[ncdnhc-discuss] ISOC to bid on .org

[Hans Klein]

At 07:00 AM 6/7/2002 -0700, Kent Crispin wrote:

>In last years CIRA election they enrolled all voters in a lottery w/
>$15000 in prizes, as an added inducement to vote.  In spite of that, out
>of 90000 members, ~3000 voted, a 3-4% voter turnout.  You can spin that how
>you like, but to me, that is a serious "apparent difficulty" that
>doesn't give me a lot of warm fuzzy feelings about the election, or the
>future stability of CIRA:

I disagree that this voter turnout indicates a problem.

As I understand it, there are few controversies over the management of 
CIRA.  Therefore, there is little to which voters need to hold management 
accountable.  Hence the low turnout.

But let's say the CIRA board started proactively making public policy or 
was seen to be engaged in inside dealing with its friends.  In that case, 
one could that voter turnout would greatly increase.  Members would get 
involved and hold the board accountable.

Seen as an accountability mechanism, elections only really kick in when 
problems arise.

I think the same holds for ICANN.  The 2000 elections successfully held the 
board accountable for its actions, and a number of reformers were elected.

If the ICANN board's actions were less controversial (I believe this is 
definitely possible), then ICANN elections would become boring.   That has 
always been everyone's goal: boring elections that indicate that ICANN is 
staying out of controversy.

Instead, ICANN has proposed to eliminate the elections.  So now we can 
spend another year or two redesigning this institution or perhaps 
ultimately junking it.

Too bad the ICANN board has not chosen the CIRA model!

Hans