Wikinews:Water cooler/policy/archives/2018/July

ArbCom elections
flag I propose the same dates, rules, procedures as in 2017. (See WN:Water cooler/policy/archives/2017/July, Arbitration Committee/2017 election.)
 * The community must agree on all election procedures by July 1, and election committee members by July 10.
 * The deadline for nominations is 2000 UTC July 17.
 * Voting will take place from 2000 UTC July 18 to 2000 UTC July 30. Questions and comments may be made during that time period.
 * Since the incumbent members' seats expire on August 3, the election committee will declare the winners on about July 31, and the new term begins after declaration. Should any case be before the ArbCom at election time, the current committee continues to sit after turnover on cases that started under the current committee. Any new case after turnover is for the new committee.

As worked well for the past several years, I strongly recommend the committee not create a page for "questions for all candidates"; questions for each candidate should be located under that candidate. This is the way things have been done in all but two previous elections; once there was no place for questions at all (the undesirability of this is obvious, I hope), and once (six years ago?), we had a page for questions for all candidates, and it turned into a political circus and an ordeal for the nominees (en.wn ArbCom is a judicial body, so should be scrupulously apolitical). I'm not the only one who experienced the circus years ago and came away from it with a powerful conviction it should not be allowed to happen again.

We need at least two people for the election committee. Volunteers? --Pi zero (talk) 20:39, 18 June 2018 (UTC)
 * These rules look OK.
 * Have not seen the above-described circus, but I am hopeful that your judgment is correct, and I am confident that separation of pages would not prevent necessary questions from being raised and would not limit relevant discussions.
 * I also volunteer for the election committee: now that I started taking notes on paper and on computer more properly I'll try better to not miss the deadlines this time. Previously it was only thanks to the enthusiastic and greatly appreciated reminders and actions from the second member of election committee that things were moving. Hopefully I would be able to follow the election more closely and in a more timely fashion this year. :)
 * --Gryllida (talk) 01:29, 21 June 2018 (UTC)
 * I'm not that of an active community member of enwikinews, but I'm fine with spending some time as election committee, if you are willing to have me there. &mdash; revi  ☏  07:17, 3 July 2018 (UTC)
 * I for one have no objection. Election committee is usually a light duty; there hasn't been much in the way of controversy, that I recall, since 2010, when first we had someone ask the committee for permission to pre-record their votes since they wouldn't be around while voting was open (the committee decided not, iirc), and then there was a tie vote and the committee started to arrange a run-off election between two(?) nominees (but then, in an unprecedented move afaik, one of the newly elected Arbs quit the project before there was even time for the run-off, and the election committee ruled there was no need for a run-off, and just made all the tying nominees arbs).  Thankfully it's almost never exciting like that; usually the election happens, the committee signs off on the result, and it's done for a year. Assuming there are no objections (I suppose we could wait another half-day or day, to be very safe), you can sign up for the committee . --Pi zero (talk) 16:25, 3 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Hello revi. Thank you for volunteering. I, too, understand that you would be available on time and be a fair election committee member. Look forward to your help. :-) Have a wonderful day, --Gryllida (talk) 23:46, 3 July 2018 (UTC)
 * I've gone bit bold and added myself. &mdash; revi  ☏  03:52, 4 July 2018 (UTC)


 * I also volunteer for the election committee. Should I sign up ? "At least two people" implies that more would be acceptable, as well, I think. Hopefully, there will be more than three voters in this election ;-) Wikiwide (talk) 23:51, 3 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Hello Wikiwide. Thank you, too, for volunteering. It is a great thing.
 * About voters - I've just made a sorted users list via api, this may help to see who is eligible to vote. However not all of them are active currently and in the previous elections there has not been a banner, perhaps as this election may perhaps be considered not attention critical. Gryllida (talk) 00:46, 4 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Yes, that is the place to sign up. :-) --Pi zero (talk) 11:31, 4 July 2018 (UTC)

Voting is closed now, but I think this can be a good future reference: &mdash;  revi  ☏  06:45, 31 July 2018 (UTC)