Postal Ballots & Online balloting for Unions

CorkHarbour

Hello All,

Could any teachers whose union allows both postal and 'in school' balloting please explain how the 'in school' ballot works from a security point of view?

Could you give me a run through of what happens on the day?

Also has anyone else ever tried to use an online voting/balloting service?

implausible

Not sure what you're asking. TUI use postal voting, but the votes and envelopes are given out in school by the rep. The member then posts them. No security issue.

CorkHarbour

implausible wrote: »

Not sure what you're asking. TUI use postal voting, but the votes and envelopes are given out in school by the rep. The member then posts them. No security issue.

Hi Implausible,

Your rep hands them to you when they receive then for your school and you return via normal post. Thank you I had an image of a ballot box for each school.

If the member is not present in the school does the rep send it on via the regular post?

implausible

CorkHarbour wrote:

If the member is not present in the school does the rep send it on via the regular post?

You would post out the ballots of members who are out sick etc. and it would be up to them to return them.

solerina

ASTI. Rep hands them out, you sign to say you received it, you either return it to the Rep in a sealed envelope for joint return or you can post them back yourself. You sign again if you return the envelope to the rep. We have had 100% return rate via the rep for both recent ballots done this way.

CorkHarbour

Hi Solerina, that 100% return is in fact the reason for my interest. I did hear 78% but stats are often made up on the spot. Well done on that ASTI.

Hi Implausible, thank you. So you only post when the person is not physically in the school, so it may have some cost saving but not a massive amount I suppose. Have you ever had an issues with the security of the ballot afterwards? Non-returns or doctored registers of receipt etc?

I should maybe say that my interest is due to my own representative association having 6500 members approx. in many locations with universal suffrage by way of a postal ballot, bound under our constitution.

Our voter participation is truly terrible. 18.4%
Our last ballot cost in the region of 14800 to conduct.

So only €2723 approx to get those 1200 or so returns. At a price of €2.27 a ballot we should be aiming for a vastly improved return. I was thinking about adopting a more direct delivery of the ballot approach into the hand of person and giving a sealed large ballot returns envelope with provision of a polling booth/room in those districts where we have in excess of 100 members.

My association has to increase the participation in the democratic process.

Thank you both for your replies.

ccazza

For AstI ballot member must come to the school to collect the ballot paper. It cannot be posted out to them. They must sign list on receipt of ballot paper and as has been previously stated can either sign the ballot paper back into school steward or decide to post themselves. Then school steward must register ballot papers and return them to head office.

CorkHarbour

Hi ccazza, thank you for your input. That is a small but important difference.

I have also been looking up the online voting systems.

Talk about a money saver, if only they could be trusted 100% and if only the members would go for it.

At the most expensive end of the online voting range, it would be €2500 for each stand alone ballot.
€0.38 cent a vote.

That would save us €12000 per ballot.

evolving_doors

CorkHarbour wrote: »

Hi ccazza, thank you for your input. That is a small but important difference.

I have also been looking up the online voting systems.

Talk about a money saver, if only they could be trusted 100% and if only the members would go for it.

At the most expensive end of the online voting range, it would be €2500 for each stand alone ballot.
€0.38 cent a vote.

That would save us €12000 per ballot.

Hmm, sounds like e-voting to me.

CorkHarbour

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Hmm, sounds like e-voting to me.

Doesn't it? I think it must be the only way forward for a small org such as the one I belong to.

Very young demographic 25% under 25.

€12000 euro is our reps educational budget for a year!

Imagine been able to assist twice the amount of activists per year to gain valuable new skills.

evolving_doors

CorkHarbour wrote: »

Doesn't it? I think it must be the only way forward for a small org such as the one I belong to.

Very young demographic 25% under 25.

€12000 euro is our reps educational budget for a year!

Imagine been able to assist twice the amount of activists per year to gain valuable new skills.

Personally I'd prefer a transparent vote.

What would the cost of implimenting an e-voting system be? Between set up and ongoing IT maintenance.

CorkHarbour

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Personally I'd prefer a transparent vote.

What would the cost of implimenting an e-voting system be? Between set up and ongoing IT maintenance.

All included with the single cost above through the online company.

I take your point about the transparent vote.

The key goal I suppose is voter participation not the cost, the lower cost is just a pleasant side effect.

Maybe a dual system, two weeks of online voting and then the remaining persons who haven't voted get the postal ballots send out to their committee chairs.

Giving the sealed ballot envelope by hand to member and giving them a room/booth there and then as well to vote in.

They could then place their completed ballot in the mail bag.