Re: Secret ballot and RMS Resolution

[Kurt Roeckx <kurt@roeckx.be>]

On Thu, Apr 01, 2021 at 04:40:59PM +0200, Stefano Zacchiroli wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 01, 2021 at 12:42:01PM +0000, Jean Duprat (Avignon) wrote:
> > Votes in leadership elections are kept secret even after the end of
> > the voting period for obvious reasons: by knowing that the ballot is
> > secret, voters can feel free to express their opinion as they see
> > fit. This constitutional guarantee sadly does not apply to General
> > Resolutions.
> 
> I think we're at opposite ends of the voting spectrum here on this
> matter, but I share your concern.
> 
> In fact, I think that *any* position taken in this vote could result in
> targeted harassment of the voters.
> 
> As this is a vote on a person (even if an indirect one, in the sense
> that is not an election), most democratic systems will treat it as a
> vote where ballots should be secret. But I fear that the Debian
> Constitution ties the hands of the secretary here, or am I missing
> something here Kurt?

This would be a vote I would also like to see as secret. The
constitution says:
    3. Votes are taken by the Project Secretary. Votes, tallies, and
       results are not revealed during the voting period; after the vote
       the Project Secretary lists all the votes cast. The voting period
       is 2 weeks, but may be varied by up to 1 week by the Project
       Leader.

While for DPL election it says:
    5. The next two weeks are the polling period during which Developers
       may cast their votes. Votes in leadership elections are kept
       secret, even after the election is finished.

You could say that "all the votes cast" could mean what was voted,
now who voted what, but I think that conflicts with the intention
of the text.


Kurt