[NA-Discuss] Voting None of the Above Re: .

[Evan Leibovitch]

I've actually had the (dis)pleasure of witnessing elections in which NOTA
won despite the presence of qualified and competent nominees. They were
grotesque in execution, poisoned the group dynamic and led to the departure
of humiliated but badly needed volunteers. The people involved in running
the above campaigns saw the error of what they'd done -- too late to bring
back the departed volunteers, though -- and implemented statutes to prevent
NOTA's ever being done again in those groups.

That was more than 20 years ago; I really never thought I'd encounter this
absolute perversion of democracy ever again. Which of course means it's
natural I'd find it within the alternate reality that is ICANN -- but
thankfully as a minority PoV.

Whatever theoretical bliss is envisioned by having the option, IMO, is
overwhelmingly counterbalanced by the recriminations and hurt feelings --
not always overt but always in evidence, when such a horrific scheme is
implemented. This is especially true within a volunteer body that needs all
the human resources it can get, and for which the leadership positions have
very little real power.

- Evan