RAAus Elections

[rhysmcc]

Incorrect there rhysmcc.......those involved are usually notified by phone on the day, and the rest of us by CEO Eletter shortly after. You've really got to stop living in the past and catch up mate.

Well according to the CEO Newsletter, voting closes at 17:00. I assume proper election process is being followed and counting doesn't actually begin until voting has closed (although again knowing how RA-AUS operates this may not be the case). I can't see how anyone could know the result on the same day unless counting takes place after hours (hopefully not on overtime).

 

But I'm happy to be proven wrong and will check the RA-AUS website and email "shortly after" and see what turns up.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Well according to the CEO Newsletter, voting closes at 17:00. I assume proper election process is being followed and counting doesn't actually begin until voting has closed (although again knowing how RA-AUS operates this may not be the case). I can't see how anyone could know the result on the same day unless counting takes place after hours (hopefully not on overtime).But I'm happy to be proven wrong and will check the RA-AUS website and email "shortly after" and see what turns up.

It's not like we have thousands of votes to count, all in the office pitch in to help the official election overseer as required. I recall being notified around 5.30 PM both times I was elected, by phone by the CEO.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Well according to the CEO Newsletter, voting closes at 17:00. I assume proper election process is being followed and counting doesn't actually begin until voting has closed (although again knowing how RA-AUS operates this may not be the case). I can't see how anyone could know the result on the same day unless counting takes place after hours (hopefully not on overtime).But I'm happy to be proven wrong and will check the RA-AUS website and email "shortly after" and see what turns up.

Obviously since the votes come in by mail I would imagine most would be received prior to the final day, with maybe a few finals on that day to add. Each voter slip has to be checked as legitimate IE: membership numbers checked as current. I don't believe they would wait until 17.00 hrs to do this.

 

 

[turboplanner]

If votes are counted before the poll closes, they should be invalidated because they provide an opportunity for someone to shore up votes to match the known results before closing.

 

 

[rhysmcc]

I agree with turboplanner, counting of votes should not happen until the voting deadline has passed. Also doesn't each nominee have the option to appoint a "scrutineer", surely they are not expecting to be there for weeks as each mail comes in.

 

From memory Maj, your election had only 26 voters and only 2 nominees so no it shouldn't take too long to count (even if it did come down to 1 vote so everything would have to be double and triple checked first). The more nominees and voters the longer the process. I assumed the office closes at 5:00 but maybe it's 5:30, still seems tight to expect a result without staff going overtime?

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Read what I said gentlemen.....the votes are not counted before the 17.00 deadline, they are simply VALIDATED as coming from ligitiment members...that's why you have to put your membership number in the box on the back of the envelope remember ?....one member= one vote. This can be done as the votes are received in the office....doesn't mean the votes are counted at all.

 

 

[johnm]

............... at least we don't have membership numbers (yet) for the local, state and federal elections comrades !

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

............... at least we don't have membership numbers (yet) for the local, state and federal elections comrades !

Well you do remember....as you get ticked off the electoral role to receive your ballot papers you have to produce your electoral dept notification or ID....usually drivers license.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Read what I said gentlemen.....the votes are not counted before the 17.00 deadline, they are simply VAATED as coming from ligitiment members...that's why you have to put your membership number in the box on the back of the envelope remember ?....one member= one vote. This can be done as the votes are received in the office....doesn't mean the votes are counted at all.

That's a naive response Maj. Given the traditionally very small number of RAA election voters, and the reasonably well known status of the people who do vote, just the list of names would allow strategic stacking, so the result could easily be challenged.

 

 

[facthunter]

Can't see that as a serious concern Turbs. You can't really know how a certain member would vote for a board member except in a few rare cases where you might make a qualified guess. People can network at any stage to get their favourite person in and you don't know till the final day how many are coming in the post (total) I'd like to see more people exercising their right to vote as a sign of a healthy interest in the organisation. Nev

 

 

[rhysmcc]

I thought the name crossing off and envelope opening would wait until "counting time". Once the envelope is open there is no way to tell if the vote is legit or not.

 

 

[turboplanner]

That's how it's done in formal elections - voting closes, vote processing begins, including validation.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

a lot of drama for 100 votes

 

 

[DonRamsay]

I thought the name crossing off and envelope opening would wait until "counting time". Once the envelope is open there is no way to tell if the vote is legit or not.

Should have taken me up on the bet for the schooner rhysmcc, I thought the voting closed at 16:00 as it used to.

 

Turbs is right when he advocates: " voting closes, vote processing begins, including validation".

 

I don't know what process will be used this time.

 

A better system would be a well controlled vote over the net. That might actually attract a bigger turnout.

 

There is the right to nominate a scrutineer. Also, there is an independent person who supervises the ballot count.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That's a naive response Maj. Given the traditionally very small number of RAA election voters, and the reasonably well known status of the people who do vote, just the list of names would allow strategic stacking, so the result could easily be challenged.

Your in dreamland there turbo.........

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I thought the name crossing off and envelope opening would wait until "counting time". Once the envelope is open there is no way to tell if the vote is legit or not.

That's why your membership number box is on the back of the envelope, so the vote can be legitimised prior to opening. Not rocket science here folks....basic stuff that works.

 

 

[rhysmcc]

That's why your membership number box is on the back of the envelope, so the vote can be legitimised prior to opening. Not rocket science here folks....basic stuff that works.

Yes, but once the envelope is opened and the ballot is put into the pile, what's to stop anyone from adding/removing/changing whats in the pile while we wait for the counting come closing time. That's why i questioned whether the enveloping and checking off the membership number is done prior to the end of voting (i.e. 17:00 today).

 

On a side note, it's now 7:30PM and nothing on the RA-AUS website or received via email, not sure if the nominee's have got a phone call or not but my guess would be no to the counting today.

 

 

[Geoff13]

Oh for crying out loud we are not voting for sheep stations and by the sound of it the interest is minuscule anyway.

 

Maybe if there were as many voters as there are whingers things would be better, not that I am unhappy anyway.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

. . . On a side note, it's now 7:30PM and nothing on the RA-AUS website or received via email, not sure if the nominee's have got a phone call or not but my guess would be no to the counting today.

Definitely should have taken me up on that schooner.

 

 

[David Isaac]

I have been there as a scrutineer.

 

Votes are validated as financial or not as they arrive, that is why the numbers are on the rear of the envelope ... no number ... invalid vote. Anything else in the envelope ... invalid vote.

 

No envelopes are opened until final checking of mail on the day of official vote close.

 

All envelopes are opened after official vote close at the time of counting.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I have been there as a scrutineer. Votes are validated as financial or not as they arrive, that is why the numbers are on the rear of the envelope

This is not acceptable practice. A vote may be posted in weeks beforehand - what counts is that the member is financial on the day of vote counting.

 

 

[DonRamsay]

This is not acceptable practice. A vote may be posted in weeks beforehand - what counts is that the member is financial on the day of vote counting.

I can't say for certain but the job of the independent observer is to ensure that all votes valid on the day are counted and all invalid votes are counted as invalid. I don't believe anyone would miss out because of the extraordinary situation where they were not financial when they sent their vote in but were financial when it was counted.

 

 

[coljones]

That's why your membership number box is on the back of the envelope, so the vote can be legitimised prior to opening. Not rocket science here folks....basic stuff that works.

And in the case of previous some CEOs, Execs and Boards - rocket scientists they weren't.

 

 

[coljones]

It is 1.18am on saturday morning and still no result- obviously the ban on overtime is working

 

 

[rhysmcc]

Thanks David that clears things up. Hopefully we will know Monday the make up of the post AGM board.