The Absentee Voting Modification to the ICANN Bylaws is open for public comment from 30 April 2008 to 21 May 2008 The GNSO Council approved a resolution to recommend to the Board a modification of the ICANN bylaws http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/absentee-voting-bylaw-amendment-15feb08.pdf that would permit electronic absentee voting in certain circumstances in order to allow Council members who are absent from Council meetings to vote. Currently, a member of the Council is unable to vote on an issue when absent from the Council meeting at which the vote occurs. The Council found that this not only disenfranchises members from opportunities to vote, but also, disenfranchises the constituencies they represent. In drafting the resolution, the GNSO considered carefully the way in which it operates today, and produced a report entitled, "Draft GNSO Council Request to the Board to enable full enfranchisement of the GNSO Council's voting responsibilities." http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/vote-enfranchisement-17jan08.pdf The report examines closely how the Council typically deliberates prior to initiating a vote on policy matters, and concludes that allowing for absentee voting would enhance participation by enfranchising absent voters by providing a means for absent members to vote electronically. The public is invited to comment on this recommendation before consideration by the Board. Please submit comments to: <absentee-voting-2008@icann.org> Comments may be viewed at: http://forum.icann.org/lists/absentee-voting-2008/

From the gNSO Secretariat.