Online voting summary

Background

  1. A discussion regarding online voting to replace traditional voting in APSI was there  in yahoo group happened in in 2012 - Read the transcript here
  2. In 2014 another discussion in yahoo group was there  - Read the transcript here
  3. In 2018 another discussion in yahoo group was there  - Read the transcript here
  4. The GB at Lucknow (2018) discussed regarding implementing electronic voting for APSI elections.  GB  authorized ExCo to discuss  pros and cons.
  5. In ExCo meeting conducted at Konark (March 2019)  Dr Sundeep Vijayaraghavan spoke about it. Initially it was told we will discuss in next GB (Bhuvaneswar). But when Dr SandeepVijayaraghavn told  Dr Vijay Kumar that someone had to get quotes, see viability, it's secrecy, fool proof or not, and other necessary issues, Dr Sundeep Vijayaraghavan was asked  to look into it.
  6. Dr Sundeep Vijayaraghavan formed a discussion group on whatsapp comprisng of following members. 1.Dr Sundeep Vijayaraghavan 2. Prof. Mukund Jagannathan, Mumbai 3. Satish Kumar GS, Guntur 4.Dr RadhaKrishnana, Chennai, 5. Dr Priti Shukla, Hyderabad 6.Dr Bibhuti Naik, Bhuvaneswar

Activity and Discussions 

Advantages of having online voting

  1. Our association is growing in numbers and in faster pace than before. It's good to be having a system in place instead of waiting for a critical mass of members are reached and then search for online voting methods.
  2. Eariler GB discussions talked about pricing being steep, but as is common on software/online methods, prices are bound to be reduced year by year
  3. Precious conference time spent voting instead of academics with long queues.
  4. Difficulties in conducting manual elections.
  5. Anyone not attending an annual conference due to some reason or other, shouldn't be deprived of his/her democratic right to participate in an election and exercise their choice
  6. Any cost incurred to facilitate this exercising of fundamental right is probably can't be termed expensive. (But all efforts should be made to find a solution as economic as possible)
  7. In online mode, members will have enough time to consider merits of the candidate as there will be no last minute nominations. 

Challenges

  1.  Is there a chance that it can be hacked?
  2. Can we prevent some people using other members    I'd to vote on they're behalf?
  3. What kinds of phones can be used?
  4. Role of paper voting along with e voting?
  5. Provision to change a vote / change of mind?
  6. List of all flaws of remote voting?
  7. Is an app better or just a link to vote by email / SMS ?
  8. How to gather all the members RMNs (registered mobile numbers and emails) How long does it take to collect all these? Any mechanism to collect? Will a poll agency collect or is it association responsibility? 
  9. Need to arrange paper ballets for those who cannot or will not participate for evoting or register for evoting?
  10. How secure is the registration of voters online? 
  11. Is their data private?
  12. Is there a way to mask the data so it is having partial visibility?
  13. How much do you charge?
  14. How do we know you wont alter the data for a fee?
  15. Is there a way we can mirror the votes being casted in a separate pendrive / hard disk / amazon webserver with key being in the hands of election officers?

Vendors 

Following 3 Vendors were invited to join the group one by one and all were interviews by the group members on their strengths and weaknesses

1.Right2Vote  (represented by Mr Neeraj Gutgutia)
Their clients include: Maharashtra State Election Commission, IIT Delhi Alumni Association, IIM Indore, Earth Infrastructure Limited, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Gemini Communications Limited


2.Pollgateway (represented by Mr. Sandeep Nene)
Their clients include Assn Society of Nuclear Medicine of India, Indian Collage of Nuclear Medicine, Lab Animal Scientists Association
ePathshala, Indian Society of Vascular & Interventional Radiology
Indian Radiology and Imaging Association


3.Evote (represented by Mr Ajay Sharma )
Their clients include ASI - Association of Surgeons of India


Summary
  1. It is desirable to have online voting for benefit of all members of the society
  2. Technology is available for doing so - enough checks and balances seem to be in place 
  3. Many medical and non medical organizations of repute are conducting online voting for electing governing bodies
  4. The same online voting platform can be used for academic opinion polls/extra ordinary GBM / Ex com opinion polls can be taken in the mid of the year
  5. Association has to provide list of members with email and mobile numbers to the voting managers. (this list needs to be updated year on year)
  6. There are authentic vendors to maintain the list with authorization of the association. Their job is to contact members frequently and keep the list updated


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