[members-discuss] Request to amend the RIPE NCC Articles of Association

On 24/06/2014 11:01, Nigel Titley wrote:
> We would like to hear more feedback from the membership on these voting
> issues. Do members think there is a case for removing the option to vote
> with paper ballot and by proxy?

As it's expired from my mailbox, Ulf's original email is here:

> http://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/archives/members-discuss/2014-May/001476.html

e-voting is demonstrably faster and more efficient than paper ballots, but
it's not possible to guarantee voter anonymity.  The bottom line is that if
you log into an online evoting system, you need to trust that the system
will not associate your authentication token with your ballot.  All we can
do is say that the RIPE NCC trusts BigPulse, and also expects it's
membership to do so.

Regarding counting, there are several software packages which can assist
with counting.  I've used OpenSTV and it works quite nicely.  I assume that
as there are both e-votes and paper votes, that BigPulse's system also
assists with this and that therefore the problem that Ulf identified maybe
isn't as big as he perceives it to be.

No doubt BigPulse are a reputable company, but on principal I have problems
with e-voting relating to privacy and verifiable trust.  On balance, I'm
not convinced that Ulf's suggestion fixes more problems than it creates,
and consequently I do not support it.

Nick