Re: Bylaws Revision: VOTING

Here's the topic we've all been waiting for. Voting.

There are several issues that we need to look at. One is the definition of
various majorities, and secondly which group of SPI can act on what items
with which majority. There is also a resolution which I posted a while ago
and will repost defining what a motion and what a resolution should be used
for. I'm not sure if the voting on those two should be any different or
not... if not, it might be pointless to have both motions and resolutions.

The Debian constitution is online at http://www.debian.org/devel/constitution
and I'm wondering if/how much of their voting system we should adopt. Some
of the quorum details might be useful.

The Issues:

- add basic some definitions:
Simple Majority: >50%
Majority: 2/3 (or >2/3 ?)
Super Majority: 2/3 + 1, or maybe 3/4?

- non contributing members
They should not be able to vote.

- contributing members
. They should be able to vote on resolutions (majority)
. they should be able to veto resolutions (super majority)
. they should be able to remove board members (super majority)

- board of directors
. They should be able to vote on resolutions (majority)
. they should be able to veto resolutions (super majority)
. they should be able to remove board members (super majority)

Sorry that this mail is slightly disorganized, but I just wanted to get
everything written down first. Comment season is open.

Nils.

--
Nils Lohner Software in the Public Interest, Inc.
E-Mail: lohner(at)spi-inc(dot)org PO Box 1326
Board Of Directors <board(at)spi-inc(dot)org> Boston, Ma. 02117 USA

"Nils Lohner" <lohner(at)spi-inc(dot)org> writes:

> - add basic some definitions:
> Simple Majority: >50%
> Majority: 2/3 (or >2/3 ?)
> Super Majority: 2/3 + 1, or maybe 3/4?

Please don't define majority to be two-thirds. Majority is a
well-defined term which means more than half. Redefining majority is
a bad idea. When a two-thirds vote is needed, it is easy to state
"two-thirds vote". Off hand, I can't think of a need to distinguish
between two-thirds and two-thirds plus one. I would choose two-thirds
because it is simpler.