I received the 2020 AMSAT BoD ballot via US Postal Service today.
I noticed that the envelope for this ballot is addressed to the AMSAT Secretary, Brennan Price, at a post office box in Vienna, VA. The envelope has my return address pre-printed in the upper left corner.
The standard mail-in ballot practice, is to NOT use an identifiable return address. A separate ballot envelope (sometimes a different, specific color) is provided for the member’s ballot. This assures that the member’s ballot remains Secret and the envelope only Opened during the physical counting process. This minimizes or eliminates Ballot Tampering. == The 2020 mail-in ballot process is different than the 2019 election, when AMSAT used a third-party to assure a secret ballot for BoD election process. I previously worked for Ernst&Young, which handles sensitive and visible balloting for many high-profile organizations (expect the Oscars, that is PwC).
I raise my hand in objection, that this 2020 mail-in balloting method does not assure the line of secrecy from member to the vote counting (tabulation) process.
Greg Beat, w9gb AMSAT-NA life member == ANS-188 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins DATE: 2019 July 7 To All RADIO AMATEURS 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Update
The 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors election will be conducted differently than in past elections. In previous years, the balloting process was handled by multiple vendors. This year, AMSAT has contracted with a single, independent party, ElectionBuddy, to conduct and fully manage the election process. Sincerely, Clayton L. Coleman, W5PFG AMSAT Secretary
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