2006 elections
--------------------
Included in this message:
* Election this June
* Send Nominations for CPSR Board by May 31
* If you would like to run for election
* Bylaws change recommended on number of directors
* Duties of board members
* Statements of candidacy
* Ballots to be emailed out June 5
* Experimental use of electronic voting
* Electronic voting principles
* For more information
Election this June
-----------------------
During June of 2006, Computer Professionals for Social
Responsibility (CPSR) will hold elections to fill between four and
six at-large seats on its Board of Directors. These will all be for
three-year terms.
All regularly elected positions take effect on July 1, 2006.
This election is an important turning point for CPSR, with more than
the usual number and officer positions expiring. Eight of the twelve
sitting directors have terms expiring on June 30, 2006. Three of
these are the President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The
2006-07 board will have the opportunity to chart a new course on
various points. Please consider running, and please definitely do
vote.
Send Nominations for CPSR Board by May 31
--------------------------------------------------------------
Nominations should be sent to cpsr@cpsr.org {mailto:cpsr@cpsr.org},
with the subject "2006 Nomination", by 2300 UTC (4 p.m. Pacific
Standard daylight time) on May 31, 2006.
If you would like to run for election
----------------------------------------------
To run for election, or vote, in CPSR's 2006 Board Elections you
must be a member in good standing on May 31st, 2006.
If you have never joined or have lapsed, join/renew using:
http://cpsr.org/membershipForm {http://cpsr.org/membershipForm}
Bylaws change recommended on number of directors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This election will also include a supplementary ballot proposition
concerning a proposed change in the CPSR By-laws.
The current By-laws of CPSR (available at
http://www.cpsr.org/about/policies/bylaws/ require that the board
have twelve Directors At-Large, who are elected by membership or
appointed by the board to fill mid-term vacancies of elected
directors, plus up to four Special Directors appointed by the board.
Currently CPSR has twelve Directors At-Large and no Special
Directors.
The large number of board members, combined with their geographic
dispersion and CPSR's limited finances, has put strains on the
ability of the board to meet and conduct business both in person and
electronically, as well as on the CPSR budget. It has also proved
difficult to fill all of the elected board seats with well-qualified
members who have sufficient time to devote to board duties.
The Board of Directors recommends the Board shall consist of not
less than eight nor more than fourteen Directors. Eight to ten shall
be elected as Directors at Large by the membership. The Board of
Directors shall have the power to expand the Board by appointing up
to four additional Directors, known as Special Directors. The
proposition requires member approval according to Section 16.2 of the
ByLaws?, "Amendment By Directors", because of it "changing the
maximum or minimum number of Directors or changing from a variable to
a fixed number of Directors (or vice versa)."
If the proposition is passed, and we have enough candidates, then
the top four to six candidates will join the Board. If the ballot
proposition is not passed, and we have enough candidates, the top
eight candidates will join the Board. The exact wording of the ballot
proposition will appear in the May issue of the Compiler.
Duties of Board members
-----------------------------------
Duties expected of every board member include:
* Staying current reading and participating on the board's email
lists
* Working at least two hours a week, beyond reading board email
* Participating on board committees
* Acting as liaisons between the board and its projects, chapters,and
working groups
* Speaking for CPSR on issues of public, legislative, or social
concern
* Helping to raise funds to support CPSR and its groups
* Voting on 75% or more of motions before the board
* Attending the preponderance of physical and virtual board meetings
(there will be one or two daylong physical meetings and up to 11
two-hour virtual meetings each year)
* Maintaining membership in CPSR during tenure on the board
* Complying with CPSR Bylaws
* Avoiding actual and apparent conflicts of interest by complying
with CPSR's policy on conflicts of interest
Statements of candidacy
---------------------------------
Any CPSR member in good standing as of May 31st, 2006 who has legal
adult status in his/her home country may submit a statement of
candidacy in English for the board election. The statement should be
500 words (or less) and include
* A description of the candidates background and qualifications,
including relevant educational and employment history, past work with
CPSR, and any other relevant experiences;
* A brief policy statement outlining the candidate's perspective on
the CPSR program and the issues facing the organization; and
* Optionally, a link to the candidate's own web page.
The statement of candidacy will be submitted to the Board
Development Committee for approval. If approved, the candidate will
appear on the ballot. Candidate statements will be sent with election
materials and posted on CPSR's Web site. Any candidate may also
submit a longer statement, which will also be posted on the CPSR Web
site.
Ballots to be emailed out June 5
-------------------------------------------
Ballots will be distributed via e-mail by June 5, using the address
on file as of June 1. Votes may be cast electronically by method(s)
designated by the Elections Committee.
The counting of ballots will take place on June 30th, 2006, the
election date.
Experimental use of electronic voting
--------------------------------------------------
CPSR has long opposed the use of electronic voting without a paper
audit trail for government elections. However, due to the costs and
logistical complexities of our traditional paper/postal voting model
and CPSR's current financial and staff constraints, a majority of
board members believe that we should try an e-vote this year on an
experimental basis. This was a difficult decision to reach, including
because we understand that some of CPSR's members who have extensive
expertise on voting technology issues may have strong reservations
about our conducting the election online. Indeed, in light of this
and other considerations, two members of the board voted against
doing so. Nevertheless, preliminary dialogue with some of the most
concerned members has led the board majority to believe that the
experiment could go forward if accompanied by an appropriate
disclaimer; that text is below. We will assess the results of this
experience to determine whether to continue with online elections in
future years, and members views on this matter are very much
welcomed. Please consider registering to use the password protected
Members Area of the website if you have not done so already and share
your views in the designated space therein. Electronic voting
principles
CPSR does not endorse the use of electronic voting without a paper
audit trail for government elections, including municipal, state, and
national elections. As a nonprofit organization with a small budget,
however, we believe online voting is a cost-effective way to
encourage the greatest number of our members to vote. Our choice
reflects our belief that electronic voting without a paper trail
should only be used in an extremely limited context. This limited
context does not include political or government elections. For more
information
For more information on the structure and organization of CPSR, see
http://www.cpsr.org/about The CPSR Bylaws
may be found at http://www.cpsr.org/membership/policies/bylaws .
For a list of current board members, see http://www.cpsr.org/board.
If you have never joined or have lapsed, join/renew using:
http://cpsr.org/membershipForm/
--
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) is a 501c3
non-for-profit corporation in Palo Alto, California promoting the
responsible use of computer technology. Founded in 1981, CPSR
educates policymakers and the public on a wide range of issues.
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