Passed at 6/6/2018 SC Meeting

Proxy point persons:

Proxy point persons (found on the Accessibility page) will rotate who is taking on proxy voting for each meeting, but like the rest of the SC will be accountable for handing off requests to the right person. If neither proxy point person can attend the meeting, another SC member will take on the task. Proxy point persons will include Elections for each request.

Proxy vote/speak requester (henceforth “requester”) requirements:

1. Member in good standing
2. Advance notice (as much as possible)
3. Watches livestream OR attends meeting
4. Debatable question or question is discussed at meeting (i.e., proxy is for IN PERSON voting that would be affected by watching meeting, not for ONLINE VOTING for internal candidates which should be done by the deadline)
   1. If the meeting cannot be livestreamed, a proxy vote cannot be offered – i.e. if the meeting is a security risk or risks individual member’s privacy

Proxy voter/speaker (henceforth “proxy”) requirements:

1. Member in good standing
2. Attends meeting
3. Stays in contact with requester during meeting
   1. If the requester has a prepared vote or speech, proxy can deliver that as intended
   2. The requester should be able to change their speech/vote during meeting and inform their proxy as such.
4. Votes/Speaks on behalf of requester, aligning with the requesters’ wishes.
5. Stays engaged and informed during meeting
6. Makes a parliamentary motion (in this case, likely “point of privilege” or “point of parliamentary inquiry”) if either the proxy or requester is either unable to understand the proceedings or needs time to confer with the requester.

In some cases, the requester will know the proxy well enough to trust them to make decisions for them on questions that come up during the meeting. Regardless, the requester must watch the livestream & stay in contact with the proxy in case amendments occur, new questions are brought, or the debate changes the mind of the requester.

If the proxy is unsure how the requester would vote and the requester stops responding to questions, the proxy should not vote.

Proxy timeline:

1. Offer of proxy vote/speaker is sent out with meeting notice
   1. If there is also an online vote for a matter not discussed at the meeting, advise members that they should use that in the stead of a proxy for that vote. Example: “We will be electing a new Co-Chair at this meeting, which you can vote for online. Proxy votes are not offered for this and members unable to attend the meeting should only use the online voting process. We will also be voting on a resolution at the meeting. Proxy votes can be used for the resolution vote if members are unable to attend the meeting but able to watch the livestream. Contact x or fill out the form here if you need a proxy vote.”
2. Member requests a voter/speaker by contacting an SC member or by filling out the form: http://bit.ly/bdsaproxy
3. SC member passes request on to point person(s)
4. Point person ensures member is on latest membership list
5. Point person reaches out to member:
   1. Does the member understand the requirements, including livestreaming the meeting?
   2. Does the member understand that proxy voting is for questions that come before the floor that are discussed or debated at the meeting?
   3. Does the member have a proxy voter in mind?
      1. If so, include proxy voter in email thread and inform them of their duties
      2. If not, find a volunteer, include them in the email thread, and ask that requester/proxy share a method of instant communication for during the meeting.
6. Point person reaches out to Elections via elections@archive.bostondsa.org to inform them of the request; Elections prepares extra voting card.
7. At meeting:
   1. Proxy checks in early to get extra voting card OR inform Chair of intent to speak in proxy.
   2. Chair recognizes Proxy to speak (ensuring enough time for 2-minute speech, any rebuttals)
   3. Chair gives Proxy a short time to confer with Requester if asked before counting vote.
   4. Elections counts both Proxy and Requester’s voting cards.