Fellow Council members, The small group drafting a proposal to enfranchise absent Council members has completed its work. Attached is a proposal for electronic voting by absent Council members. The group believes this process is sufficient to enfranchise the votes of absent Council members and thus no duplication with a system of proxy voting is needed. In short one or the other are workable and both achieve the same goal: we opted to recommend electronic voting. Note: 1) In discussion the group raised the issue of conflicts of interest. The electronic voting proposal contains a sufficient reference on conflicts. However, the group recommends that Council separately address this issue of conflicts as there are a number of aspects that could be usefully explored with respect to ordinary in person voting and conflicts.This discussion on conflicts need not delay a Council decision on electronic voting. 2) One group member also raised the issue of an option for a Council member present at a meeting to instead vote later by electronic vote. As this need went beyond the enfranchisement of absent voters and introduces additionally complexity it is not included in the attached proposal and may again be considered separately if Council so desire. Philip Sheppard Chuck Gomes Robin Gross ----------------------------------------