UKVoting Standardised CFV/Ballot Form v3.11 NOTES: 1) This is a combined CFV and Ballot Paper the bits with lines beginning CX are EXCLUDED from the CFV the bits with lines beginning BX are EXCLUDED from the Ballot paper. Everything else is included in both the CFV and the Ballot Paper The | line indicates the votetaker will remove all but the instructions they wish to use for a vote. 2) Anything in [side these brackets] is to be replaced with a real address or edited to meet the vote requirements. 3) The UKVoting machine will generate a ballot ID as now and insert it into the Ballot Paper. In a addition the $$FROM$$ will be replaced by the mail address to which the ballot is sent this address is the address used in the results. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = BX FIRST CALL FOR VOTES (OF 2) CX CALL FOR VOTES AND BALLOT PAPER [ Title of CFV ] Votes must be received by 23:59:59 XXT, XXth Xxxxx 20NN. For voting questions *only* contact Votetaker: Votetakername [] |Secondary Votetaker: Votetakername [] |(Please only contact the secondary votetaker in an emergency) For questions about the proposed [new newsgroup/charter change/quidelines change/election] please contact the proponent. Proponent : Proponentname [] =================================================================== Distribution: This CFV has been posted to the following newsgroups: uk.net.news.announce [uk.net.news.config / uk.net.news.management] [other news groups here] =================================================================== This CFV contains the following sections. 1. Rationale from the last RFD 2. Summary of Discussion from the Proponent 3. Changes from the last RFD from the Proponent 4. Newsgroups line [remove for guideline changes] 5. [Charter / Proposal] 6. Standard Voting Instructions BX 7. Instructions on how to obtain a ballot paper and template CX 7. Ballot paper =================================================================== RATIONALE from the last RFD =================================================================== PROPONENT's Summary of Discussion =================================================================== CHANGES from the last RFD =================================================================== NEWSGROUPS LINE =================================================================== [CHARTER] Group Creation [PROPOSAL] Guidelines =================================================================== [This vote is being conducted by two Votetakers. In the event that the Primary Votetaker fails to respond the Secondary Votetaker will take over the running of this vote.] VOTING INSTRUCTIONS If you fail to follow the instructions below your ballot paper may be ruled invalid. This means your vote will not be counted. 1) One person, one vote. 2) No two voters may vote from the same email address. In the event that only one address is available to two persons who both wish to vote, both these persons should contact the votetaker prior to voting. 3) Votes must be emailed directly from the voter to the address specified by the votetaker. 4) There may be technical reasons, such as breaks in the email headers of your ballot, which may mean that the votetaker is unable to confirm the validity of your vote. The votetaker will contact you if there are any irregularities. If you have followed the voting instructions correctly, you will receive an acknowledgement of your vote within five days from the votetaker. This does not always mean that your vote is valid. The votetaker will contact you if there is a problem with your vote. If you do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt of your ballot paper within five days you should contact the votetaker. If the acknowledgement "bounces" back to the votetaker (the mail containing the acknowledgment is returned as undeliverable by a mailserver), your vote will not be counted. It is your responsibility to ensure that your ballot paper has been received by checking that the acknowledgement arrives. You should also check that your vote is recorded correctly in the acknowledgement. If there are any problems with your acknowledgement, you should contact the votetaker. =================================================================== BX HOW TO VOTE BX BX Please read the instructions carefully. BX BX The email address that will be published in the results is the one BX that the ballot paper was sent to. So for example if a ballot paper BX was sent to example-voter@ukvoting.org.uk, this would be the BX address shown in the result. This address has to be valid, BX otherwise you will not receive a ballot paper. BX BX To receive a ballot paper, you must send an email to the Ballot BX Request Address, which is [votename]@request.ukvoting.org.uk BX . BX For most news-reading software, just replying by email to this post BX will address your email correctly, but *please check* that the BX address above is actually in the To field before you send the mail. BX BX We recognise that sometimes people submit their votes from BX different addresses for varying reasons, especially when more than BX one email address is available to a voter. If you want the results BX to record your vote as coming from a different address to that BX from which you post your request, you can do this by putting the BX address you want recorded in the Reply-To field in your ballot BX request. If you do not know how to do this, or if you are unable BX for whatever reason, then put the address you want recorded in the BX Subject line of your ballot request instead. BX BX Note: Please remember that you must be able to read email sent to BX the address you choose to use as your voting address, otherwise you BX will be unable to retrieve your ballot paper and you will be unable BX to vote. BX BX If you change the Subject field in your email to contain the BX address you want to use, it doesn't matter whether you also include BX your name or not, and it doesn't matter whether you enclose your BX voting address in or not. BX BX It also doesn't matter whether you quote this entire post or BX delete everything when making your ballot request. BX BX THE REPLY TO YOUR REQUEST BX BX If the autoresponder understands your voting address in the Subject BX or other fields, it will send a ballot paper immediately to that BX address. This ballot paper will be personalised and unique to the BX voting address used. BX =================================================================== CASTING YOUR VOTE BX Your personalised ballot paper will contain a ballot ID and will BX have your voting address prefilled for your convenience. CX Your personalised ballot paper is towards the end of this post. CX Your unique ballot ID and the voting address you have used are CX prefilled. Do not change either of these or your vote will not be valid. If you want to use a different voting address you must request another ballot paper for the new address. 1) Enter the name under which you want your vote recorded in the results. This must be either your real name or the pseudonym ("handle") which you normally use to post to usenet. 2) Enter the email address which you normally use to post to Usenet, including the spamblock if applicable. If you use a number of different email addresses, please give the most recent, a typical or the most commonly used address. If, and only if, you do not post to Usenet, enter the word "none". Please do not enter any text in this field other than your posting address or the word "none". If you have any doubt as to how to complete this section, please contact the votetaker. This section is recommended but optional and is to help the votetaker verify your vote. If you do not answer this question, and the votetaker cannot verify your identity from the other information on the ballot, then the votetaker will need to carry out further investigations which may include contacting you for additional information. If you are unable or unwilling to provide such information if requested, your vote might not be counted. 3) Mark your voting preferences, as indicated on the ballot according to the instructions below. 4) Send your vote. This vote is being conducted under the [Yes/No / Condorcet / STV procedure.] |[Yes/No instructions |This vote requires a simple 'yes', 'no' response as you wish |The letters Y/N may be used if you prefer.] | |[Condorcet Instructions |The ballot consists of multiple options which will be |counted under the Condorcet system. | |To vote, enter '1' against your favourite option, '2' |against your second favourite option, and so on. | |You may rank options the same if you have no preference |between them and you may leave options unmarked but are |requested not to do so. Unmarked options will be assumed |to be ranked equally, and lower than all marked options.] | |[Single Transferable Vote (STV) | |To vote, enter '1' against your favourite candidate, '2' |against your second favourite candidate, and so on. |You may place preferences by as many or as few options as you |wish. Options MUST NOT be ranked equally.] You may abstain, and have your abstention recorded in the results, by filling in one or more of the voting boxes [ ] with A or ABSTAIN. Similarly if you wish to Cancel a vote and have no record in the results, use C or CANCEL on your ballot paper, and resubmit it. [In a multi-part vote you may abstain in any or all parts. If you abstain in one part and leave all the other parts blank the whole vote will be treated as an abstain. If you cancel any part the whole vote will be treated as cancelled.] You may resubmit your ballot, with different choices, at any time up to the close of the vote. Your identification details on the resubmitted ballot paper must be the same as earlier ones. Repeat votes will be resolved in favour of the last valid ballot paper. The purpose of this vote is to determine the genuine interest of persons who: [would read the proposed newsgroup] [read the newsgroup or would read it if modified] [have an interest in hierarchy placement] [have an interest in the effect on existing groups] [have an interest in changes in the guidelines] [have an interest in the people who represent them on the Committee] Soliciting votes from disinterested parties defeats this purpose. Under no circumstances should you post your completed ballot paper to any Usenet/Net News newsgroup or other forum. If you ignore any of these instructions, your vote may be rejected as invalid. This includes, but is not limited to, any false answers given on the ballot paper or any attempt to circumvent the "one person, one vote" rule or to conceal your identity. =================================================================== ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF YOUR BALLOT PAPER The votetaker will send you an acknowledgement so that you know that your ballot paper has been received. This may take up to five days. If you have not received such an acknowledgement after five days, then contact the votetaker directly at the Votetaker's Address [] ] An acknowledgement does not necessarily mean that your vote will be counted. =================================================================== VOTE VALIDATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY The acknowledgement which you receive (see above) will contain details of how you voted. Check this acknowledgement carefully. If there are any problems, or you did not vote then contact the votetaker straight away. During or at the end of the vote, the votetaker will validate every vote submitted, and the votetaker may need to contact you concerning any problem or query. You must assist the votetaker's reasonable efforts to clarify any problem or query with regard to your vote otherwise your vote may not be counted. Any communication between the votetaker and yourself must not be considered to be confidential and the votetaker reserves the right to publish any information that the votetaker deems relevant to the vote within the results post. =================================================================== RESULTS The names, addresses and vote preferences of all valid and invalid votes will be published in the results, which are posted to uk.net.news.announce. All published email addresses will be scrambled to prevent them being harvested by spammers. [For Committee elections / Motions of No Confidence, the results will be published in such a manner that only you, the voter, will be able to see what your preferences were.] =================================================================== BX The ballot paper will contain the following question(s). BX The question(s) are shown below so that you know what you will BX be asked on the ballot paper. You cannot use this to vote, BX you must request a ballot paper. CX The ballot paper now follows. CX CX Place your answer anywhere within the [ ]. Please ensure that CX the [ and ] remain on the same line. Some software, such as CX Outlook, is likely to move the closing bracket to the next line, CX which can cause problems to the votetaker and may mean that your CX vote cannot be counted. CX CX It does not matter if your mailer prefixes each line of your reply CX with a '>', or other quote mark. CX CX Send your completed ballot to votename@vote.ukvoting.org.uk CX CX - - - - - Delete this line and everything above it - - - - - - CX ================= Start of Ballot [short votename] =============== CX BALLOT PAPER CX CX Ballot ID: $$KEY$$ Do not alter this ID CX CX Your vote will be recorded in the published results as from: CX Email: $$FROM$$ CX Do not alter this address. CX CX 1) Enter the name under which you want your vote recorded in the CX results. This must be either your real name or the pseudonym CX ("handle") which you normally use to post to usenet. If you CX do not answer this question then your vote will not be counted. CX CX Name: [ ] CX CX 2) Enter the email address which you normally use to post CX to Usenet, including the spamblock if applicable. CX This is a recommended but optional question, please see CX the voting instructions above for more information. CX CX Email: [ ] [The Question(s)] (BX Version to have question without boxes for filling in response) (CX version to have question with boxes for filling in response.) CX You may place any comments/notes/explanations/directions to the CX votetaker here:-- CX CX CX ================== End of Ballot [short votename] ================ CX - - - - - - - Delete this line and everything below it - - - - - - =================================================================== TROUBLESHOOTING If you have any problems whatsoever with this process, contact the votetaker directly at the Votetaker's Address [] ]. =================================================================== VOTING AND APPEAL GUIDELINES This vote is being conducted by neutral third party members of UKVoting. UKVoting is a group of independent votetakers who count votes on CFVs on behalf of the uk.* hierarchy and other 3rd parties. The rules under which this vote is taken are posted regularly to uk.net.news.announce or can be found at the following URL: The UKVoting web pages can be found at https://ukvoting.org.uk/