[Lnc-business] Informational purposes: former draft of procedures for online balloting

[Joe Bishop-Henchman]

Just to give background on point 2, we originally had 1 hour but based 
on feedback from the state chairs of California and Texas, changed it to 
3 hours.

JBH

------------
Joe Bishop-Henchman
LNC Member (At-Large)
joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837

On 2020-05-11 15:37, Sam Goldstein wrote:
> Mr. Bishop-Henchman,
> 
> I appreciate the tremendous amount of work that the Bylaws Committed
> has invested in this procedure.  On first reading I only have two
> problems or questions.
> 
> 1. Since nominations are not state specific and the COC will need
> token totals for the formal debates before May 22nd, I would propose
> an Opavote or other similar polling system that would include all
> known POTUS and VP candidates with write-in nominations of anyone not
> listed emailed to the Secretary.  The cut off date/time could be
> different for the debates than for the actual nominations.
> 
> 2.  With the shear number of candidates for both POTUS and VP, 3 hours
> per voting cycle seems way to much.  Assuming delegates are watching
> the proceedings I would think they should be able to register their
> vote in no more than 1 hour.  That would also allow anyone with
> communications problems to contact their delegation chair to make sure
> their vote is recorded properly.
> 
> Live Free,
> 
> ---
> Sam Goldstein, At Large Member
> Libertarian National Committee
> 317-850-0726 Cell
> 
> On 2020-05-11 15:09, Joe Bishop-Henchman via Lnc-business wrote:
>> Colleagues,
>> 
>> I've attached (and pasted below) language providing procedures for
>> online balloting, aiming to deviate as little as possible from our
>> existing Bylaws and Rules. It was developed by the Bylaws Committee
>> for the "rump" convention option and subsequently refined by a group
>> of volunteers from the Committee in anticipation of being asked to do
>> so by the LNC, although that did not come to happen. It's technically
>> in the form of a Bylaws amendment. The Bylaws Committee is not
>> empowered to do anything with this language given the approach the LNC
>> has taken, so the mechanics of nomination and balloting are left in
>> some fashion to the Chair, the Secretary, the Credentials Committee,
>> the Convention Oversight Committee, the LNC itself, and the delegates
>> themselves.
>> 
>> I share this in case any of those parties may find anything in here of
>> benefit or use.
>> 
>> JBH
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> PROVIDING FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF CONDUCTING THE FIRST SITTING OF
>> THE 2020 REGULAR CONVENTION
>> 
>> 1.	Pursuant to the LNC action of May 9, 2020 bifurcating the 2020
>> Regular Convention business between first online sitting beginning May
>> 22, 2020 and second sitting as specified by the LNC, these procedures
>> address the business of the 2020 Regular Convention.
>> 
>> 2.	This action will be submitted for ratification by the next
>> in-person sitting of the Regular Convention.
>> 
>> 3. 	All affiliate parties shall ensure that the Credentials Committee
>> has received, if they have not already, the names, email addresses,
>> and phone numbers of all delegates and alternates chosen to the 2020
>> Regular Convention. The names and contact information received by the
>> Credentials Committee from the affiliate parties shall constitute the
>> credentials report, and all such delegates shall be presumed present
>> for electronic balloting upon the adoption of that report by the
>> Credentials Committee. Delegation Chairs shall be permitted to
>> substitute alternate delegates with primary delegates between any one
>> round of voting, which shall be deemed, once confirmed by the
>> Credentials Committee, to automatically be added to the credentials
>> report. A delegate is determined to be present for quorum purposes,
>> for any particular vote by casting a vote for that office.
>> 
>> 4.	Nominations shall be made via email from delegates to their
>> Delegation Chair, who shall communicate the names and total number of
>> nominations of each candidate to the Secretary; in the alternative,
>> software or other electronic system provided by the LNC Secretary may
>> permit nominations to be made. Each delegate is entitled to one
>> nomination for each office to be filled. Nominations must be made by
>> at least thirty (30) credential delegates. Nominations shall close one
>> (1) hour before the start of the electronic ballot for that particular
>> election; provided that any candidate that was not successful for the
>> office of President shall be deemed automatically nominated for Vice
>> President if they communicate to the Secretary that they would accept
>> the nomination for that office; and further provided that nominations
>> for the office of Vice President shall not close until two (2) hours
>> after the conclusion of the final ballot for President.
>> 
>> 5.	Electronic balloting shall take place via method selected and
>> utilized by each Delegation Chair, and the Libertarian National
>> Committee shall make available the option of utilizing suitable
>> software, combination of software, or other electronic means, provided
>> that such method shall:
>> a.	permit all credentialed delegates to vote in a matter that is
>> sufficiently verified and secure;
>> b.	inform delegates via e-mail or other electronic means of when
>> ballots are sent and how long they have to vote;
>> c.	send an electronic receipt once a ballot is cast to that delegate
>> with their votes, and to their Delegation Chair that the particular
>> delegate has voted; and
>> d.	at the end of each round of balloting, send each Delegation Chair a
>> running total of the votes cast by their delegation for each election.
>> 
>> Any such balloting system should to the extent possible be secure,
>> preserve the anonymity of particular delegates’ votes, and create a
>> sufficient audit trail to be available for inspection and auditing if
>> discrepancies should arise. Each electronic ballot shall be a single
>> question or election. For election ballots, delegates shall have three
>> (3) hours to vote or until all delegations have completed their
>> tallies, whichever occurs first, and only one (1) electronic ballot
>> shall be conducted at a time unless the system clearly annotates what
>> the ballot being cast is being cast for, and in that event, not more
>> than two (2) ballots shall be cast at the same time. Ballots shall not
>> begin prior to noon Eastern Time nor conclude after 11 P.M. Eastern
>> Time.
>> 
>> 6.	In the event of a technical difficulty which impedes the casting of
>> any votes or the functioning of the elections system, including, but
>> not limited to, the tabulation of votes or the auditing functions, the
>> Libertarian National Committee shall have the ability to declare, by a
>> three-fourths (3/4) vote, that a technical difficulty has arisen, and
>> either (i) extend the period for that particular election or (ii) to
>> declare a particular vote and election void, and then redo that
>> election. The Libertarian National Committee shall be in continuous
>> session during the Regular Convention.
>> 
>> 7.	The Chair shall, via public livestream or other suitable method,
>> announce each ballot, the options nominated or available on that
>> ballot, and if applicable and available, the results of any previous
>> ballot(s). At the discretion of the Chair, nominating speeches for any
>> office can be livestreamed, or, in the alternative, a link to
>> pre-recorded nominating speeches, can be provided.
>> 
>> 8.	Ballots for all nominations and offices shall be conducted under
>> the usual procedures regarding successive elimination ballots. Votes
>> shall be recorded including the numbers for each state delegation, and
>> these results shall be displayed in a manner that allows each
>> delegation to review for accuracy. In the event of any discrepancy
>> between the totals the delegation chair received and the totals
>> posted, the Delegation Chair and Secretary shall endeavor to resolve
>> the discrepancy, and, if they are not able to do so, the National
>> Committee shall resolve that discrepancy.
>> 
>> 9.	The Chair may certify and report the results of the nomination for
>> President to Vice President prior to the adjournment sine die of the
>> 2020 Regular Convention, upon the conclusion of those ballots, if such
>> certification is needed to meet any ballot access or filing deadlines.
>> All voting shall be completed and all results shall be announced
>> before adjournment sine die of the 2020 Regular Convention business
>> session, regardless of this date and time.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ------------
>> Joe Bishop-Henchman
>> LNC Member (At-Large)
>> joe.bishop-henchman at lp.org
>> www.facebook.com/groups/189510455174837