How to Conduct a Task Group Ballot

1. Compile the ballot list. It should consist of members of the task group and anyone in the VSO that wants to participate. Solicit other VSO members by using the vme@vita.com email reflector. Non VSO members may participate on the task group ballot with majority approval of the other VSO task group members. You may drop people from the list if they failed to return a ballot during a previous task group ballot.
2. Send a copy of the draft that you are going to ballot to the technical director of VITA at techdir@vita.com for posting on the VSO web page. The draft should be in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Contact the technical director re: other formats.
3. Prepare the electronic ballot and send it out to all balloters. Copy the template shown below. The ballot can be for 14 to 30 days. Ballots should be returned to you as chair with a cc:techdir@vita.com.  Asked that all comments be returned via email.
4. Follow up 7 days before the ballot is due and remind thoses that haven't returned their ballot to do so.
5. When the ballot period is over, solicit late ballots. If possible, give people extra time (2-3 days to get their ballot in). Announce the extension via email.
6. Compile the ballots and create a summary report.
7. Meet with the task group and review all comments. Use comments as a basis for next revision of the draft. When the 75/75 VSO rule has been met, move the draft standard from the VSO to the ANSI Canvass Ballot process.

Tips and Hints

 Meeting the 75/75 Rule
"To pass a task group ballot, the standard must receive a 75% affirmative vote with at least 75% of those on the task group balloting list returning either affirmative or negative ballots. " (ie, the 75/75 rule)

Counting the Ballot
For example, assume that a task group ballot list has 25 members. Out of the 25 possible balloters, 20 return ballots. Out of the 20 returned ballots, 15 are affirmative, 3 are negative, and 2 abstain. How is the ballot counted?

First how many ballots are returned. 20 out of 25 possible or 80%. Therefore, the first 75 of the 75/75 rule is met. More than 75% of the possible balloters returned their ballot. Note that abstained ballots are counted as returned.

Second, out of the returned ballots (ie, affirmative, negative, and abstained) how many voted affirmatively. Out of 20 ballots returned we had 15 votes affirmative or 15/20 = 75%. Therefore in this example, we met the second 75 of the 75/75 rule. That is, the ballot received a 75% affirmative vote out of the total of ballots returned.

Suggestions to Task Group Chairs
Compose the task group ballot list with care. You cannot exclude anyone who wants to participate and is a member in good standing in the VSO. Anyone who is an employee of a VITA member company may claim VSO membership. (Note that the attendance requirement of 2 out of the previous 4 meetings applies to voting at meetings, not to being part of a task group or participating in a task group ballot.) Only non VSO members can be arbitrarily excluded.

Observer Status
Consider offering individuals "observer status" if they don't want to actively participate in the development process. Observer status was added to prevent individuals from signing up to ballot simply to get a "free" copy of the draft standard. As more draft standards are made available for downloading this issue should become less of a problem.

 Non Returned Ballots
Task group chairs should inform individuals who don't return their ballots that they are being dropped from the next ballot list unless they respond that they wish to remain on the list and that they will indeed submit a ballot in the next task group ballot.  

Cut and paste the electronic ballot template shown below to create an email ballot.  Modify all sections enclosed in <xxx> to fit your specific draft standard.

Dear Balloter:

A task group ballot is being held on <VITA x.x, xxxxx>.  Please review the draft standard available from the VITA web site at: (http://www.vita.com/vso/stds.html).  If you have problems downloading the draft contact the VITA office at 602-951-8866.  Please respond using the e-mail ballot shown below.  Return it to <your email address> with a cc: to techdir@vita.com.  Comments must accompany negative ballots.  Negative comments should include a remedy.

If you do not wish to be on this task group or if you are an observer and do not wish to ballot, please contact me so I can remove your name from the ballot list.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
 

<your name>
Task Group Chair

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VSO Task Group Electronic Ballot - <day month year >

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VITA <xx-199x, title, draft x.x, revision date>

(A copy of the draft standard can be found on the VITA VSO web page at:  http://www.vita.com/vso/stds.html )

PLEASE RETURN THIS BALLOT NO LATER THAN <DAY MONTH YEAR>.

Your Name:

Your Company:

Your Phone No.:

Your E-mail Addr.:

Today's Date:

Your Vote: (please pick 1 of the following 4 and delete the other 3)

1. Approve without Comments

2. Approve with Comments

3. Disapprove with Comments

4. Abstain (lack of time or expertise or other reason)

Comments: