Election costs

[MikeTJumps 4]

Someone made a comment on the order of "If people knew what the electronic voting option would cost, they would probably have not voted YES on the proxy." (I wish I could find that original post!)

Well folks, I have been informed that our current paper ballot only elections have consistently run up costs of over $20,000 every other year. By going to an electronic ballot system, that cost will be amortized over many elections without repeated huge initial costs to set up the system. Thus, electronic balloting will be a cost savings!

Furthermore, let's look into the possibility of electronic voting to extend the election cycle to three years to make BOD procedures even more efficient. Your organization (and mind you, I am not a BOD member) consistently looks for cost savings and income producing measures. Doc Lee has guided the USPA investments to far exceed the returns of all of the major stock market indicators.

For those of you who want to learn more about the inner workings of the BOD, come to Reno next February and attend the meeting while the PIA symposium is also there. Or, come to Denver, CO in July 2011 and attend that meeting!

Mike Turoff
Instructor Examiner, USPA
Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook

[wmw999 2,377]

I'm all in favor of electronic balloting. However, since not everyone is connected, USPA cannot do away with paper ballots. The startup cost is higher than I"d like, and I just hope that we can keep the same system long enough that it doesn't turn into a technology sinkhole.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[MikeTJumps 4]

The system of paper ballots will remain in place until such time as it is demonstrated that electronic ballots will be truly representative of the voting population. If I recall correctly, they will be submitted to a third party for verification or after verification by HQ and entering into the electronic data base. The first legitimate vote, electronic or paper, to be entered for the member will be the one that is counted by the third party. If duplicates show up, only the first one entered will be counted. Electronic system will prevent accidental voting for more than 8 national directors. Also, elctronic vote ballots will prevent a member from voting out of their region due to the software that is being set up for such a purpose.

Mike Turoff
Instructor Examiner, USPA
Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook

[bomber 0]

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I'm all in favor of electronic balloting. However, since not everyone is connected, USPA cannot do away with paper ballots.

Nowadays claiming that "not everyone is connected" is like saying that not everyone can *drive* to a polling place (for gov't elections). i.e. there are plenty of other options.

Sure, maybe we don't all have expensive, high speed phone-computers in our pockets to access the internet at a moment's notice, but I suspect it an exceedingly rare situation that a person would, for the entire duration of an election, be unable to find a public library with 'net access, or ask a friend to borrow their computer.

[MakeItHappen 15]

The current paper ballot only costs about ~$8,000.

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[Scrumpot 1]

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Well folks, I have been informed that our current paper ballot only elections have consistently run up costs of over $20,000 every other year.

And Jan - who was on the board says:

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The current paper ballot only costs about ~$8,000.

That's quite a disparity between you.
Can either of you better quantify your #'s?

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[MikeTJumps 4]

I got my cost information directly from the staff of the USPA.

Mike Turoff
Instructor Examiner, USPA
Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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I got my cost information directly from the staff of the USPA.

Which would make it third hand knowlege to us readers... is there any accurate, verifiable information available?

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[MikeTJumps 4]

Yes, by all means. Call up the USPA HQ, ask for Ed Scott, the Executive Director and ask him specifically for the information. Then feel free to post it back here.

If that doesn't satisfy you, call up the Treasurer: SW Region director, Doc. Lee Schlichtemier (sp?) and ask him.

Mike Turoff
Instructor Examiner, USPA
Co-author of Parachuting, The Skydiver's Handbook