Dear Councilors, The GNSO Council email ballot on the motion to initiate a policy amendment process of specific Red Cross Names (https://community.icann.org/x/fwLfAw) will be launched shortly. The vote opens at 23:59 UTC on Tuesday 2 May 2017 and closes at 23:59 UTC on Saturday 6 May 2017. Please make sure that you receive your ballot, from tally@icann.org<mailto:tally@icann.org>, and if you do not please let me know immediately: gnso-secs@icann.org<mailto:gnso-secs@icann.org> Please remember that if you are off email, you can cast your vote by voice, but please provide me with a telephone number before 1 May. Please be sure to mark only one response: · In favour, · Not in favour, · Abstain Please also note the following applicable procedures: o The Operating Procedures do not permit absentee voting for either motion. Under Section 4.5 of the GNSO Operating Procedures, an abstention counts as a vote “not in favour”. The ballot includes a text box for you to state your reason(s) if you wish, should you decide to abstain from voting on either motion. o The voting threshold required for the motion to pass successfully is a simple majority of the Council. o In accordance with the rules for a vote outside a Council meeting, this ballot will be an open vote (i.e. not secret) and we will record and publish the outcomes as required by the GNSO Operating Procedures. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you. Kind regards, Nathalie Nathalie Peregrine Specialist, SOAC Support (GNSO) Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Email: nathalie.peregrine@icann.org <nathalie.peregrine@icann.org%20> Skype: nathalie.peregrine.icann Find out more about the GNSO by taking our interactive courses<applewebdata://EB3A6F47-9760-400D-A39B-A7EFFC56B467/learn.icann.org/courses/gnso> and visiting the GNSO Newcomer pages<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_sites_gns...>