Green Party US – Steering Committee Meeting Agenda
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2023
Time: 8:00 pm ET
MINUTES
- Setup and Background
- Facilitator: Starlene Rankin
- Steering Committee Roll Call:
- Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – present
- Margaret Elisabeth (co-chair) – present
- Darryl! Moch (co-chair)
- Alfred Molison (co-chair) – present
- Joseph Naham (co-chair) – present
- Tony Ndege (co-chair) – present
- Tamar Yager (co-chair) – present
- Holly Hart (secretary) – present
- Bob Stuller (treasurer) – present
Observers: Rachel Braaten (MN), Dave Mulinix (HI), Scott Laugenour (WA), Starlene Rankin (WA), Cassandra Lems (NY)
Observers (remain muted and refrain from using the chat feature):
Establish Quorum (9 current members, quorum is 5)
Approve Agenda (changes require majority, new items require ⅔)
No new agenda items
- New Business
- Apportionment Tabulation Committee – Tamar
See https://gpus.org/committees/apportionment-tabulation/
and https://gpus.org/rules-procedures/#08
This involves calculating and implementing the delegate apportionment formula to the current apportionment of the National Committee. The most recent update to the committee should have been in Nov-Dec, 2022. To avoid running into schedule and logistical conflicts with the presidential nominating process, PNC credentialing and convention planning, it is reasonable to reactivate the committee as soon as possible. See Rules & Procedures, Article VIII. 8.2-3 for details on how the committee is established and the work involved.
PROPOSAL: Tamar proposed (Margaret seconded) that SC approve an Apportionment Tabulation Committee committee consisting of Timothy Runkle (PA); Doug Lary (CT), Noah Martin (WA), Holly Hart (IA) and Gini Lester (IL); and designated Tim Runkle as Chair, if he is willing. Holly will follow up with the individuals to get started.
APPROVED, Consensus
- Forum Managers – Holly
See Rules & Procedures, Article IX and Proposal ID #1112 https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=1112
Samuel Chance (WI), Shannel Pittman (CA) and Richard Giovanoni (IL) are willing to serve on this committee. A couple more individuals are still considering it.
PROPOSAL: Move forward with votes for these three candidates, and look for one or tow ore to fill up the requisite number in the near future.
APPROVED, Consensus
- GPUS Endorsement and Participation in March to End Fossil Fuels – Joseph
Mark Dunlea, EcoAction co-chair as signatory; Mark, Joseph Naham and Justin Paglino plan to
be there
$ Request for funds for March on Fossil Fuels (See item C, above) – Joseph – 10 min
Propose $300 budgeted to EcoAction. $200 to have a banner printed to carry during
March to End Fossil Fuels. $100 for “Green Mobilization Advertising” on Facebook, where
we can provide info for prospective attendees, volunteers, etc.
Discussion: EcoAction has no funds budgeted. Toby noted that Outreach has funds that could be used, pending approval of that committee. Also $300 had been approved for
media social media advertising; that may have already been used. Recommended a
banner with GPUS, website and info; if possible, GPUS with ability to add on committee
name panel.
APPROVED, Consensus, with Tamar and Bob standing
aside.
- Request from Green Party of Northern Ireland for video message
International Committee Co-chair Austin Bashore has created a 50-second video. SC co-chairs are interested in adding short videos to include in a compilation. Joseph Craig and Darryl! plan to create videos. Others on the SC are invited to do so, as well. record and send to Holly to pass along to IC and Media.
- Payments for YES Basecamp – Darryl! and Bob
YES Basecamp admin had reached out to Basecamp tech support to work out why they were be getting an error message from the new card.
- Coalition to March on the RNC 2024
Question of whether this is something GPUS wants to be involved with. Tabled for now.
- International. Committee Co-chairs invited on call to discuss GPUS in relation to FGPA/FPVA and Global Greens – Craig
Austin Bashore is currently the sole co-chair. He has been invited to the call. He lives in South Korea, so some logistics may need to be worked out for him to be available at the time of the call.
Margaret believes it’s in our best interests to become part of FPVA. Why be an observer to an organization we cannot join through an organization that removed us or that we left? Joseph spoke with IC members last week and reported the IC co-chair is interested in meeting with the SC. Tony noted that the NC voted on the matter, so there would need to be a proposal for something new to be acted upon.
III. Standing Business
- Recap of Listserv Decisions –
1.Request for guest for “Short Bus Debate Club” podcast
Craig will send them dates and times he can participate. Joseph is interested. Darryl! expressed interest earlier. Margaret is also interested.
- Laptop – no report
- Reports — 30 min
1.Reports
Treasurer (Bob)
Financial Report (Tamar and Bob): Income from January-June 2023 total.xlsx
Bob presented a current report. Checking account is too small to cover the current and upcoming pay period. Will transfer funds to make payroll.
Paypal – $4,450.67
$7937l.18 –
$7101.12 – covers payroll
$119,834.83 – savings
Secretary (Holly)
- Voting Page Tutorial – screen shots and review; will follow up with newer S members to go over what is involved
- Relocating Google Folders to GPUS
Check FinCom and make sure all is there. The old folder is still saved until it’s certain everything was saved. Media (most complex and time consuming), Platform and PCSC have been moved. Waiting for committee review to make sure they are intact, after which the old folders would be deleted.
- Web updates – Bylaws, Rules & Procedures – Staring with most recent, backward review of
updated Bylaws, Rules & procedures to update on the website.
- SC text/email for rapid alert for things like SC press releases approvals, media.
Staff Report
Tamar reporte that David Doonan is helping with Freshdesk while Athena is taking a short, well-earned, vacation.
TBA – Finalize liaison assignments – Animal Rights, CCC, Outreach and DRC do not het have liaisons
Margaret: BRPP, ANMCom, Diversity
Craig: Media; Merchandise, Presidential Campaign Support Committee
MerchCom met last week; moving forward on new ideas, including a shirt with GPUS in English, Spanish, Arabic and Korean; also considering bandana, baseball hat. Holly suggested including French. Tony suggested a “Legalize” t-shirt, which has drawn attention.
PCSC met last week with Jasmine Sherman. Question of some candidates paying to run independent if they don’t get the GPUS nominator. A new candidate for CA has just announced.
Alfred: Fundraising, Green Peace Action Committee, Accreditation
No reports, in one case, no meetings yet. Plans to attend future meetings of these committees, including FUnCOm Monday night.
Joseph: Banking and Monetary Reform, EcoAction, Green Pages, International
EcoAction has been working to mobilize for the March to End Fossil Fuels with a hub or organizers Discussing with GPCT county chapters and nearby states to organize busses.
IC met earlier this week. GP of Korea wrote they felt slighted that noon from teh IC met with them during the recent Global Greens conference. Austin Bashore, IC Co-chair, who lives in South Korea is reaching out to them. Discussion of relation with FPVA, received an email that they were considering allowing renewed membership. Citizens Victory Movement of Puerto rico is a movement that is successfully getting peopel elected; considering asking them to join GPUS.
No meeting yet with BMRC.
Tamar: Apportionment Tabulation, Credentials, Election Tabulation, Staff Supervisor
CredCom is operating well, will elect officers. Will set up call among co-chairs of CredCom, PCSC and BAC for database created by Alan Hunter.
Tony: FinCom, Staff Liaison, Outreach
Darryl!: CCC?, Platform?
- V. Voting Queue – 15
- Received for the Queue
- Proposal For Peace In Ukraine – See Addendum A
Green Party of Hawai’i
SC is to review this week for “findings” before this meeting.
APPROVED to go to the voting queue
- Proposal for Floor Manager Settings – SEE Addendum B
Green Party of Washington
Holly and Tony presented findings that the proposal was not clear in how some of it is expected to be implemented. Scott Laugenour (WA) explained that the proposal is asking the NC to acknowledge that there have been inconsistencies in ranked choice votes. He stated they are asking the NC to acknowledge that and affirm that Bylaws Article V, there is an option for NOTA.
Findings: Holly, Tony – Proposal is unclear as to how None Of The Above is implemented. Holly stated that the proposal should address the issue of the description of STV which is incorrect in terms of what is used on the voting page. Margaret blocked, disagreeing that the proposal is structurally incorrect. Holly withdrew the finding.
VOTE on FInding that the Proposal is unclear regarding implementation of NOTA
YES – proposal is unclear as to how to address issues, how NOTA is to be implemented
NO – do not agree with the finding
- Craig Cayetano (co-chair) – yes
- Margaret Elisabeth – no
- Darryl! Moch
- Alfred Molison – abstain
- Joseph Naham – no
- Tony Ndege (co-chair) – yes
- Tamar Yager (co-chair) – abstain
- Holly Hart (secretary) – yes
- Bob Stuller (treasurer) – yes
4 Yes, 2 No, 2 Abstain – Findings Pass. WIll follow up with sponsors before next submission period.
- In the Queue
Discussion – none
Completed
Diversity Committee, Shannel Pittman
EcoAction Committee, Mark Duneal
- VI. Old Business —
- $ Funding Request from Fundraising Committee. $7,350 for post-ANM direct mail appeal. DONE
- $ Funding request from Media Committee. $300 for social media outreach. DONE
VII. Executive Session – none
TOTAL TIME – 1 hr, 50 min
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ADDENDUM A
PROPOSALS to the GREEN PARTY US
Contact
Dave Mulinix, GPH, Co-Chair & GPUS Delegate
Susan Roberts Emery, GPH, Co-Chair & GPUS Alternate Delegate
Subject / Title
GPUS CALL FOR CEASEFIRE AND NEGOTIATIONS TO END UKRAINE WAR.
Type of Proposal, Expected Approval Threshold
We expect the threshold to be a Simple Majority, because there is no intention to alter bylaws or rules.
Requested Proposal Decision-Making Timeline
We request a 1 to 2 week discussion periods; followed by a 1 week voting period.
Background and Purpose
GPUS must stand by its Pillar of Peace, Key Value of Non-Violence, and Party Platform of Peace & Disarmament. If the GPUS doesn’t stand by it’s Pillars, Values, and Platform, then it stands for nothing.
Green Party Pillar: Peace – Our country’s long wars and worldwide military presence are immoral and unsustainable. Our military budget must be cut dramatically.
(Note: Biden and Zelensky had many opportunities to prevent and end the Ukraine War, but at every opportunity they rejected a negotiated peace (1&2). Dec. 2021 Putin offered a draft “Treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation on Security Guarantees,” based on non-enlargement of NATO and limitations on the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. Jan. 2022 US replied that the US and NATO wont negotiate with Russia over NATO enlargement. Mar. 16, 2022 Russia and Ukraine announce significant progress towards a peace agreement mediated by Turkey and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The basis of the agreement included: “a ceasefire and Russian withdrawal if Kyiv declares neutrality and accepts limits on its armed forces.” Mar. 28, 2022 Zelensky publicly declares that Ukraine is ready for neutrality combined with security guarantees as part of a peace agreement with Russia. “Security guarantees and neutrality, the non-nuclear status of our state — we’re ready to do that. That’s the most important point … they started the war because of it.” Apr. 2022 Zelensky rejects previously agreed upon peace proposal. When asked if Western powers blocked the agreement, Bennett answered: “Basically, yes. They blocked it,” he added that the West decided “to crush Putin rather than to negotiate.” Biden has the responsibility, power, and ability to stop his proxy war, just by calling for a ceasefire and negotiations, unfortunately he wont do that until he sees public resistance to his non-negotiating policy, therefore GPUS must publicly stand by its Pillar of Peace.)
Green Party US Key Value: Non-Violence
(Note: The GPUS can’t stand for Non-Violence and also support sending cluster bombs to Ukraine that kill more civilians than they do combatants, with up to 30% of victims killed being children.)
Green US Party Platform – D. 1. Foreign Policy—Peace and Disarmament
- Our defense budget has increased out of all proportion to any military threat to the United States, and to our domestic social, economic and environmental needs. The United States government must reduce our defense budget to half of its current size. The 2012 defense budget exceeded $700 billion, and that does not take into account military expenditures not placed under the defense budget.
(Note: Support for the Ukraine War breaks with GPUS platform plank to stand for cutting the US military budget. The cost of the US Empire’s Proxy War in Ukraine has dramatically increased the US military budget by $115 billion so far, and has raised the total military budget in FY2021 from $753.5 billion to $842+ billion for FY2024, and is on track to go as high as a trillion dollars.)
- The U.S. is the largest arms seller and dealer in the world. We urge our government to prohibit all arms sales to foreign nations and likewise prohibit grants to impoverished and undemocratic nations unless the money is targeted on domestic, non-military needs. In addition, grants to other nations may not be used to release their own funds for military purposes.
(Note: Zelensky’s government is undemocratic and authoritarian. See the US State Department’s Human Rights annual reports on the Zelensky regime’s ongoing and extensive human rights violations (3). The following is directly from the USSD 2019 Executive Summary on Ukraine – Significant human rights issues include: unlawful or arbitrary killings; torture and other abuse of detainees by law enforcement personnel; harsh and life threatening conditions in prisons and detention centers; arbitrary arrest and detention; substantial problems with the independence of the judiciary; restrictions on freedom of expression, the press, and the internet, including violence against journalists, censorship, and blocking of websites; refoulement; widespread government corruption; and crimes involving violence or threat of violence targeting persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons. The government generally failed to take adequate steps to prosecute or punish most officials who committed abuses, resulting in a climate of impunity. Human rights groups and the United Nations noted significant deficiencies in investigations into alleged human rights abuses committed by government security forces.
Zelensky has recently increased his authoritarian rule (4). Zelensky’s most recent move was to suspend democratic elections in Ukraine until the war is won. Military experts assert that the war will go on for many years, thus Zelensky has ensured that he will rule Ukraine indefinitely. Using presidential degree, Zelensky also banned opposition political parties, and imprisoned political opponents. A year prior to Russia moving troops into the Donbass, Zelensky closed down all opposition news agency, now all news reported in and about Ukraine is controlled by Zelensky’s propaganda machine. He has also imprisoned Ukrainian journalists who write critically about his regime, including US journalist Gonzalo Lira for reporting on the Zelensky government’s corruption and on Ukraine’s significant Nazi Movement. Zelensky has also banned churches where ethnic Russian Ukrainian’s worship.
Nazi influence in Ukraine and on Zelensky’s government (5&6). The Biden regime asserts that there is no Nazi problem in Ukraine because Nazis only got 2% of the vote, however Nazis don’t take control by winning elections, they take control through violent force. The 2014 US Empire orchestrated violent coup that deposed the legally elected president of Ukraine was led by Ukrainian Nazis who took control of the government after the coup. In a recent VOX poll 43% of respondents in Ukraine and 36% abroad agreed that Nazi ideology is widespread in Ukraine (7). The national hero of Ukraine, is Stepan Bandera the founder of the Ukrainian Nazi Movement, his photo is displayed in government offices. Bandera’s ideology was influenced by German Nazism and Italian Fascism; combining extreme nationalism with terrorism, corporatism, and antisemitism. Banderites are devoted to the independence of Ukraine, a single-party fascist totalitarian state free of national minorities. The goal of Banderites is to establish an independent and “ethnically pure Ukrainian state.” Annually thousands of Ukrainians fill the streets in a torch light parade on January 1st to celebrate the birthday of Bandera. There are also 100 streets named after and statues honoring Ukrainian’s Nazi heroes. Banderite Nazis in Zelensky’s government include: Serhiy Pashynskyi, Chairman of the Committee on National Security & Defense Council, the state agency that develops and coordinates policy of national security on domestic and international matters in advising President Zelensky. Dmytro Yarosh, Advisor to the Armed Forces of Ukraine Commander-In-Chief, President Zelensky. Finally prior to Russia entering the Donbass Western Media repeatedly reported on the Ukrainian Nazi Movement, that has Nazi Youth Camps, an international PR representative, and Nazi vigilantes who work directly with the police to arrest those suspected of being disloyal. The day after Russia moved troops into the Donbass, the Western Media magically transformed Ukraine’s Banderite Nazis into nationalists. BTW Hitler was also a nationalist.)
- The U.S. must not be a conduit for defense contractors to market their products abroad and must shift our export market from arms to peaceful technology, industrial and agricultural products, and education.
(Note: Support for the Ukraine War breaks with the GPUS platform plank regarding the US not being a conduit for military contractors profits. With over $115 billion in arms sales, the war profiteers of the US Congressional Military Industrial Complex are literally making a killing off of Biden’s US Empire Proxy War in Ukraine. BTW Lloyd Austin, US Defense Secretary is a former board member of Raytheon Technologies, a war profiteer, that has doubled it’s profits due to weapons contracts for the US Empire’s Proxy War in Ukraine.)
- The U.S. must prohibit all covert actions used to influence, destabilize or usurp the governments of other nations, and likewise prohibit the assassination of, or assistance in any form for the assassination of, foreign government officials.
(Note: The US Empire’s Proxy War in Ukraine did not start in February 2022, it started in 2014 (1,2&8) because of the US Empire orchestrated coup that deposed the legally elected pro-Russian president of Ukraine, to install a pro-US government, which directly precipitated a civil war that has been raging for the past nine years, that eventually brought Russia into the conflict in February 2022.)
Proposal
We call upon the Green Party US to make a public statement, and sign onto the Peace In Ukraine Coalition Petition that is supported by over 180 organization worldwide that calls for Biden, Putin and Zelensky to engage in an Immediate Ceasefire, Peace Negotiations, and No More Weapons to Ukraine.
This call for immediate ceasefire, peace negotiations, and an end to sending weapons to Ukraine is in line with the Green Party US Pillar of Peace, Key Value of Non-Violence, and Party Platform of Peace and Disarmament.
Link to Peace In Ukraine Coalition Petition: https://www.peaceinukraine.org/
Thank you,
Green Party of Hawai’i Coordinating Committee
Susan Roberts Emery, Co-Chair
Dave Mulinix, Co-Chair
Implementation / Timeline / Resources
We ask that the Green Party US to publicly assert that it will stand by its Pillar of Peace, Key Value of Non-Violence, and Party Platform of Peace and Disarmament and call for an immediate ceasefire, peace negotiations, and no more weapons to Ukraine as soon as possible. We don’t expect there is any need for personnel, meetings, work hours, finances, or a sunset clause.
References
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(1) Eminent Green, Dimitri Lascaris Webinar: Making Peace with Russia, One Handshake at a Time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7fqJxcycfY&t=3439s
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(2) The Real History Of The War In Ukraine: A Chronology Of Events And Case For Diplomacy. By Jeffry Sachs, distinguished US Public Policy Analyst and Adviser to three UN Secretary Generals. https://www.jeffsachs.org/newspaper-articles/history-of-war-in-ukraine
(3) United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2019
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/UKRAINE-2019-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf
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(4) Autocrat: Zelensky Suspends Elections In Ukraine | System Update with George Polk Award Winning Journalist, Glenn Greenwald. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fmmp8X5a
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(5) Patrick Lawrence: Neo-Nazis in Ukraine? No, Yes, No–Yes. A York Times’ reporter’s job this week is to persuade us that all those Ukrainian soldiers wearing Nazi insignia and marching through Kiev in Klan-like torch parades are not what you think.
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/06/07/patrick-lawrence-neo-nazis-in-ukraine-no-yes-no-yes/
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(6) Ukrainian Nazis in the western media – pre 2022. https://birrion.substack.com/p/ukrainian-nazism
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(7) Ukrainian Journalist “Shocked” by New Poll. With Award Winning Journalist, Lev Golinkin.
(8) Russia-Ukraine war: How the US paved the way to Moscow’s invasion.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/russia-ukraine-us-invasion-paved-how
a
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ADDENDUM B
Proposal: Floor Manager Settings for Ranked Choice Votes
SPONSOR: Green Party of Washington
CONTACT: Scott Laugenour +1 413 241 7327 scottlaugenour@gmail.com
……………… Margaret Elisabeth MargaretElisabeth@outlook.com
SUBJECT/TITLE: Floor Manager Settings for Ranked Choice Votes
TYPE OF PROPOSAL, EXPECTED APPROVAL THRESHOLD: Resolution, Majority
REQUESTED PROPOSAL DECISION-MAKING TIMELINE Three-week discussion / one week vote. Embedded in the three-week discussion period we run a mock vote which concludes one week before the vote on this proposal commences. The text for this embedded mock vote is in the References section of this proposal. The GPUS Floor manager will create the mock election vote on the GPUS votes page so that voting on the mock election concludes at least one week prior to the date that the vote on this main proposal begins.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:
Article V of GPUS Bylaws calls for a NOTA ballot choice for all proposals that provide voting options other than YES and NO. In ranked choice votes, the concept of “NOTA” manifests itself as NOC (No Other Candidate). Having such an explicit NOTA choice assures that candidates seeking a position will always be in a contested race with some ballot competition – even on ranked choice ballots when the number of ballot-qualified candidates would otherwise be less than or equal to the number of seats being filled.
Article VI Section 2.4 of GPUS Bylaws call for votes for Co-chair, Secretary and Treasurer to be made public upon the conclusion of the voting period. This is interpreted as a roll call of how each delegate voted. Delegates are representatives of their state parties and it is emphatically asserted that delegates’ votes are not private. This bylaw article embodies two values: 1) prevention of “gaming” the vote; and 2) delegate votes are public. This proposal asserts that if the two values cannot be fully reconciled then the public nature of delegate votes is primary, and the total prevention of gaming is secondary.
Floor Managers have been inconsistent in how they set up ranked choice votes. Sometimes NOTA is a choice, sometimes it is not; sometimes a roll call of votes is presented with voting results, sometimes it is not.
Some Floor Managers have cited Article VII of National Committee rules as a basis for not including an electable “NOTA” choice on ranked choice ballots, which drives delegates who wish to assert their full agency to write in NOTA, NOC, NOTO, or other findings, which in turn splinters their vote. While Article VII does affirm the right of a delegate to cast an implicit NOTA vote by leaving candidates unranked, said article does not remove the right of a delegate to cast an explicit NOTA vote.
Some Floor Managers do not reveal a roll call of how delegates voted in elections for SC Co-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. In 2010 there was a recognition that the voting software was not totally compatible with Article VII Section 2.4 of the bylaws, and thus a “mock” election was run to test a system to report the delegate roll call of votes at the close of voting. The test failed: reported results were incomplete and error-ridden.
Out of 88 audited ranked choice votes from June 2006 to present, on only two occasions has the Floor Manager both 1) included an “electable” NOTA/NOC option and 2) have revealed the roll call of votes. They are:
- Holly Hart, SC Vote 235
- Tamar Yager, Secretary Vote 1032
PROPOSAL:
The National Committee resolves that:
1) Floor Managers of all ranked choice votes must include an “electable” NOTA ballot choice, called NOC (No Other Candidate), that can receive rankings (or no rankings), consistent with Article V of the bylaws; if the final vote ranking results in the NOC candidate being successfully “elected” at any rank, it will void the election of any lower-ranked candidate who would otherwise have been elected. Floor managers should advise voters that the more ballot rankings that they make in excess of the number of seats being elected, the greater the potential dilution of their other preferences. Voters, taking account of the agency that is theirs, may choose not to rank some ballot choices, including not ranking the NOTA / NOC choice, for this reason.
2) Article VII of the rules of the National Committee, which was adopted in June 2006, was never meant to deny delegates an explicit NOTA / NOC choice; and,
3) Floor Managers of all ranked choice votes must present a roll call showing how delegates vote, consistent with Article VI Section 2.4 of the bylaws. Floor managers should advise voters that, if the voter is concerned with possible gaming of the ranked choice results, the voter should wait until the end of the voting period. This caution will not be needed when voting software permits the roll call of individual delegate votes to be concealed until the close of voting.
IMPLEMENTATION/TIMELINE/RESOURCES:
Immediately upon passage of this proposal, future Floor Managers will comply with this resolution for future ranked choice votes.
REFERENCES: