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Click
on the links below to read the News Release:
ICANN and election.com Announce Results for First Worldwide
Online Vote
Over 34,000 Registered Members on Six Continents Participate in One of World's Largest All-Internet
Elections to Date
Marina del Rey, CA and Garden City, NY, October 10, 2000 - The
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the technical
coordination body for the Internet, and election.com, a leading global
Internet election company, announced today the results of ICANN's first
worldwide online vote.
In one of the world's largest all-Internet votes to date, ICANN's At-Large
Members from around the world chose five Directors for the ICANN Board, one
from each of the five geographic regions (Africa, Asia/Australia/Pacific,
Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America).
The top vote getter in each region was:
Asia/Australia/Pacific: Masanobu
Katoh
Europe: Andy
Mueller-Maguhn
Latin America and Caribbean: Ivan Moura
Campos
Africa: Nii
Quaynor
North America: Karl
Auerbach
"For ICANN, the At Large membership program which launched in February,
and culminated in today's announcement of the voting results has been a
tremendous challenge, and a remarkable accomplishment," said Mike Roberts,
President and CEO of ICANN. "With
the help of tens of thousands of interested Internet users around the world,
ICANN achieved its goal of a large, globally diverse membership and we have
learned a lot along the way. We look
forward to welcoming the new At Large Directors to ICANN's Board in November,
and we thank election.com for its successful management of the secure
online vote."
More than 76,000 Internet users around the world registered to become At-Large
members of ICANN, and were eligible to vote over a 10-day voting period
starting October 1, 2000. The secure
online voting system was available to members in multiple languages, and on a
24-hour basis to accommodate busy schedules and different time zones.
Online voting is uniquely suited to handle the scope and complexity of the
ICANN election -- a Preferential Voting
System in eight languages across six continents, said Mark Prieto,
Chief Information Officer, election.com. In a global election with paper ballots, it could have taken
more than two weeks just to tally the results according to the Preferential
Voting System, not to mention additional weeks to mail out ballots to
registered voters around the world. The
election.com online voting system enabled ICANN to provide accurate,
real-time results, and to communicate them to its members instantaneously.
The votes were cast according to the Preferential Voting System, by which
voters rank their choices among all the nominees. The votes were first counted by first-place choices. Where no
nominee had an absolute majority (50% + 1 vote) in that round, the lowest
voter-getter was eliminated and his/her voters were reallocated to their
next-ranked choice. The votes were then
re-tallied, and the elimination process was repeated until one of the nominees
reached an absolute majority. For
details on the voting process, see <http://members.icann.org/rules.html>.
34,035 voters close to 45% of all At-Large members -- cast their vote by
the time the voting period closed at midnight GMT/UTC on October 10.
45% represents a significantly higher turnout than other private sector
elections, said Frank Fatone, Chief of
Election Services, election.com. We
usually see 13-18% percent turnout in elections of this type. Use of the Internet clearly had a positive
impact on participation in the ICANN election.
On the first day alone, 13,132 members from all five regions cast their
votes. At 48.08%, Europe saw the
highest overall turnout in voter participation. Asia/Australia/Pacific followed closely behind with 46.21%. Africa ranked third with 40.50% and Latin
America and Caribbean ranked fourth with 39.26%. North America participation
came in lowest at 32.25%.
Voter Turnout by Region
|
Region
|
Membership
|
Votes
Cast
|
%
|
|
Africa
|
321
|
130
|
40.50%
|
|
Asia/Australia/Pacific
|
38,397
|
17,745
|
46.21%
|
|
Europe
|
23,519
|
11,309
|
48.08%
|
|
Latin America and Caribbean
|
3,571
|
1,402
|
39.26%
|
|
North America
|
10,694
|
3,449
|
32.25%
|
|
Total
|
76,502
|
34,035
|
44.49%
|
Though
the voting period went generally smoothly, the voting system encountered a
relatively minor glitch at the outset.
During the first twelve hours of the 10-day voting period, some 2,800 of the 76,000+ At Large members
encountered an error message when attempting to submit their votes. The difficulty was caused by the interaction
of election.com's voting system with ICANN's encryption routine. For this election, ICANN placed the
highest premium on preventing fraud and protecting the privacy of its At Large
membership data. For that reason, ICANN
issued encrypted Personal Identification Numbers to its members directly via
postal mail, and provided the encrypted list to election.com. For some voters during the first 12 hours,
the election.com voting application could not obtain a valid response
from the encryption routine and, therefore, did not accept the vote.
The situation was identified and corrected within the first twelve hours of the voting period. ICANN members that were affected by the situation were notified immediately via email, and were directed to log on and cast their vote. Of the 2,800 people who received an error on their first attempt, 2,685 returned to the site and successfully cast their votes.
ICANN's At-Large Membership program is intended to allow Internet users from all over the globe to have a voice in ICANN's technical policymaking structure for the Internet's domain name and numbering systems.
About ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a
technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998
by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic
and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set of
technical functions previously performed under the US government contract
by IANA and other groups. As a non-profit, private-sector corporation,
ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet;
to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global
Internet communities; and to developing policy through private-sector,
bottom-up, consensus-based means.
For information on ICANN At Large membership process, including the
nominees, schedule, rules, and the online Question & Answer Forum, see
http://members.icann.org
About election.com
election.com Inc., the leading global Internet election company,
provides public- and private-sector election services for governments,
associations, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, school districts,
credit unions, pension funds and corporations around the world. Committed
to broadening voter participation in the democratic process, election.com
also provides online voter registration services that enable U.S. citizens,
whether they live in the country or abroad, to request an absentee ballot
and register to vote online. Named one of the top 50 privately held
companies by Red Herring magazine, election.com is headquartered
in Garden City, N.Y., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas;
London; Paris; Sydney, Australia; and Christchurch, New Zealand.
Back
To The Top
ICANN Selects
election.com to Conduct One of World's Largest All-Internet Votes
More Than 76,000 Registered Members from Around
the World to Cast Their Votes Online in First ICANN Vote
Marina del Rey, CA and Garden City, NY, September
21, 2000 - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN), the technical coordination body for the Internet, and election.com,
a leading global Internet election company, announced today that election.com
will conduct ICANN's first worldwide online vote. ICANN's At-Large
Members will choose five Directors for the ICANN Board in one of
the world's largest all-Internet votes to date.
Since this is ICANN's first online vote, we needed a company that could
provide assurance of reliable security for the balloting as well as
experience in working with a diverse, global online membership," said
Esther Dyson, Chairman of the ICANN Board. "Among the several voting
system proposals we considered, we were impressed by election.com's
track record and international experience, and its commitment to security.
In addition, election.com was willing to work with us on a process
unprecedented in its geographic breadth. Overall, election.com
was simply the best match for ICANN's needs."
ICANN's At-Large Membership program
is intended to allow Internet users from all over the globe to have
a voice in ICANN's technical policymaking structure for the Internet's
domain name and numbering systems.
Through a worldwide online vote, ICANN's At Large Members will choose
five Directors for the ICANN Board, one from each of the five geographic
regions (Africa, Asia/Australia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean,
and North America). More than 76,000 Internet users around the world
have become At-Large members of ICANN, and are eligible to vote over
a 10-day voting period from October 1-10, 2000.
"As the premier global Internet elections company, election.com
is proud to be working with ICANN-- the technical coordination body
for the Internet with members around the world," said Mel Schrieberg,
President and COO, election.com. "election.com has a long
list of satisfied customers, from the Arizona Democratic Party and the
Democratic National Committee to the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit
Union. We look forward to working with ICANN to make their first online
vote an unquestionable success."
As part of the ICANN At Large Membership process, election.com
will provide a secure login system and a voting response and tabulation
system. The voting system will be available to members in multiple languages,
and voters will be able to use the system on a 24-hour basis to accommodate
busy schedules and different time zones.
election.com has conducted several global elections for clients
with members located around the world, including the Sierra Club and
the United Nations Federal Credit Union. election.com is currently
conducting elections for the IEEE Computer Society, the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, the American Pharmaceutical Association,
the Institute of Food Technologists and the Alliance for Continuing
Medical Education. In addition, the company recently secured contracts
to conduct elections for the American Society for Microbiology and the
State Bar of Georgia.
CONTACT
info@members.icann.org
About ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a
technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998
by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic
and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set of
technical functions previously performed under the US government contract
by IANA and other groups. As a non-profit, private-sector corporation,
ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet;
to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global
Internet communities; and to developing policy through private-sector,
bottom-up, consensus-based means.
For information on ICANN At Large membership process, including the
nominees, schedule, rules, and the online Question & Answer Forum, see
http://members.icann.org
About election.com
election.com Inc., the leading global Internet election company,
provides public- and private-sector election services for governments,
associations, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, school districts,
credit unions, pension funds and corporations around the world. Committed
to broadening voter participation in the democratic process, election.com
also provides online voter registration services that enable U.S. citizens,
whether they live in the country or abroad, to request an absentee ballot
and register to vote online. Named one of the top 50 privately held
companies by Red Herring magazine, election.com is headquartered
in Garden City, N.Y., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas;
London; Paris; Sydney, Australia; and Christchurch, New Zealand.
Back
To The Top
ICANN
At Large Nomination Period Nears Completion
(September 7, 2000) - The nominations
period of ICANN's At Large membership election process will conclude
tomorrow, September 8, midnight GMT. September 8 also marks the
deadline for membership applicants to activate their memberships,
allowing them to cast ballots in this year's round of elections.
The next stage of the At Large process
will be the voter education and dialogue phase. Starting September
9, the ICANN website will feature a basic webpage for each nominee
(including links to their own websites), and a Question & Answer
Forum to facilitate public dialogue among the nominees and the At
Large members. The voting period will run from October 1 - 10.
- Brief History of the Nominations
Process
The nominations process began in May
2000, when the Nominating
Committee issued a public open call
for recommendations and expressions of interest, along with
its criteria of selection. Over the next two months, the NomCom
received communications from over 400 individuals worldwide. On
July 31, the Nominating Committee announced
a set of 18 nominees.
On August 1, the member-nomination
phase began. A total of 161 individuals put their names forward
as candidates for member-nomination: 3 in Africa; 24 in Asia/Australia/Pacific;
74 in Europe; 7 in Latin America/Caribbean; and 53 in North America.
Starting August 15, activated At Large members could make an endorsement
of a candidate in their geographic region. Each candidate for member-nomination
was given a basic webpage on the ICANN site (again, including links
to homepages and candidate sites).
In order to encourage At Large members
to examine the candidate pages, ICANN has sent a weekly email reminder
to every activated member (4 emails total); in addition, ICANN has
sent a weekly email to all unactivated membership applicants, encouraging
them to activate their memberships to participate in this year's
process. The objective of the candidate-webpages-plus-weekly-email-reminders
communication strategy is to give members regular reminders to take
part in the process, while (1) facilitating communication on equal
terms for all candidates; (2) preventing the disclosure of members'
personal information (such as email addresses) to candidates or
others; (3) avoiding a flood of unsolicited email from many dozens
of candidates; and (4) minimizing any communications advantages
that might be enjoyed by candidates with access to greater financial
resources.
To be member-nominated, a candidate
must receive the online endorsements of 2% of the activated members
in his/her region (or 20 members, whichever is greater), from at
least 2 different countries. Together with the nominees of the Nominating
Committee, the member-nominees will appear on the October ballot,
up to a maximum of 7 total nominees per region. The final ballot
(including qualifying member-nominees) will be posted on September
9. Barring any last-minute surges in activations, it now appears
that at least one candidate will qualify for member-nomination in
each region.
- Brief History of the Membership
Application Process
The membership application phase launched
on February 25, 2000, with a goal of 5,000-10,000 members. By the
time of the July 31 deadline for applications, over
158,000 had been received. Applicants were required to give
their personal name, along with a valid email address and valid
physical address. For verification purposes, each applicant was
sent a member number and password via email, and a PIN number via
postal mail. To activate a membership, the applicant must enter
each of those data elements. ICANN is continuing to conduct a careful
review of the membership database.
To date, over 75,000 members have
activated worldwide, representing a remarkable accomplishment for
a program whose original goal was at least 5,000 members.
Back
To The Top
ICANN
At Large Membership Registration Exceeds 158,000 Internet Users
Worldwide
(July 31, 2000)
- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
announced today that it had ended its first At Large Membership
registration period with more than 158,000 Internet users signed
up worldwide. The registration period extended from February 25
- July 31. The ICANN At Large members will select five members to
the Board of Directors in October.
ICANN's At Large Membership program is intended as a means for
Internet users from all over the globe to have a voice in ICANN's
technical policymaking structure for the Internet's domain name
and numbering systems.
During planning
in 1999 and 2000 for the At Large elections, many members of the
Internet community expressed concern that few people would be interested
enough in ICANN's technical coordination functions and domain name
policy issues to apply to become At Large members. The projection
adopted by the Board in November, 1999, called for at least 5,000
members before the election process could continue. Since the At
Large member signup system began operations in late February, 2000,
the registration numbers have far surpassed all expectations, reaching
more than thirty times the original estimate.
Unfortunately, this success has not come without its costs. The
overwhelming number of registrations produced significant logistical
and financial problems for a system that was established and intended
to deal with fewer than 10,000 registrations. Despite several system
upgrades and a variety of other changes, the registration system
could not keep up with the demand, and many who tried to register
were not able to do so near the end of the registration period.
This is regrettable; ICANN believes that At Large membership should
be open to all who are interested in joining. Unfortunately, any
postponement of the registration deadline would have made it impossible
to complete the elections this year, and the Board concluded that
the continued implementation of the ICANN structure - including
the addition of At Large representatives to ICANN's Board of Directors
- should move forward on schedule.
"This is only the beginning," said ICANN Chairman Esther Dyson.
We're delighted at the level of participation, though somewhat dismayed
at the competitive atmosphere that sometimes emerged and the over-hyped
expectations of ICANN's role. Now the task is to move on to the
next stage of the elections: finding good candidates both from ICANN's
Nominating Committee and among individuals nominated by the At Large
members. We hope these candidates will engage in lively and constructive
debate about ICANN's activities and specific policies as it carries
out its mission of supporting the Internet's growth as an open,
robust and reliable medium for communications and commerce."
ICANN's Nominating Committee is scheduled to announce its set of
nominees for this year's election tomorrow, August 1. At Large members
who have activated their membership will be eligible to cast a vote
for one At Large member of the ICANN Board of Directors - one for
each of five geographic regions - in an all-electronic election
that will be held for ten days commencing October 1, 2000. Following
registration, At Large applicants will receive a postal letter containing
a personal identification number (PIN), and must visit the At Large
website to activate their membership and become eligible to vote.
To date, approximately 40% of those who have received their PIN
letters have actually activated their membership.
Preliminary total registration numbers by region are:
Africa - 787
Asia/Australia/Pacific - 93782
Europe - 35942
Latin America/Caribbean- 6486
North America - 21596
Following the October election, ICANN will conduct a thorough study
of the ICANN At Large membership program. The study, to be completed
by mid-2001, will evaluate the At Large experience to date, including
the registration process just completed and the unanticipated level
of interest shown, as well as the actual experience of the initial
At Large election processes. The results of the study will guide
the ICANN Board in establishing a permanent direction for the At
Large membership.
"Even though it is clear that some of those who registered were
prompted to do so by outreach efforts that significantly overstated
the scope and significance of ICANN's technical functions related
to the domain name system, members of the ICANN Board and staff
are gratified to see that there are a considerable number of Internet
users who are willing to take the time and make the effort to participate
in the ICANN process," said ICANN President and CEO Mike Roberts.
ABOUT ICANN
The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a technical
coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998 by a
broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic,
and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set
of technical functions previously performed under U.S. government
contract by IANA and other groups.
Specifically,
ICANN coordinates the assignment of the following identifiers that
must be globally unique for the Internet to function:
- Internet domain names
- IP address numbers
- protocol parameter and port numbers
In addition,
ICANN coordinates the stable operation of the Internet's root server
system.
As a non-profit,
private-sector corporation, ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational
stability of the Internet; to promoting competition; to achieving
broad representation of global Internet communities; and to developing
policy through private-sector, bottom-up, consensus-based means. ICANN
welcomes the participation of any interested Internet user, business,
or organization. See http://www.icann.org.
Back
To The Top
ICANN
Creates At Large Election and Nominating Committees
(9 May 2000)
- The Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) today announced the appointment of
Election and Nominating Committees that will play key roles in the
process by which five At Large Directors of ICANN will be selected
later this year through a global online election.
The At Large Members of ICANN are individuals who have indicated
an interest in participating in ICANN. They will vote to select
five Directors for the ICANN Board, one from each of five defined
geographic regions (Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/
Caribbean, and North America). With nearly 15,000 applications so
far, ICANN's At Large Membership outreach effort has been greeted
with notable enthusiasm among the members of the global Internet
community.
Today's announcement marks the beginning of the first phase of
this selection process. The Nominating Committee will nominate a
set of At Large candidates. At the same time, ICANN's Election Committee
will solicit and select an outside vendor for the online voting
system, and complete detailed recommendations for ICANN's campaign
and voting procedures, including independent oversight and monitoring.
Following this first phase, there will be:
- a petition period, in which candidates who were not nominated
by the Nominating Committee can seek a place on the ballot by
attracting a minimum threshold of support from At Large Members
in her/his region via online petition;
- a campaign period; and
- the vote of the At Large Members.
About the Election Committee
The Election Committee will develop detailed recommendations on
the ICANN election procedures, subject to public review and comment
prior to ICANN's next meetings in July. The Election Committee will
propose the rules that will apply in this election for campaigning,
voting, measures to prevent vote fraud, and independent oversight
and monitoring. The Committee will solicit proposals from third-party
vendors of online voting systems, and will recommend a vendor to
the Board. To read more about the Election Committee, its charter,
and its members, please see http://www.icann.org/elcom/.
The Committee's membership includes experts in electronic voting,
Internet infrastructure and security and election oversight and
monitoring. The members of the Election Committee are:
Greg Crew- Chair (Australia)
Charles Costello (United States)
Lorrie Faith Cranor (United States)
Patrik Fältström (Sweden)
Ken Fockler (Canada)
Hans Kraaijenbrink (Netherlands)
Nguyen Huu Dong (Mexico)
About the Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee will identify and nominate outstanding
candidates to stand for election to the ICANN Board. This Committee
will actively seek input (such as recommendations and expressions
of interest) from all members of the Internet community. Procedures
will be announced shortly. The Nominating Committee will complete
its work by the end of July, after which the election process will
proceed to the petition, campaign, and voting phases. For more information
on the Nominating Committee, please see http://www.icann.org/nomcom/.
The members of the Nominating Committee are:
Linda Wilson - Chair (United States)
Jean-François Abramatic (France)
Dr. Mads Bryde Andersen (Denmark)
John Klensin (United States)
Jun Murai (Japan)
Charles Musisi (Uganda)
Alejandro Pisanty (Mexico)
ABOUT ICANN
The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit,
international corporation formed in September 1998 to oversee a
select set of Internet technical management functions currently
managed by the U.S. Government, or by its contractors and volunteers.
Specifically, ICANN is assuming responsibility for coordinating
the management of the domain name system (DNS), the allocation of
IP address space, the assignment of protocol parameters, and the
management of the root server system.
CONTACT
info@members.icann.org
Back
To The Top
ICANN Launches Membership Web Site for Individual Internet Users
(25 February
2000) The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
announces the launch of its At Large Membership web site.
After considerable public input, the ICANN Board has developed
this program as a new way for Internet users from all over the globe
to participate directly in the ICANN process and help ensure the
smooth coordination of the Internet's technical infrastructure.
Individuals can begin registering today to become ICANN members
at http://www.icann.org.
The At Large
Membership of ICANN will give individual members of Internet communities
worldwide a voice in the selection of Directors to the ICANN Board.
By becoming an ICANN member, individuals will have an opportunity
to become part of the ICANN "bottom-up" approach to making policy
concerning Internet Names and Addresses. ICANN members will be able
to receive regular news, updates and announcements about ICANN activities
and policy initiatives.
The basic requirements
for applying to become an ICANN At Large member are:
* The completion of an online membership application,
* A working Internet email address; and
* A single physical residence verified by a postal mail address.
Thanks to a
grant from the Markle Foundation, the initial launch of ICANN's
At Large Membership program has been funded without the need for
membership dues.
The ICANN Board
will consider and adopt further policy about composition and structure
of the At Large Membership, and to establish rules for the nomination
and election of candidates for the At Large Council, at the Board's
next meeting, to be held March 9-10. It is hoped that the target
goal of 5000 members can be reached in the next few weeks in order
to move forward with the At Large Elections later this year.
ABOUT ICANN
The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit,
international corporation formed in September 1998 to oversee a
select set of Internet technical management functions currently
managed by the U.S. Government, or by its contractors and volunteers.
Specifically, ICANN is assuming responsibility for coordinating
the management of the domain name system (DNS), the allocation of
IP address space, the assignment of protocol parameters, and the
management of the root server system.
CONTACT
info@members.icann.org
Back
To The Top
© 2000 ICANN. All rights reserved.
|
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.
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|
News
Page
Click
on the links below to read the News Release:
ICANN and election.com Announce Results for First Worldwide
Online Vote
Over 34,000 Registered Members on Six Continents Participate in One of World's Largest All-Internet
Elections to Date
Marina del Rey, CA and Garden City, NY, October 10, 2000 - The
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the technical
coordination body for the Internet, and election.com, a leading global
Internet election company, announced today the results of ICANN's first
worldwide online vote.
In one of the world's largest all-Internet votes to date, ICANN's At-Large
Members from around the world chose five Directors for the ICANN Board, one
from each of the five geographic regions (Africa, Asia/Australia/Pacific,
Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America).
The top vote getter in each region was:
Asia/Australia/Pacific: Masanobu
Katoh
Europe: Andy
Mueller-Maguhn
Latin America and Caribbean: Ivan Moura
Campos
Africa: Nii
Quaynor
North America: Karl
Auerbach
"For ICANN, the At Large membership program which launched in February,
and culminated in today's announcement of the voting results has been a
tremendous challenge, and a remarkable accomplishment," said Mike Roberts,
President and CEO of ICANN. "With
the help of tens of thousands of interested Internet users around the world,
ICANN achieved its goal of a large, globally diverse membership and we have
learned a lot along the way. We look
forward to welcoming the new At Large Directors to ICANN's Board in November,
and we thank election.com for its successful management of the secure
online vote."
More than 76,000 Internet users around the world registered to become At-Large
members of ICANN, and were eligible to vote over a 10-day voting period
starting October 1, 2000. The secure
online voting system was available to members in multiple languages, and on a
24-hour basis to accommodate busy schedules and different time zones.
Online voting is uniquely suited to handle the scope and complexity of the
ICANN election -- a Preferential Voting
System in eight languages across six continents, said Mark Prieto,
Chief Information Officer, election.com. In a global election with paper ballots, it could have taken
more than two weeks just to tally the results according to the Preferential
Voting System, not to mention additional weeks to mail out ballots to
registered voters around the world. The
election.com online voting system enabled ICANN to provide accurate,
real-time results, and to communicate them to its members instantaneously.
The votes were cast according to the Preferential Voting System, by which
voters rank their choices among all the nominees. The votes were first counted by first-place choices. Where no
nominee had an absolute majority (50% + 1 vote) in that round, the lowest
voter-getter was eliminated and his/her voters were reallocated to their
next-ranked choice. The votes were then
re-tallied, and the elimination process was repeated until one of the nominees
reached an absolute majority. For
details on the voting process, see <http://members.icann.org/rules.html>.
34,035 voters close to 45% of all At-Large members -- cast their vote by
the time the voting period closed at midnight GMT/UTC on October 10.
45% represents a significantly higher turnout than other private sector
elections, said Frank Fatone, Chief of
Election Services, election.com. We
usually see 13-18% percent turnout in elections of this type. Use of the Internet clearly had a positive
impact on participation in the ICANN election.
On the first day alone, 13,132 members from all five regions cast their
votes. At 48.08%, Europe saw the
highest overall turnout in voter participation. Asia/Australia/Pacific followed closely behind with 46.21%. Africa ranked third with 40.50% and Latin
America and Caribbean ranked fourth with 39.26%. North America participation
came in lowest at 32.25%.
Voter Turnout by Region
|
Region
|
Membership
|
Votes
Cast
|
%
|
|
Africa
|
321
|
130
|
40.50%
|
|
Asia/Australia/Pacific
|
38,397
|
17,745
|
46.21%
|
|
Europe
|
23,519
|
11,309
|
48.08%
|
|
Latin America and Caribbean
|
3,571
|
1,402
|
39.26%
|
|
North America
|
10,694
|
3,449
|
32.25%
|
|
Total
|
76,502
|
34,035
|
44.49%
|
Though
the voting period went generally smoothly, the voting system encountered a
relatively minor glitch at the outset.
During the first twelve hours of the 10-day voting period, some 2,800 of the 76,000+ At Large members
encountered an error message when attempting to submit their votes. The difficulty was caused by the interaction
of election.com's voting system with ICANN's encryption routine. For this election, ICANN placed the
highest premium on preventing fraud and protecting the privacy of its At Large
membership data. For that reason, ICANN
issued encrypted Personal Identification Numbers to its members directly via
postal mail, and provided the encrypted list to election.com. For some voters during the first 12 hours,
the election.com voting application could not obtain a valid response
from the encryption routine and, therefore, did not accept the vote.
The situation was identified and corrected within the first twelve hours of the voting period. ICANN members that were affected by the situation were notified immediately via email, and were directed to log on and cast their vote. Of the 2,800 people who received an error on their first attempt, 2,685 returned to the site and successfully cast their votes.
ICANN's At-Large Membership program is intended to allow Internet users from all over the globe to have a voice in ICANN's technical policymaking structure for the Internet's domain name and numbering systems.
About ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a
technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998
by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic
and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set of
technical functions previously performed under the US government contract
by IANA and other groups. As a non-profit, private-sector corporation,
ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet;
to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global
Internet communities; and to developing policy through private-sector,
bottom-up, consensus-based means.
For information on ICANN At Large membership process, including the
nominees, schedule, rules, and the online Question & Answer Forum, see
http://members.icann.org
About election.com
election.com Inc., the leading global Internet election company,
provides public- and private-sector election services for governments,
associations, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, school districts,
credit unions, pension funds and corporations around the world. Committed
to broadening voter participation in the democratic process, election.com
also provides online voter registration services that enable U.S. citizens,
whether they live in the country or abroad, to request an absentee ballot
and register to vote online. Named one of the top 50 privately held
companies by Red Herring magazine, election.com is headquartered
in Garden City, N.Y., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas;
London; Paris; Sydney, Australia; and Christchurch, New Zealand.
Back
To The Top
ICANN Selects
election.com to Conduct One of World's Largest All-Internet Votes
More Than 76,000 Registered Members from Around
the World to Cast Their Votes Online in First ICANN Vote
Marina del Rey, CA and Garden City, NY, September
21, 2000 - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN), the technical coordination body for the Internet, and election.com,
a leading global Internet election company, announced today that election.com
will conduct ICANN's first worldwide online vote. ICANN's At-Large
Members will choose five Directors for the ICANN Board in one of
the world's largest all-Internet votes to date.
Since this is ICANN's first online vote, we needed a company that could
provide assurance of reliable security for the balloting as well as
experience in working with a diverse, global online membership," said
Esther Dyson, Chairman of the ICANN Board. "Among the several voting
system proposals we considered, we were impressed by election.com's
track record and international experience, and its commitment to security.
In addition, election.com was willing to work with us on a process
unprecedented in its geographic breadth. Overall, election.com
was simply the best match for ICANN's needs."
ICANN's At-Large Membership program
is intended to allow Internet users from all over the globe to have
a voice in ICANN's technical policymaking structure for the Internet's
domain name and numbering systems.
Through a worldwide online vote, ICANN's At Large Members will choose
five Directors for the ICANN Board, one from each of the five geographic
regions (Africa, Asia/Australia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean,
and North America). More than 76,000 Internet users around the world
have become At-Large members of ICANN, and are eligible to vote over
a 10-day voting period from October 1-10, 2000.
"As the premier global Internet elections company, election.com
is proud to be working with ICANN-- the technical coordination body
for the Internet with members around the world," said Mel Schrieberg,
President and COO, election.com. "election.com has a long
list of satisfied customers, from the Arizona Democratic Party and the
Democratic National Committee to the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit
Union. We look forward to working with ICANN to make their first online
vote an unquestionable success."
As part of the ICANN At Large Membership process, election.com
will provide a secure login system and a voting response and tabulation
system. The voting system will be available to members in multiple languages,
and voters will be able to use the system on a 24-hour basis to accommodate
busy schedules and different time zones.
election.com has conducted several global elections for clients
with members located around the world, including the Sierra Club and
the United Nations Federal Credit Union. election.com is currently
conducting elections for the IEEE Computer Society, the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, the American Pharmaceutical Association,
the Institute of Food Technologists and the Alliance for Continuing
Medical Education. In addition, the company recently secured contracts
to conduct elections for the American Society for Microbiology and the
State Bar of Georgia.
CONTACT
info@members.icann.org
About ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a
technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998
by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic
and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set of
technical functions previously performed under the US government contract
by IANA and other groups. As a non-profit, private-sector corporation,
ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet;
to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global
Internet communities; and to developing policy through private-sector,
bottom-up, consensus-based means.
For information on ICANN At Large membership process, including the
nominees, schedule, rules, and the online Question & Answer Forum, see
http://members.icann.org
About election.com
election.com Inc., the leading global Internet election company,
provides public- and private-sector election services for governments,
associations, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, school districts,
credit unions, pension funds and corporations around the world. Committed
to broadening voter participation in the democratic process, election.com
also provides online voter registration services that enable U.S. citizens,
whether they live in the country or abroad, to request an absentee ballot
and register to vote online. Named one of the top 50 privately held
companies by Red Herring magazine, election.com is headquartered
in Garden City, N.Y., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas;
London; Paris; Sydney, Australia; and Christchurch, New Zealand.
Back
To The Top
ICANN
At Large Nomination Period Nears Completion
(September 7, 2000) - The nominations
period of ICANN's At Large membership election process will conclude
tomorrow, September 8, midnight GMT. September 8 also marks the
deadline for membership applicants to activate their memberships,
allowing them to cast ballots in this year's round of elections.
The next stage of the At Large process
will be the voter education and dialogue phase. Starting September
9, the ICANN website will feature a basic webpage for each nominee
(including links to their own websites), and a Question & Answer
Forum to facilitate public dialogue among the nominees and the At
Large members. The voting period will run from October 1 - 10.
- Brief History of the Nominations
Process
The nominations process began in May
2000, when the Nominating
Committee issued a public open call
for recommendations and expressions of interest, along with
its criteria of selection. Over the next two months, the NomCom
received communications from over 400 individuals worldwide. On
July 31, the Nominating Committee announced
a set of 18 nominees.
On August 1, the member-nomination
phase began. A total of 161 individuals put their names forward
as candidates for member-nomination: 3 in Africa; 24 in Asia/Australia/Pacific;
74 in Europe; 7 in Latin America/Caribbean; and 53 in North America.
Starting August 15, activated At Large members could make an endorsement
of a candidate in their geographic region. Each candidate for member-nomination
was given a basic webpage on the ICANN site (again, including links
to homepages and candidate sites).
In order to encourage At Large members
to examine the candidate pages, ICANN has sent a weekly email reminder
to every activated member (4 emails total); in addition, ICANN has
sent a weekly email to all unactivated membership applicants, encouraging
them to activate their memberships to participate in this year's
process. The objective of the candidate-webpages-plus-weekly-email-reminders
communication strategy is to give members regular reminders to take
part in the process, while (1) facilitating communication on equal
terms for all candidates; (2) preventing the disclosure of members'
personal information (such as email addresses) to candidates or
others; (3) avoiding a flood of unsolicited email from many dozens
of candidates; and (4) minimizing any communications advantages
that might be enjoyed by candidates with access to greater financial
resources.
To be member-nominated, a candidate
must receive the online endorsements of 2% of the activated members
in his/her region (or 20 members, whichever is greater), from at
least 2 different countries. Together with the nominees of the Nominating
Committee, the member-nominees will appear on the October ballot,
up to a maximum of 7 total nominees per region. The final ballot
(including qualifying member-nominees) will be posted on September
9. Barring any last-minute surges in activations, it now appears
that at least one candidate will qualify for member-nomination in
each region.
- Brief History of the Membership
Application Process
The membership application phase launched
on February 25, 2000, with a goal of 5,000-10,000 members. By the
time of the July 31 deadline for applications, over
158,000 had been received. Applicants were required to give
their personal name, along with a valid email address and valid
physical address. For verification purposes, each applicant was
sent a member number and password via email, and a PIN number via
postal mail. To activate a membership, the applicant must enter
each of those data elements. ICANN is continuing to conduct a careful
review of the membership database.
To date, over 75,000 members have
activated worldwide, representing a remarkable accomplishment for
a program whose original goal was at least 5,000 members.
Back
To The Top
ICANN
At Large Membership Registration Exceeds 158,000 Internet Users
Worldwide
(July 31, 2000)
- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
announced today that it had ended its first At Large Membership
registration period with more than 158,000 Internet users signed
up worldwide. The registration period extended from February 25
- July 31. The ICANN At Large members will select five members to
the Board of Directors in October.
ICANN's At Large Membership program is intended as a means for
Internet users from all over the globe to have a voice in ICANN's
technical policymaking structure for the Internet's domain name
and numbering systems.
During planning
in 1999 and 2000 for the At Large elections, many members of the
Internet community expressed concern that few people would be interested
enough in ICANN's technical coordination functions and domain name
policy issues to apply to become At Large members. The projection
adopted by the Board in November, 1999, called for at least 5,000
members before the election process could continue. Since the At
Large member signup system began operations in late February, 2000,
the registration numbers have far surpassed all expectations, reaching
more than thirty times the original estimate.
Unfortunately, this success has not come without its costs. The
overwhelming number of registrations produced significant logistical
and financial problems for a system that was established and intended
to deal with fewer than 10,000 registrations. Despite several system
upgrades and a variety of other changes, the registration system
could not keep up with the demand, and many who tried to register
were not able to do so near the end of the registration period.
This is regrettable; ICANN believes that At Large membership should
be open to all who are interested in joining. Unfortunately, any
postponement of the registration deadline would have made it impossible
to complete the elections this year, and the Board concluded that
the continued implementation of the ICANN structure - including
the addition of At Large representatives to ICANN's Board of Directors
- should move forward on schedule.
"This is only the beginning," said ICANN Chairman Esther Dyson.
We're delighted at the level of participation, though somewhat dismayed
at the competitive atmosphere that sometimes emerged and the over-hyped
expectations of ICANN's role. Now the task is to move on to the
next stage of the elections: finding good candidates both from ICANN's
Nominating Committee and among individuals nominated by the At Large
members. We hope these candidates will engage in lively and constructive
debate about ICANN's activities and specific policies as it carries
out its mission of supporting the Internet's growth as an open,
robust and reliable medium for communications and commerce."
ICANN's Nominating Committee is scheduled to announce its set of
nominees for this year's election tomorrow, August 1. At Large members
who have activated their membership will be eligible to cast a vote
for one At Large member of the ICANN Board of Directors - one for
each of five geographic regions - in an all-electronic election
that will be held for ten days commencing October 1, 2000. Following
registration, At Large applicants will receive a postal letter containing
a personal identification number (PIN), and must visit the At Large
website to activate their membership and become eligible to vote.
To date, approximately 40% of those who have received their PIN
letters have actually activated their membership.
Preliminary total registration numbers by region are:
Africa - 787
Asia/Australia/Pacific - 93782
Europe - 35942
Latin America/Caribbean- 6486
North America - 21596
Following the October election, ICANN will conduct a thorough study
of the ICANN At Large membership program. The study, to be completed
by mid-2001, will evaluate the At Large experience to date, including
the registration process just completed and the unanticipated level
of interest shown, as well as the actual experience of the initial
At Large election processes. The results of the study will guide
the ICANN Board in establishing a permanent direction for the At
Large membership.
"Even though it is clear that some of those who registered were
prompted to do so by outreach efforts that significantly overstated
the scope and significance of ICANN's technical functions related
to the domain name system, members of the ICANN Board and staff
are gratified to see that there are a considerable number of Internet
users who are willing to take the time and make the effort to participate
in the ICANN process," said ICANN President and CEO Mike Roberts.
ABOUT ICANN
The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a technical
coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998 by a
broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic,
and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set
of technical functions previously performed under U.S. government
contract by IANA and other groups.
Specifically,
ICANN coordinates the assignment of the following identifiers that
must be globally unique for the Internet to function:
- Internet domain names
- IP address numbers
- protocol parameter and port numbers
In addition,
ICANN coordinates the stable operation of the Internet's root server
system.
As a non-profit,
private-sector corporation, ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational
stability of the Internet; to promoting competition; to achieving
broad representation of global Internet communities; and to developing
policy through private-sector, bottom-up, consensus-based means. ICANN
welcomes the participation of any interested Internet user, business,
or organization. See http://www.icann.org.
Back
To The Top
ICANN
Creates At Large Election and Nominating Committees
(9 May 2000)
- The Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) today announced the appointment of
Election and Nominating Committees that will play key roles in the
process by which five At Large Directors of ICANN will be selected
later this year through a global online election.
The At Large Members of ICANN are individuals who have indicated
an interest in participating in ICANN. They will vote to select
five Directors for the ICANN Board, one from each of five defined
geographic regions (Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/
Caribbean, and North America). With nearly 15,000 applications so
far, ICANN's At Large Membership outreach effort has been greeted
with notable enthusiasm among the members of the global Internet
community.
Today's announcement marks the beginning of the first phase of
this selection process. The Nominating Committee will nominate a
set of At Large candidates. At the same time, ICANN's Election Committee
will solicit and select an outside vendor for the online voting
system, and complete detailed recommendations for ICANN's campaign
and voting procedures, including independent oversight and monitoring.
Following this first phase, there will be:
- a petition period, in which candidates who were not nominated
by the Nominating Committee can seek a place on the ballot by
attracting a minimum threshold of support from At Large Members
in her/his region via online petition;
- a campaign period; and
- the vote of the At Large Members.
About the Election Committee
The Election Committee will develop detailed recommendations on
the ICANN election procedures, subject to public review and comment
prior to ICANN's next meetings in July. The Election Committee will
propose the rules that will apply in this election for campaigning,
voting, measures to prevent vote fraud, and independent oversight
and monitoring. The Committee will solicit proposals from third-party
vendors of online voting systems, and will recommend a vendor to
the Board. To read more about the Election Committee, its charter,
and its members, please see http://www.icann.org/elcom/.
The Committee's membership includes experts in electronic voting,
Internet infrastructure and security and election oversight and
monitoring. The members of the Election Committee are:
Greg Crew- Chair (Australia)
Charles Costello (United States)
Lorrie Faith Cranor (United States)
Patrik Fältström (Sweden)
Ken Fockler (Canada)
Hans Kraaijenbrink (Netherlands)
Nguyen Huu Dong (Mexico)
About the Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee will identify and nominate outstanding
candidates to stand for election to the ICANN Board. This Committee
will actively seek input (such as recommendations and expressions
of interest) from all members of the Internet community. Procedures
will be announced shortly. The Nominating Committee will complete
its work by the end of July, after which the election process will
proceed to the petition, campaign, and voting phases. For more information
on the Nominating Committee, please see http://www.icann.org/nomcom/.
The members of the Nominating Committee are:
Linda Wilson - Chair (United States)
Jean-François Abramatic (France)
Dr. Mads Bryde Andersen (Denmark)
John Klensin (United States)
Jun Murai (Japan)
Charles Musisi (Uganda)
Alejandro Pisanty (Mexico)
ABOUT ICANN
The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit,
international corporation formed in September 1998 to oversee a
select set of Internet technical management functions currently
managed by the U.S. Government, or by its contractors and volunteers.
Specifically, ICANN is assuming responsibility for coordinating
the management of the domain name system (DNS), the allocation of
IP address space, the assignment of protocol parameters, and the
management of the root server system.
CONTACT
info@members.icann.org
Back
To The Top
ICANN Launches Membership Web Site for Individual Internet Users
(25 February
2000) The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
announces the launch of its At Large Membership web site.
After considerable public input, the ICANN Board has developed
this program as a new way for Internet users from all over the globe
to participate directly in the ICANN process and help ensure the
smooth coordination of the Internet's technical infrastructure.
Individuals can begin registering today to become ICANN members
at http://www.icann.org.
The At Large
Membership of ICANN will give individual members of Internet communities
worldwide a voice in the selection of Directors to the ICANN Board.
By becoming an ICANN member, individuals will have an opportunity
to become part of the ICANN "bottom-up" approach to making policy
concerning Internet Names and Addresses. ICANN members will be able
to receive regular news, updates and announcements about ICANN activities
and policy initiatives.
The basic requirements
for applying to become an ICANN At Large member are:
* The completion of an online membership application,
* A working Internet email address; and
* A single physical residence verified by a postal mail address.
Thanks to a
grant from the Markle Foundation, the initial launch of ICANN's
At Large Membership program has been funded without the need for
membership dues.
The ICANN Board
will consider and adopt further policy about composition and structure
of the At Large Membership, and to establish rules for the nomination
and election of candidates for the At Large Council, at the Board's
next meeting, to be held March 9-10. It is hoped that the target
goal of 5000 members can be reached in the next few weeks in order
to move forward with the At Large Elections later this year.
ABOUT ICANN
The Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit,
international corporation formed in September 1998 to oversee a
select set of Internet technical management functions currently
managed by the U.S. Government, or by its contractors and volunteers.
Specifically, ICANN is assuming responsibility for coordinating
the management of the domain name system (DNS), the allocation of
IP address space, the assignment of protocol parameters, and the
management of the root server system.
CONTACT
info@members.icann.org
Back
To The Top
© 2000 ICANN. All rights reserved.
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