[council] New Website Tools To Assist with Voting Remedies

[Liz Gasster <liz.gasster@xxxxxxxxx>]

GNSO Council
Stakeholder Group Leaders
Constituency Leaders

Subject:  Website Tools to Assist with Voting Remedies due to Abstentions, 
Absences, and Vacancies

Staff has just completed development of two new website tools to help 
Councilors, SGs, and Constituencies navigate the new GNSO voting remedy 
procedures related to abstentions, absences and vacancies.  They are:

1)  Abstentions Procedures Visual Map:  A color graphic depicting the steps 
required to exercise voting remedies due to abstentions, absences, and 
vacancies; and

2)  GNSO Council Abstention Notification Form:  An on-line form to be completed 
by an SG/C officer notifying the GNSO Secretariat of an intention to execute a 
voting remedy related to a declared abstention.

Both of these tools can be accessed from:  
http://gnso.icann.org/council/docs.html (see Abstentions Guidelines for the 
direct links).

Descriptions/Directions:

The Visual Map is an attempt to describe the conditions/steps required to 
exercise a voting remedy of which there are three types:  (a) voting direction, 
(b) proxy, and (c) temporary alternate.   You'll notice that icons have been 
added in key places which, when moused-over, will pop-up additional 
explanations consistent with the actual procedures 
(http://gnso.icann.org/council/gnso-op-procedures-05aug10-en.pdf).

At the bottom of the map, the block labeled "Abstentions Notification Form" 
(see curved red lines) is a hyperlink to the online form, so that users do not 
have to back-up to the preceding page.   We will be adding an instruction at 
the top of the form to make it clear that this form is to be completed ONLY by 
a SG or Constituency officer.    It is NOT completed by an individual Councilor.

Once submitted, the online form will automatically be forwarded to the 
Secretariat with a confirmation to the sender.

Given the need to begin using these tools as early as the upcoming meeting on 
26 August, there was only time to perform limited testing.   As a result, there 
may be additional "tweaks" needed as we gain experience with the new 
procedures.    Staff remains open to any/all comments or suggestions that you 
may have on either tool.

For anyone who intends to utilize these new procedures for the upcoming Council 
meeting and would like assistance with the emails/forms, please do not hesitate 
to contact Ken Bour [ken.bour@xxxxxxxxxxx; 703-430-4059].

Thanks, Liz Gasster