Congrats to all winners!

I have been pleasantly encouraged by the direction of ARMA over my 5
year membership, and hope to see it become even more involved (proactive
and reactive) in information governance issues.

Re: Voting

First, I think the efforts to get me to vote were more than adequate
this year. I recall receiving numerous emails.

Second, is 15% bad?  I would like to see a benchmark for like orgs. If
like orgs have a consistently better turnout than ARMA, then we need to
see what they do to maintain those levels. ARMA may have already done
this.

I am unfamiliar with the history of voting at ARMA, so at the risk of
sounding too amateur...

1. I think the election should be at the conference with a simultaneous
web vote for the non attendees).
2. There should be a candidate forum/social mixer web cast in the
evening of day 1 conference.
3. The vote should start immediately thereafter (in person and on the
web) and should continue throughout the conference (and into the week
thereafter on the web).
4. If candidates want to campaign, then they are free to do so at any
time, by any means.


My nearest Chapter is about 90 (snowy) miles away, in another state and
in a very different RIM milieu, and would feel rather disenfranchised by
an electoral college of chapter boards.


 - Chuck Piotrowski

ps. From a purely aesthetic POV, the conference web site looks great.
Well done!


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Peter Kurilecz
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 8:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Congratulations!!

Let me also pile on the congratulations to the new board members and
also to all the candidates.

Like LarryM, BruceW and BillB ARMA needs to relook at how the
elections are conducted. It was a major move (and one I approve of)
to go to electronic ballots. This shows that association is willing to
move forward. Now as LarryM suggested lets look at some other things.

1. Election time - for me personally lets start the election season at
the Conference. The candidate forum is a great idea and allows members
to see and hear the candidates but unfortunately the election itself
takes place 3 months later. Why cann't members start to cast their
ballots during the Conference.

2. Campaigning. - the current prohibition needs to be rethunk. As
LarryM pointed out members in his chapter didn't plan to vote because
they didn't know who the candidates were. If ARMA can hold webinars on
records management issues couldn't they hold a webinar/telecon that
allows the members to meet the candidates?

3. Chapter participation - While no one should be forced to vote
shouldn't chapter turnout be a part of the chapter of the year
process?

4. Candidate support - I suspect that many of today's rules were
implemented in the distant past to solve problems that may not exist
now, and now serve only to stifle any discussion. As it now stands
folks have to tiptoe around the whole campaigning issue for fear that
someone will point a finger at them and say "you're campaigning!" when
in all likelihood they are only discussing the issues that face the
association.

5. Voting process - continually examine and reexamine the voting
process to make sure that is clean and pure. Let's consider having the
entire process controlled by an independent third party

Peter Kurilecz

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Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance