At-Large Work Methods & Collaboration Tools

 

Vote 

Vote is an important method for the ALAC and RALOs to make decisions.

What 

The ALAC conducts formal votes on many occasions, including:

• Election of the ALAC Chair and ALT Members
• Confirmation of ALAC Nominating Committee Delegates selected by RALOs
• Accreditation and removal of an ALS
• Adoption / ratification of ALAC Policy Advice Statements

Similarly, RALOs conduct formal vote on many occasions as well, such as: 

• Election of the RALO Chair and Secretariat, as well as ALAC Members and Nominating Committee Delegate representing the RALO 
• Adoption / ratification of RALO Bylaw changes 
• Adoption / ratification of RALO proposals and position statements 

The ALAC and RALOs also conduct votes to select a member from the At-Large Community to assume the ICANN Board Director position, following a structured process. Click here to learn more.

Who

In ALAC votes, the 15 ALAC Members have the duty to vote.

In RALO votes, the representatives of all accredited ALSes are required to vote. Specifically, in EURALO, its internal Board Directors also use vote to reach decisions.  

An ALAC Member or an ALS representative who cannot be present for a vote, either cast in person or electronically, may arrange to have his/her vote cast by another ALAC Member or an alternative representative according to rules governing proxies. 

Where 

Vote can take place during ALAC and RALO teleconferences and face-to-face meetings.

Votes held outside of formal meetings may be carried out using any approved method which may include:

• Specialized web-based voting systems called BigPulse (electorates receive Vote Credentials to access the electronic poll to cast their votes)
• E-mail, privately to Staff or via approved mailing lists

How

As a rule of thumb, ALAC votes on named individuals, whether in an election, appointment, recall or disciplinary action, will be held by secret ballot and the details of individual ALAC Member ballots must not be revealed. ALAC votes on non-personnel related matters, such as ALS accreditation and ALAC Policy Advice Statement ratification, are completely transparent.

Meanwhile, the privacy setting and other setup details of RALO votes varries from RALO to RALO, based on the RALO's organizing document. For example, in LACRALO, all votes are transparent, including the votes on named individuals, and a weighted system of country co-efficient applies. 

Before votes start, ALAC Chair and RALO leadership work with support Staff to clarify the rules and setup details, which should be published on the Confluence Community Wiki or via approved mailing lists. 

Consensus 

Besides the formal voting, consensus calls are often conducted as another decision-making mechanism.

A Consensus decision is one supported by an overwhelming percentage of the ALAC and ALS representatives within a RALO, but need not be unanimous. The ALAC Chair and RALO leadership shall rule as to whether or not a Consensus has been reached. 

Any ALAC Member or ALS representative who does not support a Consensus position may request that his/her disagreement be noted in the records of the meeting. A well, a formal vote may be requested instead of a Consensus Call.

Reference Documents

• ALAC: "Section 12 - Decision of the ALAC" in the ALAC Rules of Procedure 
• AFRALO: "Part 4 - Decisions" in the AFRALO Operating Principles 
• APRALO: "Section C - Meetings, Decision-Making and Work Methods" in the APRALO Rules of Procedure 
• EURALO: "Section 11 - General Assembly" in the EURALO Articles of Association 
• LACRALO: "Section 3 - Conduct of Business" in the LACRALO Rules of Procedure 
• NARALO: NARALO Operating Principles