On several occasions, we have seen cases of malicious interference in LACNIC's election processes, and the normal functioning of the Policy List has been interrupted. This is not acceptable, even less so when they involve processes outside the PDP. Combined with a detailed review of the current procedures, these actions and have uncovered errors which can lead to the discrimination of certain candidates in favor of others and do not prevent potential fraud. This proposal seeks to correct this situation, incorporating the process as a more explicit part of the PDP. |
On several occasions, we have seen cases of malicious interference in LACNIC's election processes, and the normal functioning of the Policy List has been interrupted. This is not acceptable, even less so when they involve processes outside the PDP.
Combined with a detailed review of the current procedures, these actions and have uncovered errors which can lead to the discrimination of certain candidates in favor of others and do not prevent potential fraud.
This proposal seeks to correct this situation, incorporating the process as a more explicit part of the PDP. |
3.2.2. About the PDP Chairs
o PDP Chairs may not be LACNIC staff.
o These positions will be honorary.
o PDP Chairs must be members of LACNIC or supported by a member of LACNIC.
o PDP Chairs will each serve a 2-year term, with one position up for renewal each year. Unlimited reelection is allowed. 3.2.3. About the election of the Chairs:
o Calls for nominations will be announced through the Public Policy List.
o Anyone subscribed to the Public Policy List may participate.
o The election will be conducted immediately before the Public Policy Forum.
o Voting will be conducted electronically, applying mechanisms to ensure that each subscriber to the list can cast only one vote.
o The winner of the electronic voting process must be ratified at the Public Policy Forum. The acting chairs will ask those in attendance whether they have any objections to the electronic voting process. If any objections are raised, the chairs will evaluate whether such objections are significant. If no objections are raised, or if the chairs consider that any such objections are not significant, they will proceed to ratify the winning candidate. Any chair who ran in the election must abstain from participating as chair during the ratification process.
o Elected chairs will begin their term immediately after the closing of the Public Policy Forum during which they were ratified.
o If a winner is not ratified, the LACNIC Board will appoint a chair to fill the vacant position until the following Public Policy Forum. The next time an election and ratification process can be held, the person elected will only fill the position for the remainder of the original term. |
3.2.2. About the PDP Chairs
o PDP Chairs may not be LACNIC staff.
o These positions will be honorary.
o PDP Chairs must be members of LACNIC or supported by a member of LACNIC.
o PDP Chairs will each serve a 2-year term, with one position up for renewal each year. Unlimited reelection is allowed.
3.2.3. About the election of the Chairs:
o Calls for nominations will be announced through the Public Policy List.
o Anyone subscribed to the Public Policy List may participate.
o The election will be conducted immediately before the Public Policy Forum.
o Voting will be conducted electronically, applying mechanisms to ensure that each subscriber to the list can cast only one vote.
o The winner of the electronic voting process must be ratified at the Public Policy Forum. The acting chairs will ask those in attendance whether they have any objections to the electronic voting process. If any objections are raised, the chairs will evaluate whether such objections are significant. If no objections are raised, or if the chairs consider that any such objections are not significant, they will proceed to ratify the winning candidate. Any chair who ran in the election must abstain from participating as chair during the ratification process.
o Elected chairs will begin their term immediately after the closing of the Public Policy Forum during which they were ratified.
o If a winner is not ratified, the LACNIC Board will appoint a chair to fill the vacant position until the following Public Policy Forum. The next time an election and ratification process can be held, the person elected will only fill the position for the remainder of the original term. |
3.2.2. About the PDP Chairs
o PDP Chairs may not be LACNIC staff.
o The position is not compatible with other roles that are directly involved in the flow of the policy development process in any of its phases. If this were the case, the candidate's nomination must specify how they will solve this situation should they be elected. Thus, if they are elected, they will automatically cease in (or not take possession of, as the case may be) such incompatible positions, as specified in their nomination.
o The Chairs may not be from the same company or from the same or related companies, except in exceptional cases where there are no other acceptable candidates.
o Their work is voluntary and unpaid.
o To run for the position, a candidate must be the membership contact of a LACNIC member organization or nominated by the membership contact of a LACNIC member organization.
o PDP Chairs will each serve a two-year term, with one position up for renewal each year. PDP Chairs may be re-elected once, but are eligible to run again after a period of at least one year.
o Candidates must have been part of the Public Policy List for at least 6 months prior the start of the election process.
o In addition to their biographical information, candidate nominations must include specific information that allows assessing their contribution, participation and experience in the PDP. 3.2.3. About the election of the Chairs:
o Calls for nominations will be announced through the Public Policy List.
o Voting will be conducted electronically, using mechanisms to ensure, to the extent possible, that each voter can cast only one vote.
o Given that the voters registry consists of the subscribers to the Public Policy List, in order to avoid tampering, efforts will be made to keep participants who subscribe solely for the election process from participating in each election by limiting the voters registry to those who have subscribed at least six months prior to the start of said process.
o Any use of the list for electoral purposes, even by persons clearly supportive of a candidate, may result in their disqualification if there is evidence of collusion.
o If at any time during the process it is determined that there are sufficient indications of fraud, the candidate or candidates in question may be disqualified. If necessary, they may even invalidate the entire process and request that LACNIC repeat the process in its entirety, in which case a timeline will be set such that the timing of the election results will coincide as much as possible with the following Public Policy Forum.
o The election process begins with a call for candidates issued on the 1st day of the month three full months prior to the end of the term of the chair that is to cease in their position. This phase will remain open for 28 to 31 days, depending on the length of the particular month during which it takes place.
o LACNIC will communicate to the Public Policy List the names of those candidates that meet all the requirements and have been accepted, announcing where the candidates’ information will be published.
o A period of ten calendar days will then begin during which the community will be able to contribute relevant information on the candidates. If confirmed, this information will be published simultaneously for all candidates on the first working day following the end of the ten-day period. Based on such information, the Board may proceed to disqualify one or more candidates.
o Voting will begin on the first working Monday after the period specified above and will remain open for seven calendar days.
o A difference of less than 10% will be considered a tie. In this case, if there are more than two candidates, runoff voting among the two candidates with the highest number of votes will begin the following working Monday and will remain open for seven calendar days.
o LACNIC will immediately announce the results of the first voting round as well as those of the runoff vote if applicable.
o If any objections are raised by a member of the community, such objections must be communicated to the Board within seven calendar days of the announcement of the results. In this case, the Board will assess whether such objections are significant and have been proven. If no objections are raised, or if the Board decides not to consider such objections, it will proceed to ratify the winning candidate.
o The elected chair will begin their term immediately after the closing of the next Public Policy Forum.
o If it were not possible to ratify a candidate, the LACNIC Board will appoint a chair to fill the vacant position until the following Public Policy Forum. The next time an election and ratification process can be held, the person elected will only fill the position for the remainder of the original term. This same mechanism will apply, if necessary, in case either of the chairs resigns before the end of their term or for any reason fails to meet their responsibilities.
o The LACNIC Board is the highest instance of appeal in matters relating to the election process.
o The Board of Directors may delegate its functions relate to the election process to a Fiscal Commission or its equivalent. |
3.2.2. About the PDP Chairs
o 3.2.2.1. PDP Cchairs may not be LACNIC staff.
o3.2.2.2. The position is not compatible with other roles that are directly involved in the flow of the policy development process in any of its phases. If this were the case, the candidate's nomination must specify how they will solve this situation should they be elected. Thus, if they are elected, they will automatically cease in (or not take possession of, as the case may be) such incompatible positions, as specified in their nomination.
o 3.2.2.3. The Cchairs may not be from the same compauntry, or from the same or related comprganiezations, except in exceptional cases where there are no other acceptable candidates.
o 3.2.2.4. Their work is voluntary and unpaid.
o 3.2.2.5. To run for the position, a candidate must be the membership contact of a LACNIC member organization or nominated by the membership contact of a LACNIC member organization.
o 3.2.2.6. PDP Chairs will each serve a two-year term, with one position up for renewal each year. PDP Chairs may only be re-elected once, but are eligible to run again after a period of at least one year.
o 3.2.2.7. Candidates must have been part of the Public Policy List for at least 6six months prior the start of the election process.
o 3.2.2.8. In addition to their biographical information, candidate nominations must include specific information that allows assessing their contribution, participation and experience in the PDP.
3.2.3. About the election of the Chairs:
o 3.2.3.1. Calls for nominations will be announced through the Public Policy Lmailing list.
o 3.2.3.2. Voting will be conducted electronically, using mechanisms to ensure, to the extent possible, that each voter can cast only one vote.
o 3.2.3.3. Given that the voters registry consists of the subscribers to the Public Policy List, in order to avoid tampering, efforts will be made to keep participants who subscribe solely for the election process from participating in each election by limiting the voters registry to those who have subscribed at least six months prior to the start of said process.
o 3.2.3.4. Any use of the list for electoral purposes is not allowed, eveincluding by exprerssions cleaforly suppor against the candidates. If evidence of collusion with a candidate is found, this may result in the candirdate's disqualification if there is evidence of collusion.
o 3.2.3.5. If at any time during the process it is determined that there are sufficient indications of fraud, the candidate or candidates in question may be disqualified. If necessary, they may even invalidate the entire process and request that LACNIC repeat the process in its entirety, in which case a timeline will be set such that the timing of the election results will coincide as much as possible with the following Public Policy Forum.
o 3.2.3.6. The election process will begins with a sufficallient for candtidcipates issued on tsuche 1st dhay of the, month threven ifull monthse prior to thcess wend of thre term of thbe chair that is to cepeaste ind, their position. This phase will rbemai enough optimen for 28it to 31 days, dbe complenteding befonre the lengthd of the particulaer m onf the dourtgoing which it takes placeir.
o 3.2.3.7. LACNIC will communicate to the Public Policy List the names of those candidates twhato meet all the requirements and have been accepted, announcing where the candidates’ information will be published.
o 3.2.3.8. A period of no less than ten calendar days will then begin during which the community will be mable toy contribmmute relevant informcatione ton the cBoanrdidates. If conf Dirmed, cthiors information will beon published simultaneously forf allthe candidates onwhich they fconsiderst workielevangt day ftollowing the end lectiofn. tThe poten-dtiayl puseriod. Basend publication of such information, the Boarnd meven ay procteed ntoial disqualify ication are within the powers morf the cBoanrd of Didarecteors.
o 3.2.3.9. Voting will begin on thpen first working Monday after the period speciofied abnove andt will remainss opethan for seven calendar days.
o3.2.3.10. AThe candiffdate with ther highest ncumber of lvotess than 10% will be considerled a ctied. In this case, if thervent are moref than two candidates, runoff voting among the two candidates who tied with the highest number of votes will begin the following working Monday and will remain open for a period of not less than seven calendar days.
o LACNIC will immediately announce3.2.3.11. tThe results of the firstach voting round as weill be announced as those oofn theas runoff vote if applsicable.
o3.2.3.12. If any objections are raised by a member of the community, such objections must be communicated to the Board within seven calendar days of the announcement of the results. In this case, the Board will assess whether such objections are significant and have been proven. If no objections are raised, or if the Board decides not to consider such objections, it will proceed to ratify the winning candidate.
o The3.2.3.13. eElected chairs will begin their term immediately after the closing of the next Public Policy Forum.
o3.2.3.14. If it were not possible to ratify a candidate, the LACNIC Board will appoint a chair to fill the vacant position until the following Public Policy Forum. The next time an election and ratification process can be held, the person elected will only fill the position for the remainder of the original term. This same mechanism will apply, if necessary, in case either of the chairs resigns before the end of their term or for any reason fails to meet their responsibilities.
o3.2.3.15. The LACNIC Board is the highest instance of appeal in matters relating to the election process.
o3.2.3.16. The Board of Directors may delegate its functions relate to the election process to a Fiscal Commission or its equivalent. |
Equivalent policies or procedures defined by the community for the same purpose also exist in the other regions. In the case of AfriNIC, candidate nominations are reviewed by a Nominations Committee (NomCom).
• https://www.afrinic.net/policy/development-working-group#election In the case of APNIC, in order to be elected by the community, candidates must have specific knowledge and expertise, which varies for each specific working group.
• https://www.apnic.net/community/participate/sigs/sig-guidelines/chair-elections/ In the case of ARIN, instead of chairs, they have an “Advisory Council” (AC) whose members are elected through a NomCom that assesses candidates based on a set of skills as well as their expertise and prior participation, using a candidate qualification questionnaire
• https://www.arin.net/participate/oversight/elections/
• https://www.arin.net/participate/oversight/elections/procedures/ |
Equivalent policies or procedures defined by the community for the same purpose also exist in the other regions.
In the case of AfriNIC, candidate nominations are reviewed by a Nominations Committee (NomCom).
• https://www.afrinic.net/policy/development-working-group#election
In the case of APNIC, in order to be elected by the community, candidates must have specific knowledge and expertise, which varies for each specific working group.
• https://www.apnic.net/community/participate/sigs/sig-guidelines/chair-elections/
In the case of ARIN, instead of chairs, they have an “Advisory Council” (AC) whose members are elected through a NomCom that assesses candidates based on a set of skills as well as their expertise and prior participation, using a candidate qualification questionnaire
• https://www.arin.net/participate/oversight/elections/
• https://www.arin.net/participate/oversight/elections/procedures/ |