To answer your question Robert, on whether we are on track with regards to the schedule, the answer is no. We're not on track. We're way off track. The vote for the OP did not pass. Even without counting explicit abstentions, which I think should be the way to count, we did not achieve 70% of the votes. We needed 15 votes (21 x 70% = 14,7) and got 14. We need more than rough consensus to adopt the OP. As article 15 of our OP states, we need 70% of the active ALS to adopt them (we're counting the 2 unaffiliated delegates as one ALS). At this point, 1 voting delegate from CAUCE Canada (Michael Parker) and one from Web405 (Dennis Wilen) have not voted. It's not clear to me whether their vote should count if they vote now. It's been 2 weeks since the vote. Feeling it wasn't up to me to decide on the next steps, I was hoping for our interim Chair to decide on the way forward. Bret, can you help us out of this? Also, the 5 people who voted "no" mentioned it was because they wanted to pursue discussions on the bicameral model. Yet it's been 2 weeks since the vote and I haven't seen any exchanges on the matter go by on the list, _________________________________________ Luc Faubert Conseiller en gouvernance TI et en gestion du changement / IT governance and change management consulting +1 514 236 5129 www.LucFaubert.com www.LucFaubert.com/blog www.isoc.qc.ca www.ccig.ca www.uqbm.qc.ca www.maillons.qc.ca
-----Original Message----- From: na-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org [mailto:na-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Mr. Robert Guerra Sent: 15 mai 2007 11:14 To: NA Discuss Subject: Re: [NA-Discuss] Formation Schedule - are we on track ?
On 15-May-07, at 10:21 AM, Nick Ashton-Hart wrote:
To follow on from my previous intervention in answer to this question, the definition of 'present and voting' which is internationally recognised is to count those who vote yes or no, not abstentions.
The definition on wikipedia supports Nick's view - which I agree with as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a participant in a vote cast a deliberately unlegitimate vote (drawing pictures on the ballot, etc.) or in which he simply casts a blank vote: a "blank (or white) voter" has voted, although his vote may be considered a spoilt vote, depending on each legislation, while an abstentionnist hasn't voted. Both forms (abstention and blank vote) may or may not, depending on the circumstances, be considered as protest vote.
An abstention may be used to indicate the voting individual's ambivalence about the measure, or mild disapproval that does not rise to the level of active opposition. A person may also abstain when they do not feel adequately informed about the issue at hand, or has not participated in relevant discussion. In parliamentary procedure, a member may be required to abstain in the case of a real or perceived conflict of interest.
Abstentions do not count in tallying the vote; when members abstain, they are in effect only attending the meeting to aid in constituting a quorum. White votes, however, may be counted in the total of votes, depending on the legislation. In some countries, some activist groups advocates the counting of white votes and plain abstentions in the total result of vote as a way of displaying the percentage of people opposed to all parliamentary options.
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