On 04 Oct 97 00:06, Jennie Milburn wrote:
 JM> From: Jennie milburn 
 JM> Subject: Re: ACB Washington Connection (fwd)
 JM> I agree with you.  I wish that there
 JM> was secret ballot voting in our state
 JM> and local chapter.  We use sighted
 JM> people to count, and I wish that I had
 JM> a way that no one knew how I was
 JM> voting.  They use my mother-in-law as one
 JM> of the counters, and we disagree on a
 JM> lot of things, and she often hounds
 JM> me about it afterword.  I know that I
 JM> can still vote the way I want
 JM> whether she likes it or not, and I do.
 JM>  However, it would make me feel
 JM> just that much more independent.  It
I always thought at state and local NFB elections that secret 
ballots were rather a waste of time and effort.  It isn't like 
anyone there is my employer and might fire me if I vote "wrong".  
I don't give a farthing who knows how I vote; I'll tell anyone who 
bothers me about it to stick it!  However, I have seen some 
chapter elections wherein there were secret ballots. In any event, 
in most instances, voice-votes will suffice.
 JM> is also hard sometimes to tell
 JM> whether or not you are voting for what
 JM> your delegation wants.  When they
 JM> do role call like that, and our state
 JM> president votes a certain way, she
 JM> really has no idea if that is what we
 JM> as a state want.  It's amazing how
 JM> sometimes they try and tell us how we
 JM> think about some issues.
First, who is "they"?  Have you spoken to others in your state 
about this?  Have you spoken to your state President about it?
Having come on a bit strong, I must say that you bring up an 
interesting issue.  In Washington state's NFB delegation, the 
President could lose the following election if he/she did *not* 
poll the delegation on rollcall votes.  I'm not kidding.  Yet when 
I told a member (someone who had been in the affiliate before the 
'79 split and had returned and who definitely thinks for herself 
and is very much anti-authoritarian) of this practice, she bridled 
with indignation.  "What?  Your delegation doesn't trust you to 
make wise decisions?  That's nonsense!" said she.  In fact, many 
NFB-ers look at it that way; they feel they *have* made a choice 
by picking leadership whom they think will make wise decisions.
I personally favor polling.  But many feel that they choose their 
leaders and they expect said leaders to make decisions on the 
merits of issues.
It's kinda like the Congress.  When do we expect Senators and 
Representatives to vote their consciences and when do we want them 
to vote as we think they should?  That question is as old as the 
nation and will probably never be resolved.
Mike Freeman; Internet: mikef@pacifier.com; Amateur Radio Callsign: K7UIJ
President, National Federation of the Blind of Washington
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