Amendment to use voting page in ranked choice voting elections

Subject: Amendment to GPCA Bylaws 7-1.8 Choice Voting to include use of GPCA voting page

Sponsor: Coordinating Committee. Contact Sanda Everette sanda@greens.org.

Background and Purpose: Currently the procedure specified in GPCA bylaws governing the use of Choice Voting provides that "Each delegate shall be provided a written secret ballot containing the names of the candidates in random order."

Elections to the GPUS Delegation are governed by 7-1.8, which means votes must be cast by written ballot. The Delegation has requested that votes cast for GPUS delegates and alternates be done via a web-based voting page as used in June 2011 for GPCA Coordinating Committee elections. This is because the large number of paper ballots makes transcribing the results very cumbersome into a form that can then be entered into a ranked choice voting program to render a result.

To effectuate the option to cast a vote electronically, this proposal would amend 7-1.8 as follows to allow for voting via a voting page.

Proposal: That GPCA Bylaws 7-1.8 Choice Voting be amended to add the text "or web-based or otherwise electronic" as follows:

Present Bylaw: Each delegate shall be provided a written secret ballot containing the names of the candidates in random order.

Proposed Bylaw: Each delegate shall be provided a written or web-based or otherwise electronic secret ballot containing the names of the candidates in random order.

Committee Process:  Approved by consensus on October 3rd, 2011 teleconference.

Timeline: Adoption at the December 3rd/4th, 2011 General Assembly.

Resources: Bylaws page to be amended to reflect the change. GPCA IT has existing capability to conduct ranked choice voting elections.