From: Al and Masha Sten-Clanton 
Subject: Re: ACB Washington Connection (fwd)
On Sat, 27 Sep 1997 hheagy@delphi.com wrote:
> I've always been curous to know what would happen if we could
> have electronic voting at our conventons wherein everyone would
> have an individual private vote how much of the national agenda
> would pass?  I think in that situation, it would be doing well to
> get half its agenda.
> 
> Harvey
It seems to me that there should always be the means at hand for a secret
ballot at a chapter meeting, affiliate convention, or the national
convention--or, fand, for that matter, division meetings.  I know some
chapters have had it, including the Boston chapter in the past, and I
suspect that some state affiliates have had secret balloting.  I think it
should not (or at least need not) be automatic, but should be done at the
request of even a single member.
For secret ballots to make sense at the national convention, however, or
at any convention where votes are cast by delegates, I think the delegate
system must be abolished.  Delegates have no right to vote secretly, since
they represent people to whom they should be accountable.  (A dozen years
or so ago, some folks in the Massachusetts legislature wanted secret
balloting because there was a battle for the position of speaker's job,
where much power resides.  I was appalled!) 
Do you think that we should abolish the delegate system, as I'm inclined
to, or do you think that would give the members of a few lucky state
affiliates too much power?  You may recall that I raised this as part of
an earlier message responding to the notion of term limits.
I guess I dare not speculate on how much of the "national" agenda would
become policy if we had membership voting by secret ballot, electronic or
not.  I'm a little worried to think about how much of my own agenda would
fail, but I could be at peace with losing a lot of votes in a truly
democratic proceeding, even if they indicated I was so far from the
mainstream that I might better belong elsewhere.  (I hope that's nopt how
it is, of course.)
Take care!
Al
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