I hereby amend the ballot option I proposed using the procedure in Constitution section A.1. My understanding is that this amendment replaces my ballot option unless one of the sponsors objects. There are two changes. The first is the change to rationale I sent out yesterday. The second is to insert a newline between the General Resolution title and the following line of '=' characters.
I also believe this advances the end of the discussion period to next
Thursday (although other actions may advance the end of the discussion
period further).
----------------------------------------
Rationale
=========
During the vote for GR_2021_002, several developers said they were
uncomfortable voting because under the process at that time, their name
and ballot ranking would be public.
A number of participants in the discussion believe that we would get
election results that more accurately reflect the will of the developers
if we do not make the name associated with a particular vote on the
tally sheet public.
Several people believed that the ranked votes without names attached
would still be valuable public information.
This proposal would treat all elections like DPL elections.
At the same time it relaxes the requirement that the secretary must
conduct a vote via email. If the requirement for email voting is
removed, then an experiment is planned at least with the belenios voting
system [1]. belenios may provide better voter secrecy and an easier
web-based voting system than our current email approach.
If this proposal passes, adopting such an alternative
would require sufficient support in the project but would not require
another constitutional amendment.
[1]: https://lists.debian.org/yhotrixtz3aip...@roeckx.be
This proposal increases our reliance on the secretary's existing power
to decide how votes are conducted. The lack of an override mechanism
for secretary decisions about how we conduct votes has not been a
problem so far. However, if we are going to rely on this power to
consider questions like whether the project has sufficient consensus to
adopt an alternate voting mechanism, we need an override mechanism.
So, this proposal introduces such a mechanism.
Summary of Changes
==================
1) Do not make the identity of a voter casting a particular vote
public.
2) Do not require that votes be conducted by email.
3) Clarify that the developers can replace the secretary at any time.
4) Provide a procedure for overriding the decision of the project
secretary or their delegate. Overriding the decision of what super
majority is required or overriding the determination of election
outcome requires a 3:1 majority. The chair of the technical committee
decides who conducts such votes.
6) Codify that our election system must permit independent verification
of the outcome given the votes cast and must permit developers to
confirm their vote is included in the votes cast.
General Resolution
==================
The developers resolve to make the changes to the Debian Constitution
embodied in git commit ed88a1e3c1fc367ee89620a73047d84a797c9a1d.
As of February 23, 2022, this commit can be found at
https://salsa.debian.org/hartmans/webwml/-/commit/ed88a1e3c1fc367ee89620a73047d84a797c9a1d
For convenience a word-diff of the changes is included below. In case
the diff differs from the commit, the commit governs.
@@ -179,9 +179,27 @@ earlier can overrule everyone listed later.</cite></p>
</li>
<li>
[-<p>In case of-]{+<p>Appoint+} a [-disagreement between-]{+new secretary.
In the normal case ( §7.2) where+} the project
leader and {+secretary agree on+} the [-incumbent-]{+next+} secretary,
[-appoint a new secretary.</p>-]{+this power of+}
{+ the developers is not used.</p>+}
</li>
{+<li>+}
{+ <p>Override a decision of the project secretary or their+}
{+ delegate.</p>+}
{+ <p>Overriding the determination of what super majority is required+}
{+ for a particular ballot option or overriding the determination of+}
{+ the outcome of an election requires the developers to agree by a+}
{+ 3:1 majority. The determination of the majority required to+}
{+ override a decision of the secretary is not subject to+}
{+ override.</p>+}
{+ <p>The chair of the technical committee decides who acts as+}
{+ secretary for a general resolution to override a decision of the+}
{+ project secretary or their delegate. If the decision was not made+}
{+ by the chair of the technical committee, the committee chair may+}
{+ themselves act as secretary. The decision of who acts as secretary+}
{+ for such a general resolution is not subject to override.</p>+}
</ol>
<h3>4.2. Procedure</h3>
@@ -228,9 +246,10 @@ earlier can overrule everyone listed later.</cite></p>
<p>
Votes are taken by the Project Secretary. Votes, tallies, and
results are not revealed during the voting period; after the
vote the Project Secretary lists all the votes {+cast in sufficient
detail that anyone may verify the outcome of the election from the votes cast.
The+}
{+ identity of a developer casting a particular vote is not made+}
{+ public, but developers will be given an option to confirm their vote
is included in the votes+} cast. The voting period is 2 weeks, but may be
varied by up
to 1 week by the Project Leader.
</p>
</li>
@@ -247,7 +266,7 @@ earlier can overrule everyone listed later.</cite></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Votes are cast[-by email-] in a manner suitable to the Secretary.
The Secretary determines for each poll whether voters can change
their votes.</p>
</li>
@@ -371,8 +390,7 @@ earlier can overrule everyone listed later.</cite></p>
necessary.</li>
<li>The next two weeks are the polling period during which
Developers may cast their votes. [-Votes in leadership elections are-]
[- kept secret, even after the election is finished.</li>-]{+</li>+}
<li>The options on the ballot will be those candidates who have
nominated themselves and have not yet withdrawn, plus None Of The
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