Notes: This is a revision of the Nov 24th draft of the A.6 rewrite (http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2002/debian-vote-200211/msg00332.html), incorporating the A.3 changes from http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2002/debian-vote-200210/msg00024.html as well as some of the other points mentioned in http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2002/debian-vote-200211/msg00334.html
In addition, I've attempted to resolve the ambiguities about the default option between 5.2 and A.3, and I've given up trying to come up with a good name for the voting process. Also, I've reinstated the "winning option must meet quorum requirements", because I feel that this will encourage people to vote in otherwise unpopular elections. [Or, at least, I think this will discourage people less than the idea that voting the default option first may cause another option to win.] As always: if there are flaws with this proposal, please let me know. ______________________________________________________________________ General notes on the election process as it applies to this election: Once we've got an "original proposal" that at least some of us are reasonably happy with it will be reasonable for people to propose alternative amendments. For this proposal to be accepted, it must win an election under the current constitution. This proposal has a 3:1 majority requirement. Because the current constitution does not provide for a way of voting on items with mixed majority requirements, because it is somewhat ambiguous when dealing with cyclic conflicts among good options, and because it does allow the secretary to force amendments to be considered on separate ballots, it's probably a good idea to limit the alternative proposals to a small number (0 is ok, and so is 1 or 2) of distinct constitutional amendments (all with a 3:1 majority requirement). ______________________________________________________________________ DRAFT: ______________________________________________________________________ Under 4.2 Procedure [for developers during a general resolution or election], change item 3 to read: 3. Votes are taken by the Project Secretary. Votes and tallies results are not be revealed during the voting period; after the vote the Project Secretary lists all the votes cast. The voting period is 2 weeks, but may be varied by up to 1 week by the Project Leader, and may be ended by the Project Secretary when enough voters have voted that even if every remaining voter voted in opposition to the winner the outcome would remain the same. In this context, we ignore the possibility that people might want to change their vote. ______________________________________________________________________ Under 5.2 Appointment of project leader, change item 7 to read: 7. The decision will be made using A.6 of the Standard Resolution Procedure. The quorum is the same as for a General Resolution (s.4.2) except the default option is None Of The Above. ______________________________________________________________________ Under 6.1 Powers [of the technical committee], change item 7 to read: 7. Appoint the Chairman of the Technical Committee. The Chairman is elected by the Committee from its members. All members of the committee are automatically nominated; the committee vote starting one week before the post will become vacant (or immediately, if it is already too late). The members may vote by public acclamation for any fellow committee member, including themselves; there is no default option. The vote finishes when all the members have voted or when the outcome is no longer in doubt. The result is determined using A.6 of the Standard Resolution Procedure. ______________________________________________________________________ Replace A.3 with: A.3. Voting procedure 1. Each independent set of related amendments is voted on in a separate ballot. Each such ballot has as options all the sensible combinations of amendments and options from that set, and a default option. If the default option wins then the entire resolution procedure is set back to the start of the discussion period. 2. The default option must not have any supermajority requirements. Options which do not have an explicit supermajority requirement have a 1:1 majority requirement. 3. The vote taker (if there is one) or the voters (if voting is done by public pronouncement) may arrange for independent ballots to be held simultaneously, even (for example) using a single voting message. 4. Votes may be cast during the voting period, as specified elsewhere. If the voting period can end if the outcome is no longer in doubt, the possibility that voters may change their votes is not considered. 5. The votes are counted according to the the rules in A.6 If a quorum is required then the default option is Further Discussion. 6. In cases of doubt the Project Secretary shall decide on matters of procedure (for example, whether particular amendments should be considered independent or not). ______________________________________________________________________ Replace A.5 with: A.5. Expiry If a proposed resolution has not been discussed, amended, voted on or otherwise dealt with for 4 weeks the secretary may issue a statement that the issue is being withdrawn. If none of the sponsors of any of the proposals object within a week, the issue is withdrawn. The secretary may also include suggestions on how to proceed, if appropriate. ______________________________________________________________________ Replace A.6 with: A.6 Vote Counting 1. Each voter's ballot ranks the options being voted on. Not all options need be ranked. Ranked options are considered preferred to all unranked options. Unranked options are not considered preferred to other unranked options. Voters may rank options equally. The other details of how ballots may be filled out will be included in the Call For Votes. 2. We construct the Schwartz set based on undropped options and defeats: a. An option A is in the Schwartz set if for all options B, either A transitively defeats B, or B does not transitively defeat A. b. An option, A, transitively defeats an option, C, if A defeats C or if there is some other option, B, where A defeats B AND B transitively defeats C. c. An option, A, defeats an option, B, if N(A,B)*V(A,B) is larger than N(A,B)*V(B,A), and the (A,B) defeat has not been dropped. d. Given two options A and B, V(A,B) is the number of voters who prefer option A over option B. e. If a majority of n:1 is required for A, and B is the default option, N(B,A) is n. In all other cases, N(B,A) is 1. 3. If there are defeats within the Schwartz set, we drop the weakest such defeats, and return to step 2. a. A defeat is in the Schwartz set if both of its options are in the Schwartz set. b. A defeat (A,X) is weaker than a defeat (B,Y) if A is not the default option and V(A,X) is less than V(B,Y). Also, (A,X) is weaker than (B,Y) A is not the default option and if V(A,X) is equal to V(B,Y) and V(X,A) is greater than V(Y,B). c. A weakest defeat is a defeat that has no other defeat weaker than it. There may be more than one such defeat. 3. If there are no defeats within the Schwartz set, then the winner is chosen from the options in the Schwartz set where at least at least Q voters ranked that option above default option, where Q is the quorum requirement for the ballot. If there is only one such option, it is the winner. If there are multiple options, the elector with a casting vote chooses which of those options wins. "RATIONALE": Options which the voters rank above the default option are options they find acceptable. Options ranked below the default option are unacceptable options. If no agreement can be reached on an acceptable option the issue warrants further consideration. ______________________________________________________________________ Thanks, -- Raul -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]