[Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval --ProposedConstitutional Amendment.

Sat May 19 23:42:26 UTC 2012

Holly,
	Do you mean that you observed people tearing off an additional
corner or tearing off a corner when there was no corners torn off? I really
do not see any way around that. I want each person to put their ballot in
the container for counting so there can be no alterations. 

Kathy

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Holly
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 7:26 PM
To: NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval
--ProposedConstitutional Amendment.

Kathy,
I tend to agree with you. I would also like a different way to collect the
secret ballot, as well. I have seen people change the ballots as they were
past down the isle. At that point, I did not feel that I could do anything
about it. 
Holly

Sent from my iPhone

On May 19, 2012, at 7:18 PM, "Kathy Davis" <kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com> wrote:

> Hi Dan,
>    I totally oppose your proposed amendment to the NFBF Constitution.
> You and I have always held differing opinions on the matter of secret 
> ballots.
>    The fact is that I do not want to stand up publically or even raise 
> my hand so members will know exactly how I vote. I may respect several 
> members running for office but I do not want them to be cognizant of 
> how I choose to vote.  Hurt feelings that can be long-lasting in 
> nature would likely result.
>    Even though the majority of the voting members are blind, many have 
> enough vision to see how folks cast their votes and of course, we have 
> many sighted members who will also be part of the election process. 
> Don't think for a minute that a given candidate will not learn from other
members what
> they observed pertaining to how others cast their votes   
>    To take my position a bit further and a little more concrete, let 
> me add an example. It's a really terrible situation when two of my 
> really good friends are running for the same office such as Second 
> Vice President. This situation has occurred on numerous occasions 
> throughout the years I have been part of the NFBF. For example, let's 
> say that Sherrill O'Brien is running against Gloria Hicks. I may 
> choose to vote for Gloria but I would feel horrible for Sherrill to 
> know that I voted against her because I value both candidates' 
> friendship. After all, we are an organization that has worked for 
> years and years for voters to have the right to vote in secret and in
private.
>    Sorry my friend, but I can never support your amendment! Moreover, 
> elections are far too important to get caught up in making our 
> elections be over and done with in the quickest manner possible. If 
> only one voting member is uncomfortable about voting publically, that 
> member should have the right to call for a secret ballot. I hope 
> others will jump in and share their views on this matter.
> 
> 
> Your friend and longtime colleague,
> 
> Kathy Davis
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Dan Hicks
> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 1:47 PM
> To: 'NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List'
> Subject: [Nfbf-l] Important: Submitted for your Approval -- 
> ProposedConstitutional Amendment.
> 
> Fellow NFBF Members,
> 
> 
> 
> As Rod Serling used to say in the beginning minutes of "The Twilight
Zone,"
> 'Submitted for your approval."
> 
> 
> 
> Some of you may recall that at our 2011 NFBF Convention, we approved 
> an amendment to the constitution which changed and simplified the way 
> chapters designate their representatives.
> 
> 
> 
> During this convention, I mentioned another amendment that I wish to 
> see passed, and will be voted on at this year's convention.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ARTICLE IV:  ELECTIONS
> 
> 
> 
> Now reads:
> 
> 
> 
> ARTICLE IV:  ELECTIONS
> 
> 
> 
> Elections shall be conducted by a majority vote of the active members 
> present and voting at an annually held business meeting.  Election 
> shall be by voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll call vote, 
> or secret ballot.  Secret marked ballots shall be required upon the 
> request of any active member present and voting.  There shall be no 
> proxy voting.  If no nominee receives a majority vote on the first 
> ballot, the name of the person receiving the fewest votes shall be 
> dropped from the list of nominees, and a second ballot shall be taken.  
> This procedure shall continue until one of the nominees has received a 
> majority vote from the active members present and voting.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Proposed Change:
> 
> 
> 
> ARTICLE IV:  ELECTIONS
> 
> 
> 
> Elections shall be conducted by a majority vote of the active members 
> present and voting at an annually held business meeting.  Election 
> shall be by voice vote, standing vote, show of hands, roll call vote, 
> or secret ballot.  Secret marked ballots shall be required upon the 
> request of a majority of the active member present and voting.  There 
> shall be no proxy voting.  If no nominee receives a majority vote on 
> the first ballot, the name of the person receiving the fewest votes 
> shall be dropped from the list of nominees, and a second ballot shall 
> be taken.  This procedure shall continue until one of the nominees has 
> received a majority vote from the active members present and voting.
> 
> 
> 
> I am putting this out now so that we can talk about it and debate its 
> merits via NFBF-L before the start of convention.
> 
> 
> 
> Let me just say that we spend something like 45 minutes each 
> convention passing out, collecting, and counting secret ballots at our
conventions.
> This year, the number of offices up for vote could make this time grow 
> to an hour or more. We usually have about 120 people voting the final 
> day of convention. That's 120 collective hours - the equivalent of 
> five twenty-four hour days - of valuable convention time that we waste 
> on a procedure which a majority of us may not want.
> 
> 
> 
> Please note that my proposed amendment does not eliminate secret 
> balloting; it just changes our constitution to call for a secret 
> ballot only if the majority of the members present and voting wish to have
it.
> 
> 
> 
> Please take a look at this and give it your consideration. Feel free 
> to share your thoughts.
> 
> 
> 
> Dan Hicks, President
> 
> NFB of Florida
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> "It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars."
> 
> 
>                                                     -Garrison Keillor
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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