I generally disagree with most of this!  Yes, announcing the election using E-Mail can definitely be problematic.  However, since "hard copy" newsletters are sent out to every AMSAT member, a large announcement, on the front cover, giving the instructions on how to vote either by Internet or by mail, is an effective way to get things going.

Not mailing out the ballots definitely saves money in both postage and printing costs.  There is no additional mailing cost since the instructions will be on the front of the newsletter.

There could even be a paper ballot on the back cover that could either be torn off or copied for those wishing to use the paper ballot method.  The ballot could then be put in an envelope that is marked just "Ballot" and the serial number and then be put in another envelope for mailing.  This is how mail-in ballots are handled here in Texas.  That method works very well for the main-in ballots for every election.

Since most of the functions of AMSAT are handled by volunteers, I am certain that there are members who can definitely come up with a viable, secure, program that will allow Internet voting.

As for E-Mail distributed newsletters:  They are definitely much less expensive than hard copy newsletters not only in the printing and mailing arena, but they are also easier to prepare.  Over the decades, I have been the editor and / or publisher of a number of such publications ranging from local groups to national groups.  It is MUCH cheaper, and MUCH easier to do a newsletter that is distributed in PDF format than it is to publish a hard copy newsletter.

I do prefer having a hard copy for a number of reasons.  However, unless the organization is flush with cash, distributing the newsletter via E-Mail is MUCH more a financial benefit to that organization.

Glen, K9STH

AMSAT 239 / LM 0463

Website: http://k9sth.net

From: Brennan Price [email protected] To: "[email protected]" [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2018 5:44 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Electronic voting (was Re: 2018 Corrected AMSAT Board of Directors Ballots)

ARRLtried electronic balloting for Directors and Vice Directors for a three-year cycle not long ago. Physical ballots were mailed only to those members without email addresses on file. Members with emails on file got a link to the contractor's (SBS) online voting site. Voter participation in the few contested ARRL elections during that cycle plummeted, and the cost was pretty much a wash (it costs money to do electronic voting securely). The difficulty is that an email directing voters to a voting site is easily lost in the noise compared to a paper ballot received in the mail. This phenomenon is not uncommon; the same thing happened when the Virginia State Bar implemented online voting around the same time, with the same vendor. ARRL abandoned electronic balloting. VSB has kept it, and has dealt with declined participation. There are merits in both approaches, but the argument that electronic balloting is better and cheaper is fallacious. (Same thing applies to electronic publication as compared to paper--paper ad rates command a premium for a very good reason.) 73 de Brennan N4QX