Many interviewees agreed that the At-Large Election had significant benefits. Clearly, they provided ICANN with an opportunity to recognize the importance and interests of general Internet users, while facilitating awareness of ICANN among those users. However, these benefits would only continue to be realized if future elections were conducted more efficiently, with better planning and information than was the case in 2000.
Some respondents expressed concerns with regard to regional representation. The Asian and Pacific region is composed of numerous countries with very heterogeneous linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It may be desirable to modify the division of regions to try and create a more equitable balance among countries. A new regional arrangement might be based on forward-looking perspectives that take into account the growth rate of Internet users and the potential size of user populations (see Appendix 1.) Or new regions might be created to place countries into smaller, more traditional geo-political alignments.
Respondents also cited problems with the registration process. The At-Large election procedure was poorly explained and the complicated ballots, pre-registration systems, and the need for membership activation, compounded by technical problems, all resulted in relatively low participation. Respondents commented that ICANN's mission and the purpose of the election, the function of the At Large Directors and their relationship with the membership were not clear. Had the election been better explained, the quality of participation might have been significantly higher.
The Preferential Voting System used for the At Large election is virtually unknown in the Asia and Pacific region and was not well understood. To be effective, preferential voting systems require that voters first understand the system and the value of their votes, and have a good understanding of the issues and candidate's positions. Unfortunately, in 2000 the system was not well explained. This is particularly unfortunate, as well-run preferential voting would encourage voters to study the candidates and issues more carefully, thus reducing the tendency toward nationalism.
The combination of member-nominated candidates and those chosen by the Nominating Committee was also regarded as being confusing. The Nominating Committee process was criticized as non-transparent. In such a heterogeneous region, the nomination process and creation of a representative slate of candidates is a very important element of the election.
It is clear that the threshold level of support required for member-nominated candidates to gain access to the ballot should be reduced to something below the current 2% threshold. Some suggested that all ICANN Directors should be elected directly by the membership, and that election schedules should be transparent and regular.
Internet users in Asia and Pacific region are constantly confronted with documents that are written only in English. This is one of the two primary barriers hindering users' full participation; the other is confusion with the mechanisms and processes of the election system. English documents can be intimidating to those not yet familiar with the relevant issues, and are doubly so to non-native English speakers irrespective of their baseline understanding. Even if some users do speak some English, the time required to go through the necessary material is so great that, by the time a user might feel ready to post something in the candidate forum, the opportunity has passed.
Local At-Large Member forums should be established to help organize the election and At-Large membership. In non-English speaking regions one of the functions of these local member forums would be to ensure that key documents about ICANN, the election process and candidates are translated into the relevant local language. In the Asia and Pacific region, where language difficulties often prevent citizens of different countries from interacting with each other, local At-Large Member forums could also act as a way to enable discussion between countries. In non-English speaking regions, Question & Answer forums should be established in each of the primary local languages. ICANN should assume responsibility for translating the web sites of At-Large candidates into appropriate major languages.
The underdevelopment of the public sphere in the Asia and Pacific region is one reason why nationalistic voting became such a powerful force in the At-Large election. In general, civil society, particularly in the sense of voluntary service and grass roots activism is not an active component of society in many countries in the region. As such the means and perhaps the will to create bottom-up processes are not prevalent. In this respect, local forums to establish and foster the At-Large membership will be particularly important in the region.
Many respondents agreed that outreach programs, offered in "mother tongue" languages, were important and suggested the following as some ways to effect such outreach:ICANN is a difficult subject to understand for most Asian Internet users (a fact not restricted to Asians). For example, there are at least 50 abbreviations-including ccTLD, UDRP, GAC and so on-that are frequently used by members of the ICANN community. In some countries, members of the local Internet community produced summary information about ICANN. In Korea, KRNIC and the Korea Internet Forum published "ICANN primer" booklets, but these one- or two-page descriptions of ICANN's issues and process often seemed to cause more confusion not less for the general public. The At-Large elections were presented as being important, yet ICANN's purpose and the actual purpose of the elections themselves were inadequately explained. Many members in the Asia and Pacific region were faced with the prospect of feeling obligated to participate in a process they did not fully understand.
There are a variety of ways that this situation could be improved. First of all, it is necessary to establish a means for disseminating information about ICANN in a variety of forms, and to establish a Web site that outlines important issues for discussion on various mailing lists. It may also be necessary to establish a special fund for outreach and education.
In addition to electing Directors to the board, the At-Large Membership should also play a "watchdog" role, ensuring the public interest is protected and ICANN is not captured by special interest groups. The At-Large membership is a potentially vibrant source of ideas and brings diversity to ICANN through a broad representation of interests beyond those of the supporting organizations.
There is a strong current of feeling in the Asia and Pacific region behind providing the At-Large members with a more significant and persistent role in ICANN. But an equally powerful request was for improved outreach and education about ICANN, and particularly for better information about the election in terms of both the election processes and the issues.
| 2.2.2.2.5 The Election Phase and Voters | 2.2.3 Europe |
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