>>> > > faux
>>> > > pas), please contact me privately and let me know. *
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 11:06 PM Caryn Ann Harlos
>>> > > <caryn.ann.harlos at lp.org>
>>> > > wrote:
>>> > >
>>> > >> Ms. Sexton, I think the large contours everyone is in agreement with.
>>> > >> The
>>> > >> "hybrid" option is fully in the delegates hands.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> It is unfortunate that different opinions here have led to slurs that
>>> > >> amount to accusations of evil on the part of others.  I am learning
>>> > >> the
>>> > >> hard way there are few to no friends in politics.  Not even
>>> > >> Libertarian
>>> > >> politics.
>>> > >>
>>> > >> *In Liberty,*
>>> > >>
>>> > >> * Personal Note:  I have what is commonly known as Asperger's Syndrome
>>> > >> (part of the autism spectrum).  This can affect inter-personal
>>> > >> communication skills in both personal and electronic arenas.  If
>>> > >> anyone
>>> > >> found anything offensive or overly off-putting (or some other social
>>> > >> faux
>>> > >> pas), please contact me privately and let me know. *
>>> > >>
>>> > >>
>>> > >>
>>> > >> On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 9:04 PM Victoria Paige Lee via Lnc-business <
>>> > >> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>>> > >>
>>> > >>> As a measly alternate I would like to say I agree with this option. I
>>> > >>> think it may be the best compromise we will be able to have.
>>> > >>>
>>> > >>> V. Paige Sexton BSN,RN
>>> > >>> Region 2 Alternate
>>> > >>> Libertarian National Committee
>>> > >>> 901-390-0578
>>> > >>>
>>> > >>> > On May 4, 2020, at 20:09, joshua.smith--- via Lnc-business <
>>> > >>> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> > 
>>> > >>> > Good afternoon,
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> > I want to give notice that myself, Joe Bishop-Henchman, John
>>> Phillips
>>> > >>> Jr., Caryn Ann Harlos, Bill Redpath, Alex Merced, Steven Nekhaila,
>>> > >>> and
>>> > >>> Richard Longstreth intend to offer and support the following motion
>>> > >>> to
>>> > >>> amend something previously adopted at the meeting this Saturday and
>>> > >>> ask
>>> > >>> that it be placed first on the agenda.  The motion is as follows:
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> > Move to add the following to the end of the motion postponing our
>>> > >>> regular convention already adopted:
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> > "with the exception of the nomination of our Presidential and
>>> > >>> Vice-Presidential candidates which will take place electronically on
>>> > >>> June
>>> > >>> 6-7 via a method and procedure to be finalized by the LNC prior to
>>> > >>> May
>>> > >>> 18th.  All other business will take place at the previously adopted
>>> > >>> in-person meeting in accordance to article 10 of The Libertarian
>>> > >>> Party
>>> > >>> Bylaws and Convention Rules."
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> > Immediately following adoption of this motion, the LNC shall take
>>> up
>>> > >>> the procedure with a proposal to be submitted by members of the
>>> > >>> bylaws
>>> > >>> committee prior to this meeting.  That procedure will be submitted to
>>> > >>> the
>>> > >>> LNC as soon as possible prior to the meeting.
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> >
>>> > >>> > Your friend in liberty,
>>> > >>> > Joshua D. Smith
>>> > >>>
>>> > >>>
>>> >
>>> 