Final Report on 2011 AML Election available

Get comfy, because it's 90 pages long. Here's the announcement that was sent out a couple of hours ago alerting the membership to the report.

Upon review of the circumstances of the 2011 AML board elections, the data provided by the election house and verified by independent auditors, and the final reports of independent auditors reviewing the data collection and tabulation processes of the election house, the Election Committee has released its final report. The report in it's entirety can be downloaded fromhttp://www.us.mensa.org/election - select 2011 Board Elections from the left menu and the report linked at the top of that page.

If you do not have your login information available, please contact WebServices@americanmensa.org.

July MWM ExComm meeting

The next ExComm meeting is set for July 12. At the moment, the agenda is VERY light, having only one discussion item on it, related to the potential upcoming bylaws amendment balloting.

If you are a member of MWM and would like a copy of the agenda once it is, essentially, finalized somewhere around July 8, please contact me.

Interim Election Committee report

Here is the interim report that was released by the national Election Committee on June 21. It is unknown at this point when the final report will be handed out or when the three candidates' complaints cited will be addressed.
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As the Election Committee announced previously, we sent a third-party forensic auditor to certify the results of this year's board elections after the election house informed us of an error in the tabulations for the preferential races. While an extensive report will be forthcoming, the Election Committee felt it best to convey an overview of the circumstances to the membership as an interim report.

Since that time, we have been in communication with the election house and the audit firm regarding the circumstances that led to the initial decertification of results of the two preferential races.

Both print and Web votes were collected accurately and stored securely, and the votes for all races remain intact and untouched. The tabulation process was separate. The error occurred when electronic votes for the preferential races were tabulated.  A programming error by a technician involved with our election caused the electronic votes in those races to be counted incorrectly. The error went unnoticed until the election house ran a report for us of the breakout of the print vs. Web results that made the error apparent.

Because the failed portion of the programming code only involved the preferential tabulations, the plurality (two-candidate) race results were not in question.  The tabulation of those races was a simple majority of the collected votes in each case.

The votes for all races were provided to the independent, forensic auditor for verification, whose results mirrored the final results from the election house on June 9. The Election Committee has since requested additional reporting and review of the election processes at the request of the election house.

We have received three complaints from election candidates, contesting the election results, and will address these complaints once we have received the additional reports.

Maggie Truelove
Election Committee Chair
ElectionChair@us.mensa.org

Awaiting a Report on the Election

Several of us have submitted disputes of the election, given the "revised" election results. Such a spectacular snafu in tabulation and certification of the results can't be permitted to go unchallenged. A thorough report must be given. And the members' remaining questions should be answered directly by the election house and the forensic auditor at the ABM itself.

I have heard that the Election Committee is looking to have its report completed by the end of next week. I hope that it is finished by then, and as thorough as possible.

Updated AMC Election Results

This was announced late Friday, June 10, but I'm only just getting a chance to post it here.


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The following are the updated results for the offices of First Vice Chairman and Treasurer. After a re-tabulation by a CPA/forensic auditor engaged by the Election Committee, the committee reports the following results. This is a change for the declared-elected First Vice Chairman and Treasurer. All other races remain as previously reported. 

First Vice Chairman - Dan Burg is declared elected 

Round 1
Dan Burg 2781 47.8%
Cookie Bakke 1791 30.8%
Robin Crawford 1245 21.4% 

Round 2
Dan Burg 3560 61.6%
Cookie Bakke 2215 38.4% 

Treasurer - Nick Sanford is declared elected. 

Nick Sanford 2165 38.0%
Cary Chilson 2110 37.%
Guy Conti 1426 25.% 

Second Round
Nick Sanford 2966 52.9%
Cary Chilson 2640 47.1% 

The error in the initial election results, as reported by the election house, was the result of human error when a technician failed to use the proper query to tabulate the preferential races. The collection and/or security of the ballots was never in question. 

The election committee congratulates the winners and thanks all of the candidates for the professional and dignified manner in which they handled the uncertainty of the last few days. The Committee will be issuing a full report to the AMC detailing the circumstances of this election. 

Regards to all, 
Maggie Truelove
Election Chair
ElectionChair@us.mensa.org

Sunday's ExComm Meeting

MWM's ExComm meets on Sunday at the home of Gifted Children's Coordinator, Donna Campbell. (See CapM for the address)

On the agenda are a couple of appointments (a new Programs Officer and an additional Assistant Gifted Children's Coordinator), bylaws changes, and discussion related to the possibility of paying volunteers (initially focused on paying proctors) and job descriptions for various appointed offices.

If you are a member of MWM, To get a copy of the agenda as it currently stands, please contact me.

2011 AMC Election Results

Survey and Ballot Systems, our election house for the 2011 board election and amendments, reported the following certified results this afternoon. These results include 5,966 returned ballots from 45,043 eligible members with a final participation rate of 13.25%. It is also worth noting that 2,317 ballots were submitted via Web voting and 3,649 paper ballots were returned via regular mail.

Congratulations to all of the winners. To those who were not elected, thank you for being willing to serve Mensa; I hope that you will continue to be active members.

My thanks to the Election Committee members: Nora Foust, Megan Edwards, Conrad Pomykala, Deb Skinner, AMC liaison Greg Timmers, and staff liaison Howard Prince

Best regards to all,

Maggie Truelove 
Election Chair 
ElectionChair@us.mensa.org

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The following positions were unopposed and the candidates were declared elected: RVC 1 - Andrew Heffernan; RVC 2 - Marc Lederman; RVC 3 - Betsy Mark; RVC 4 - Ken Silver; RVC 5 - Bob Cox; RVC 8 - Debra Reiger; and RVC 10 - Mel Dahl. Treasurer candidate Cyndi Kuyper withdrew from the election.

______________________________________________________________________

Chair: 
Elissa Rudolph 4,159 
Lee Berkovits 1,670

Elissa Rudolph is declared elected.

1st Vice Chair:

Round 1 
Robin Crawford 2,871 
Dan Burg 1,758 
Cookie Bakke 1,188

Round 2 
Robin Crawford 3,319 
Dan Burg 2,365

Robin Crawford is declared elected.

2nd Vice Chair: 
John Recht 3,426 
Lori Norris 2,271

John Recht is declared elected.

Secretary: 
Heather Poirier 3,453 
Jared Levine 2,283

Heather Poirier is declared elected.

Treasurer: 
Cary Chilson 3,379 
Nick Sanford 1,414 
Guy Conti 910

Cary Chilson is declared elected.

RVC 6: 
Roger Durham 385 
James Franzen 161

Roger Durham is declared elected.

RVC 7: 
Peggy Pannke-Smith 282 
VeraLouise Kleinfeld Pfeiffer 53

Peggy Pannke-Smith is declared elected.

RVC 9: 
Clark Jones 460 
Joan Johnson 269

Clark Jones is declared elected.

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The following bylaw amendment was put before the membership. It required 2/3 of the voting membership to pass. You can find full text of this amendment online at http://www.us.mensa.org/election.

Bylaw Amendment 1 
For 3,008 
Against 2,478

Bylaw Amendment 1 fails.

Tapping My Toe

It feels like the AMC election has been going on an interminable time. "Get on with it!" is the one thing that comes to mind, regardless the results. I know there's no reasonable way to shorten the period of time we use, but that doesn't mean I've got to like the length of time it is. :-)

Many people have asked me if the results have been announced yet. No, still not just yet. However, whereas the candidates were told that we'd find out on June 9, as of earlier tonight on the AML Forums, Howard posted that the counting house is contractually obligated to have the results in to the National Office by June 7. (Maybe that June 9 was a typo.)

So, we should find out tomorrow. Depending on what time of the day that gets sent out, the AML Newsflash announcing the results will be sent out either tomorrow or Wednesday. (Not that the info won't have already spread pretty fast from the people on the initial list of recipients.)