Art, it is true that incumbents have access to tools that are not available to challengers. However, as I read the policy it prohibits the use of these tools for campaign purposes and does not prohibit an incumbent from continuing to have access to the tools necessary to do his or her job during the campaign period. Dave K1ZZ -----Original Message----- From: Art Goddard [mailto:w6xd@attbi.com] Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 8:21 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [ARRL-ODV:7704] Re: Mass communication at ARRL expense during campaign period Dave, thanks for sending out this excerpt from the Rules and Regulations Concerning American Radio Relay League Elections. The applicability to electronic communications and the privacy policy are most enlightening. Shall we assume that incumbent Director and Vice Director candidates are now excluded from access to the membership database available via the ODV page on the ARRL Website? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make use of wildcard query features to create e-mailing lists. 73, Art ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ" <dsumner@arrl.org> To: "arrl-odv" <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 1:38 PM Subject: [ARRL-ODV:7703] Mass communication at ARRL expense during campaign period As of last Friday we are in the "campaign period" for Director or Vice Director in the Atlantic, Delta, Great Lakes, and Midwest Divisions. Accordingly, the following policy applies: "In any League election, during the campaign period (the period from the deadline for receipt of nominating petitions for Director and Vice Director until the day ballots are due) any mass communication at League expense in whole or in part, dealing with any candidate in any way or issued by a candidate, League or Section official in the Division of the candidate, shall be approved by the Executive Committee prior to the issuance of such communications. The Executive Committee shall deny approval of any communication, which in its opinion, reasonably might affect the outcome of such election." This policy applies to electronic as well as to printed communications. The ARRL privacy policy prohibits the release of members' email addresses to third parties, including candidates for office. David Sumner, K1ZZ Secretary