Dave, Please count me as volunteering to join other Directors in reviewing the decision by the Ethics ahd Elections Committee. I apologize for logging into this discussion rather belatedly, I certainly support having "HQ" send e-maill reminders to vote and, if needed, to request a replacement for a ballot that appears to have gone astray. I also see no problem with individual directors (or SMs for their Sections) doing similarly. My support, of course, is predicated on the messages being fully nonpartisan. In my case, I have most often: 1) Encouraged competitors to file to run for Director (against me), 2) Encouraged members to look closely at the qualifications of EACH candidate in contested elections and 3) Encouraged members to vote for the candidate of their choice. Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division 5065 Bethany Rd. Mason, OH 45040 Tel. 513-459-1661; e-mail K8JE@arrl.org ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is Members: The reason ARRL is _____ From: arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org [mailto:arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] On Behalf Of Doug Rehman Sent: 16 April, 2014 9:43 PM To: 'arrl-odv' Subject: [arrl-odv:22608] Ballot Mailing Reminders Importance: High I realize that the more conventional means of gathering the five Directors required for a review of a decision by the Ethics and Elections Committee would be via individual phone calls. Unfortunately time is of the essence in the instant matter so I will therefore make the request via ODV. There is currently a contested Section Manager election in the Northern Florida Section; the current Section Manager is not one of the candidates. The ballots arrived in the Section early last week. (The ballots were mailed via standard/bulk mail on 4/1.) I emailed K1ZZ on Monday about sending a reminder to return the ballots and to let Section members who had not yet received a ballot know that they need to contact HQ to obtain a replacement ballot. The email was not even going to mention the candidates, just the ballots. K1ZZ ran the premise of the email by the E&E Committee. Dave emailed me today to tell me that my sending of such an email would not be permitted by the E&E. Rather they will make a future proposal to the Board that reminder notifications will be sent from HQ. While I will look forward to a discussion in July about a reminder policy, the E&E's decision creates an immediate, untenable situation-there is an ongoing election within my Division that will be concluded long before any consideration is given to a reminder policy. Add to this the many unhappy members in my Division over the Director election last year that have said they didn't receive notice. I am at a loss to find anything in the Articles, Bylaws, or Policies and Rules that prohibits a Director from notifying the members of a Section within their Division that they should have received their ballots and to please return them. I am at a total loss as to how a generic reminder could reasonably be interpreted as a violation of ethics. In full disclosure, I live in the Northern Florida Section. I know both candidates personally and have given similar campaign advice to both when they contacted me. While my close friends know which candidate I voted for, I have been very careful, including at my home radio club, to not take any position for or against a candidate. I respectfully request that Directors that agree that my sending a reminder email to the NFL members needs to be decided by the entire Board so indicate. Thanks & 73, Doug Doug Rehman, K4AC Director Southeastern Division ARRL-The National Association for Amateur RadioR <mailto:doug@k4ac.com> doug@k4ac.com <http://www.arrlse.org/> www.arrlse.org <http://www.facebook.com/arrlse> www.facebook.com/arrlse --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com