Yo,
Le jeudi 02 septembre 2010, à 11:33 +0200, Andreas Jaeger a écrit :
Existing rules:
* Only openSUSE members may run for the Board and vote, each
member having one ballot that has one vote per seat to be
elected.
* The election is run by an Election Committee that consists of at
least three openSUSE members.
* None of the Election Committee can run for or be elected as an
openSUSE board member.
Oh, I had forgotten about this rule. I'm unsure it's really needed and
I wonder if we could remove it. I can imagine a case where all the
people with experience organizing an elections run for the elections,
and so the election committee has no experience at all...
But well, I won't fight over it.
* The openSUSE board election period is two years
and every year
approximately half of the board will be elected. So, the people
getting elected this time are elected for two years. The other
members stand for re-election next year and get a 2 year period
as well.
This should be updated, now that we got two elections. Something like:
"The openSUSE board term is two years. Approximately half of the board
is elected every year. This means that every year, the term of
approximately half of the board ends, and the term of the other half
ends the year after."
Add:
The chairman, nominated by Novell is changed only and when
Novell wants so.
If all the elected board members ask for the chairman to be changed,
then, imho, Novell should do it. So I'd update this rule accordingly.
Add:
* In case of resignations or removals, the election period should
be adjusted so that the next year again at least two people get
elected. The elected seats with the most votes would then get
elected for two years, those with the lowest votes for only one
year.
I wouldn't say "two people", but "half of the board" again, just
in case
we increase the board size. I suggest to update it this way:
"In case of resignations or removals occured since last elections, the
term for elected board members for the current elections will be
adjusted to make sure that half of the board seats will have to be
filled during the next elections.
To implement this adjustment, the elected seats with the most votes will
have a two years term, while the seats with the lowest votes will have a
one year term. The number of seats with the lowest votes is calculated
so that half of the board seats will have to be filled during the next
elections."
Okay, not perfect either, so it needs a third rework, I guess ;-)
* openSUSE board members can serve for up to two
consecutive
election periods. After that they must stand down for at least
one year, but may be run again after the one year break.
* All candidates will publish their manifesto on the Wiki, and are
strongly encouraged to blog on why they should be elected.
I don't think this last one should be a rule, or at least, I'd remove
the second part which has nothing to do with a rule.
New rules:
* Appointment: In case that board seats will get appointed, they get
appointend by the board. Appointed seats are only appointed until
the next election.
A Novell employee has to be replaced by a Novell employee, and the
same applies to community member.
Fine with me.
Alternative:
* Appointment: The Running board is allowed to appoint one new member
and one only in the following situations: Resignation of a member or
removal of a member. If an appointed member quits, he can be
replaced by the board. If a second elected member quits, a new
election have to be organised.
I don't like that version, as I'm not sure it's worth it. However, I
agree with the proposal discussed later in the thread (if 20% of the
membership wants new elections, then...).
* Resignation: Any member can resignate at will, but
then he will not
be allowed to be a candidate for the next election.
I disagree with that: if I get elected, and learn after two months that
I will be extremly busy for six months and will not have time for the
board, I will resign. But I might want to run for the next elections.
It's up to the membership to decide if someone will get elected, and if
somebody resigns and runs again, I expect people to ask why.
* Nominations: The election committee will take
self-nominations,
nominations by others and can nominate people for election. The
election committee will contact the nominated people and ask them
whether they stand for election.
Can we add that "nominations by others" and "nominations by the
committee" are private until accepted by the nominated people?
Self-nominations are okay to be public, but nominations by others is a
different story.
* Insufficient Nominations: If there are fewer
nominees for elected
Board seats than required to fill all seats, than the board will
appoint these remaining seats.
* Equal number of candidates of seats: If there is an equal number of
candidates and seats, voting occurs as normal but each candidate
needs to have more than 50 per cent yes votes. In case that seats do
not get elected, the board will appoint them.
I'm still not happy with those two rules: the second one really goes
against the first one. If there are 2 candidates for 3 seats, then the 2
candidates are elected. But if a 3rd candidate appear, then they will
have to be approved by the community and might not get elected? Sounds
wrong.
So either change the first rule to also have this 50% thing, or (my
preferred option), remove the 50% thing from the second rule and just
say they get elected. As I mentioned in my other mail, it's up to the
openSUSE members to realize that if they don't want those people
elected, then they should run for the elections. Especially if there's
extra time (see rule below).
* Extra time for candidate search: In the event of not
more candidates
than seats, the voting period will be delayed by two weeks. A
public message will be send out to ask again for candidates and
remind the openSUSE members about the alternatives.
"more candidates than seats" should be strict (ie, >, and not >=). So if
we have equal nimber of candidates and seats, the extra time will be
there.
* Resigning: If a board member resigns, the board
should appoint a new
board member.
s/should/must/
* Removal: In the event of repeated absence without
contact, or other
serious misconduct or negligence, a Board member may be subject to
removal. Before any other process occurs, the Board member in
question will be personally contacted by the chairperson to try to
resolve the situation. If this contact does not successfully resolve
the situation, the Board member in question may be removed by
unanimous vote of the other members of the Board. The board should
appoint a new board member.
Repeated absence is defined as missing three consecutive board
meetings without sending regrets.
Sounds good. It might be worth leaving room to other forms of repeated
absence. For example, someone attending all meetings but ignoring all
mails is not doing his job. Or sending regrets for 10 meetings is bad.
* Novell employement: Novell employment have to be
valid at the vote
date. Any change will not have an effect on the board membership
situation. In the next election the distribution of seats gets fixed
again.
How does it get fixed? Does the person who changed employment have to
run for elections again?
* Constitution: A new board term should start on the
first of January,
the elections should be finished 14 days before. In the case of
delays, the new board will start 7 days after the election results
are published.
* Tie: In the event of a tie for the final slot on the board, the
election committee will schedule run-off elections as soon as
possible to resolve the tie.
run-off elections between the tied candidates. And "as soon as possible"
should probably be more defined. Something like "the week after, with a
voting period of one week.".
* Amendment: Changes by the election rules can be done
by vote of the
board where 2/3s approve including the chairperson.
I'd add "or by vote of the membership where 2/3 of the openSUSE members
approve it".
Thanks for your work on this!
Vincent
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