[atlarge-discuss] Consultation on Polling Commission?

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@ntlworld.com>]

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I note that the Panel is Voting on a Motion to establish a Polling Commission.

I'm not sure there has been adequate time for the Membership to be involved in full consultation about this. Input from the Membership is important on all major Motions like this.

Each important Motion should evolve something like this:

>Motion proposed and seconded > Notice of the Motion given to the Membership > 7 to 10 days minimum for discussion and informed input at Membership level > Vote commences > Result posted

With reference to the Motion about a Polling Commission, I think the Membership supports this in principle but there are specifics which deserve to be discussed:

1. Does the Commission cover the Polling process alone, or Elections as well?
2. What is the mandate, specified roles, limits of this Polling Commission?
3. Should the Polling Commission be independent of the Panel / Executive?
4. How many members should it have?
5. How should those members be chosen?
6. Will the Polling Commission have oversight and authority over a Polling Process which the organisation uses?
7. Will the Polling Commission have the task of determining which questions are asked, and how they are worded?
8. How will that task, of determining which questions get asked, be carried out? What process?
9. What process will the Polling Commission be authorised to carry out, with reference to : analysis of the merits of previous elections (to learn from them); design and wording of future elections; etc etc?
10. What term of office do members feel is appropriate for members of this Polling Commission?

I guess that all this could be fine-tuned in a subsequent motion, but I feel many of the issues should have been discussed at greater length, before the Panel took an informed vote on the basis of consultation with their members.

In short, what - specifically - is the Panel voting for right now? I'm not sure it has been defined with sufficient clarity.

(But thank you to all those panelists who are working hard on our behalf!)

Yrs,

Richard H