Re: Final proposed Board resolution for Board elections voting system

Thank you Ian for the resolution and thanks to everyone else for the
comments and iterations.

The resolution has been added to the next meeting's agenda.

Valerie Young
Secretary, Software in the Public Interest, Inc.

On 03/09/2017 07:27 AM, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Ian Jackson writes ("Final proposed Board resolution for Board elections voting system"):
>> NB that I will be offline on the 10th and 11th of March, and will have
>> only limited network access between then and the Board meeting. So if
>> there are any more comments, please make them ASAP.
>
> There were some comments about the rationale, and about the clarity of
> the paragraph stating the primacy of the official rules over the
> software. I have updated para 1 and para 8, with the changes posted
> previously. There is no change to the effect of the resolution.
>
> Last call.
>
>
> WHEREAS
>
> 1. SPI's voting system for Board elections is unique to our
> organisation and has several problems; notably, a lack of
> proportionality.
>
> 2. SPI is not equipped to effectively design or analyse voting
> systems. We wish to adopt a system widely used elsewhere, and
> which is recommended by civil society organisations specialising in
> voting reform.
>
> 3. The Single Transferrable Vote is the only proportional voting
> system, suitable for SPI, which meets these criteria.
>
> 4. The Scottish STV variant is clearly specified; we have an
> established and stable Free Software implementation of it; and it
> is straightforward to (re)implement. Other STV variants appear to
> lack some of these good properties.
>
> 5. Ian Jackson has offered to help with the implementation of STV for
> SPI.
>
> THEREFORE THE SPI BOARD RESOLVES
>
> 6. Future elections to the SPI Board will be counted according to the
> Scottish Single Transferrable Vote. Scottish STV will also be used
> by SPI for any other multi-winner election.
>
> 7. Specifically, the algorithm to be used is that specified in
> Rules 45-52 of the Scottish Local Government Elections Order
> 2007 (a UK Statutory Instrument):
> http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2007/42/schedule/1/part/III/crossheading/counting-of-votes/made
>
> 8. The practical implementation will be by means of software; for
> example, perhaps the openstv package in Debian. The choice of
> software is up to the Secretary. However, any differences between
> the the Rules in the Order referenced above, and whatever software
> implementation is chosen, are to be resolved in favour of the
> Rules.
>
> 9. The SPI Secretary is requested to liase with Ian Jackson, so that
> the necessary changes to SPI software and infrastructure can be
> identified and implemented.
>
>