[Ravensfort] Stargate Polling

[L T]

Lady Catherine and I went to the Stargate populace meeting this Monday to witness the polling process in our sister Barony. It was interesting. First I'll give you some of the background of the information released before the polling. Then describe the polling as I saw it
 
Background - At this year's Stargate Yule Revel Baron Godwin and Baroness Lissa announced that they would be stepping down. They stated that all persons who wished to become Baron and Baroness should put a letter in the next Two Towers (Stargate Newsletter) to announce their intent. 
 
Baron Godwin announced via-email last week that member's ballots would be counted in the official poll and that non-member ballots would be used as opinion. He also stated that the results in regard to order would be released but that the actual numbers collected would not be released
 
Polling - At the end of their regular business the candidate couples were allowed to do a 5 minute talk on why they would like to be B & B. The order was pre-determined...I believe by drawing numbers. First were Snorri and Groa, then Gerald and Caitlin, then Ihon and Isabeau, and lastly Telburne and Janet. 
 
Master Modius then explained the polling. Members had coloured ballots, non-members had white ballots. The ballots had all the couples listed and you had to display your preferences by numbering them 1 to 4. Also...they were fully disclosed, meaning, that you had to put your name, membership number and group of origin on the ballot. He explained that local member's ballots would be counted and used as the primary numbers for the poll. Any non-member or out of group ballots would be used as opinion. This is the first time I've ever heard of non-anonymous polls and of using outside member polls as opinion. 
 
It seems as though each Baronial polling in our Kingdom takes a different form...no one could accuse our kingdom of having a regimented system...like Lady Catherine told me about happens in the East Kingdom. First they gather zipcodes, send them to the SCA Registrar, obtain mailing labels, then mail the polls. 3/4 th of all the ballots have to be received back to make a decision and all of this takes months...
 
Lorraine

		
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