[wos] Call for Participation - CPSR 2006 Elections

[Robert Guerra]

Apologies if you get this message more than once.


### FINAL CALL - DEADLINE MAY 31 ###

http://www.cpsr.org/board/elections/2006/cec

2006 Election Call


During June of 2006, CPSR will hold elections to fill between four and six at-large seats on its Board of Directors. These will all be for three-year terms.

All regularly elected positions take effect on July 1, 2006.

This election is an important turning point for CPSR, with more than the usual number and officer positions expiring. Eight of the twelve sitting directors have terms expiring on June 30, 2006. Three of these are the President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The 2006-07 board will have the opportunity to chart a new course on various points. Please consider running, and please definitely do vote.

Send Nominations for CPSR Board by May 31

Nominations should be sent to cpsr (at) cpsr.org, with the subject
"2006 Nomination", by 2300 UTC (4 p.m. Pacific Standard daylight time) on May 31, 2006.

If you would like to run for election

To run for election, or vote, in CPSR's 2006 Board Elections you must be a member in good standing on May 31st, 2006.

If you have never joined or have lapsed, join/renew using: cpsr.org/membershipForm

Bylaws change recommended on number of directors

This election will also include a supplementary ballot proposition concerning a proposed change in the CPSR By-laws.

The current By-laws of CPSR (available at bylaws) require that the board have twelve Directors At-Large, who are elected by membership or appointed by the board to fill mid-term vacancies of elected directors, plus up to four Special Directors appointed by the board. Currently CPSR has twelve Directors At-Large and no Special Directors.

The large number of board members, combined with their geographic dispersion and CPSR's limited finances, has put strains on the ability of the board to meet and conduct business both in person and electronically, as well as on the CPSR budget. It has also proved difficult to fill all of the elected board seats with well-qualified members who have sufficient time to devote to board duties.

The Board of Directors recommends the Board shall consist of not less than eight nor more than fourteen Directors. Eight to ten shall be elected as Directors at Large by the membership. The Board of Directors shall have the power to expand the Board by appointing up to four additional Directors, known as Special Directors. The proposition requires member approval according to Section 16.2 of the ByLaws,"Amendment By Directors", because of it "changing the maximum or minimum number of Directors or changing from a variable to a fixed number of Directors (or vice versa)."

If the proposition is passed, and we have enough candidates, then the top four to six candidates will join the Board. If the ballot proposition is not passed, and we have enough candidates, the top eigh candidates will join the Board. The exact wording of the ballot proposition will appear in the May issue of the Compiler.

Duties of Board members

Duties expected of every board member include:

* Staying current reading and participating on the board's email lists
* Working at least two hours a week, beyond reading board email
* Participating on board committees
* Acting as liaisons between the board and its projects, chapters, and working groups
* Speaking for CPSR on issues of public, legislative, or social concern
* Helping to raise funds to support CPSR and its groups
* Voting on 75% or more of motions before the board
* Attending the preponderance of physical and virtual board meetings (there will be one or tw daylong physical meetings and up to 11 two-hour virtual meetings each year)
* Maintaining membership in CPSR during tenure on the board
* Complying with CPSR Bylaws
* Avoiding actual and apparent conflicts of interest by complying with CPSR's policy on conflicts of interest


Statements of candidacy

Any CPSR member in good standing as of May 31st, 2006 who has legal adult status in his/her home country may submit a statement of candidacy in English for the board election. The statement should be 500 words (or less) and include

* A description of the candidates background and qualifications, including relevant educational and employment history, past work with CPSR, and any other relevant experiences;
* A brief policy statement outlining the candidate's perspective on the CPSR program and the issues facing the organization; and
* Optionally, a link to the candidate's own web page.


The statement of candidacy will be submitted to the Board Development Committee for approval. If approved, the candidate will appear on the ballot. Candidate statements will be sent with election materials and posted on CPSR's Web site. Any candidate may also submit a longer statement, which will also be posted on the CPSR Web site.

Ballots to be emailed out June 5

Ballots will be distributed via e-mail by June 5, using the address on file as of June 1. Votes may be cast electronically by method(s) designated by the Elections Committee.

The counting of ballots will take place on June 30th, 2006, the election date.

Experimental use of electronic voting

CPSR has long opposed the use of electronic voting without a paper audit trail for government elections. However, due to the costs and logistical complexities of our traditional paper/postal voting model and CPSR's current financial and staff constraints, a majority of board members believe that we should try an e-vote this year on an experimental basis. This was a difficult decision to reach, including because we understand that some of CPSR's members who have extensive expertise on voting technology issues may have strong reservations about our conducting the election online. Indeed, in light of this and other considerations, two members of the board voted against doing so. Nevertheless, preliminary dialogue with some of the most concerned members has led the board majority to believe that the experiment could go forward if accompanied by an appropriate disclaimer; that text is below. We will assess the results of this experience to determine whether to continue with online elections in future years, and members views on this matter are very much welcomed. Please consider registering to use the password protected Members Area of the website if you have not done so already and share your views in the designated space therein.

Electronic voting principles

CPSR does not endorse the use of electronic voting without a paper audit trail for government elections, including municipal, state, and national elections. As a nonprofit organization with a small budget, however, we believe online voting is a cost-effective way to encourage the greatest number of our members to vote. Our choice reflects our belief that electronic voting without a paper trail should only be used in an extremely limited context. This limited context does not include political or government elections.

For more information

For more information on the structure and organization of CPSR, see about. The CPSR Bylaws may be found at bylaws. For a list of current board members, see board.

If you have never joined or have lapsed, join/renew using:
cpsr.org/membershipForm/

Signed, Desiree Miloshevic CPSR Board Secretary