Re: Pay to vote

["Michelle Leifur Reid" <catwho@bellsouth.net>]

Poster: "Michelle Leifur Reid" <catwho@bellsouth.net>


> 	Unto the Merry rose, does Niall Dolphin send greetings!
> 
> 	I would like to know what people would think about a kingdom policy of pay
> to vote. 
<snip about how this would work>

In all the polling situations that I have been in in Meridies, proof 
of SCA membership has been required to participate in the polling.  
As we do not require memberships or dues to belong to baronies or 
shires, neither should we have to pay to vote.  What of the person 
who scrapes up enough just to pay his annual SCA membership each year 
and rarely gets to go to events as money is so tight (speaking from 
personal experience here.)  

I do fully agree that only paid members be allowed to vote.  I also 
agree that the "voting" age should be at least 16 to 18 years.  (I 
would seriously doubt that the vote of an 8 year old member (or even 
3 year old member) be their own thinking and not just that of their 
parents'.)

I also am fully in agreement of seeing that persons who are voting or 
being polled actually live in the area where the polling is taking 
place.  I have seen too many instances where the room is packed with 
totally unfamiliar faces only to find out later that most of those 
people were from a different group, coming over to "support their 
cause."  

Of course, I really don't think that there should be "voting" on 
anything in the SCA and that only pollings done in order to give the 
ruling (local, regional, or kingdom) authorities a feel for what the 
group has to say.  Using the polling as advisement.  A seneschale who 
really feels that Nov. 4th is the best date for an event because of 
conflicts, site availability, etc. should not be forced to have the 
event Nov 11th because there was a 51% vote for it.  However, 
this usually doesn't work unless the group really trusts the 
judgement of the local seneschale.  


THL Elinor of Exton

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