[Chapter-delegates] Board Election

[Peter Koch]

Bob,

to avoid redesigning the aircraft in flight, I'm only responding now with
the deadline having passed.

> I hope you didn't interpret my email asking Chapters to vote as interfering with the election.

No, I did not. Not at all. Notices of Election, encouragements to vote addressed to
the public (well, caucus) and those reminders sent out individually appear
good practice to me.  Thanks for that.  Any form of "peer pressure" that was
suggested upthread, is unacceptable, though.  People and chapters should have the
right to abstain.  Personally, I'd prefer a "qualified abstention" over
simple inaction, but the system did not really provide for this this time.
So, I'd support the suggestion to allow for a blank or invalid vote.

>  My thinking is that it's important for as many chapters as possible to vote in the Board election.

Yes and no.  It's dangerous to judge the legitimacy of the result (or even process)
by looking at the participation figures, weighing sum over substance.

> Personally, I find it troubling that only half of the chapters (and similar turnout for org members) choose to vote.  Hopefully, the turnout will be higher this year.

Definitely something to think about, but probably on a more strategic level and
earlier in the proces. Driving the electorate to the voting booth where they,
for whatever reason, feel inclined to roll a dice, may only shape the beauty
of the results in Powerpoint spheres.  I'm not saying it happened this time.

-Peter