E-democracy @ MEC

I'm talking about Mountain Equipment Co-op. As a co-op, MEC is directly accountable to its members. This year, its members will be voting for their next board of directors using the web and the phone. No paper ballots will be issued. It's a bold move into the arena of online democracy. With 1.6 million members, MEC has more potential voters than any province except B.C., Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

Quibblers might argue that, with a historical participation rate of three per cent in board elections, a comparison with provincial voting is a stretch. But those are the kind of nit-pickers who insist on distinguishing between Gore-Tex and "no-name waterproof breathable fabric."

It's far more sporting to see this as Canada's largest venture yet into electronic democracy.

In MEC's view, online voting can bring higher participation and lower costs. That's a combination that should pique the interest of all levels of Canadian government.

According to MEC chief executive officer Peter Robinson, the primary goal of the move to online voting was "to increase member participation in the voting process, and to do it in a way that's helpful and meaningful."

A secondary issue was cost. When MEC added web voting to the menu of voting options in last year's election, the cost of providing online, phone and paper ballots brought election costs close to $500,000 -- almost $13 per vote cast.

And let's not forget the environmental issue: All those paper ballots translated into a lot of dead trees. Since MEC members are more interested in climbing trees than harvesting them, the switch to a less-paper-intensive system had particular appeal.

I'm sure I'll appreciate the cost-savings side of the equation the next time I save a few cents on a snowsuit.

For now, I'm more excited about MEC's commitment to member participation. It's the kind of commitment we should expect from any institution that claims to value accountability -- whether to voters or to shareholders.

MEC is doing its best to realize its vision of higher participation. In addition to its in-store signs promoting the election, and its paper mailing to active members, MEC has used its

e-mail network to provide electronic election alerts to "MEC-Mail" subscribers.

Board candidates are doing their part, too -- as well they might. After all, the Internet offers a whole new range of campaign options to those who'd fasten their chains of office with a carabiner.

Vancouver's Bill Gibson e-mailed about 50 friends to let them know he was running for the board. Perry Gladstone included a direct link to the voting page in his e-mail. Pat Chan put election information on his web site.

These candidates are less concerned about how the move to online voting will affect their electoral prospects than with its potential to increase member involvement.

"I don't think it will have an impact on any of the candidates," Gibson said. "It's good for members, and it's good for MEC."

"I think more people may vote as a result of online voting, but I think all candidates will be equally affected," said Pat Chan. "The question really becomes, do I think MEC members that vote by mail will vote any differently than MEC members that vote online? No, I don't think so."

Candidate Elliot Fung also hopes that the system will bring "a rise in democratic participation." Via e-mail he suggested that "members who may have been reluctant to vote in the past may feel more convenienced by the new system and will vote for the first time this year."

It's encouraging to see candidates approaching an election with greater concern for democratic integrity than personal gain. It reminds me that the political value of the Internet lies not in its expedience as a tool for fund raising, organizing or outreach.

The real value of the Internet is its promise to revitalize democracy by bringing it back to its core meaning: government by the people. Government by the people involves more than just voting for representatives -- whether that vote is cast on screen or on paper.

Government by the people means the people need to be involved in deliberating over key issues, reaching major decisions and ensuring fair and effective implementation.

E-democracy means using technology to facilitate public involvement in all these aspects of government. Electronic voting is just the first step in this direction.



	Mountain Coop's web election a bold climb toward revitalizing democracy

	Alexandra Samuel March 13, 2002

	Electronic voting is poised to revolutionize one of the core institutions of our society, an institution whose influence can be seen on any street, bar or hiking trail in this country. I'm talking about Mountain Equipment Co-op. As a co-op, MEC is directly accountable to its members. This year, its members will be voting for their next board of directors using the web and the phone. No paper ballots will be issued. It's a bold move into the arena of online democracy. With 1.6 million members, MEC has more potential voters than any province except B.C., Alberta, Quebec and Ontario. Quibblers might argue that, with a historical participation rate of three per cent in board elections, a comparison with provincial voting is a stretch. But those are the kind of nit-pickers who insist on distinguishing between Gore-Tex and "no-name waterproof breathable fabric." It's far more sporting to see this as Canada's largest venture yet into electronic democracy. In MEC's view, online voting can bring higher participation and lower costs. That's a combination that should pique the interest of all levels of Canadian government. According to MEC chief executive officer Peter Robinson, the primary goal of the move to online voting was "to increase member participation in the voting process, and to do it in a way that's helpful and meaningful." A secondary issue was cost. When MEC added web voting to the menu of voting options in last year's election, the cost of providing online, phone and paper ballots brought election costs close to $500,000 -- almost $13 per vote cast. And let's not forget the environmental issue: All those paper ballots translated into a lot of dead trees. Since MEC members are more interested in climbing trees than harvesting them, the switch to a less-paper-intensive system had particular appeal. I'm sure I'll appreciate the cost-savings side of the equation the next time I save a few cents on a snowsuit. For now, I'm more excited about MEC's commitment to member participation. It's the kind of commitment we should expect from any institution that claims to value accountability -- whether to voters or to shareholders. MEC is doing its best to realize its vision of higher participation. In addition to its in-store signs promoting the election, and its paper mailing to active members, MEC has used its e-mail network to provide electronic election alerts to "MEC-Mail" subscribers. Board candidates are doing their part, too -- as well they might. After all, the Internet offers a whole new range of campaign options to those who'd fasten their chains of office with a carabiner. Vancouver's Bill Gibson e-mailed about 50 friends to let them know he was running for the board. Perry Gladstone included a direct link to the voting page in his e-mail. Pat Chan put election information on his web site. These candidates are less concerned about how the move to online voting will affect their electoral prospects than with its potential to increase member involvement. "I don't think it will have an impact on any of the candidates," Gibson said. "It's good for members, and it's good for MEC." "I think more people may vote as a result of online voting, but I think all candidates will be equally affected," said Pat Chan. "The question really becomes, do I think MEC members that vote by mail will vote any differently than MEC members that vote online? No, I don't think so." Candidate Elliot Fung also hopes that the system will bring "a rise in democratic participation." Via e-mail he suggested that "members who may have been reluctant to vote in the past may feel more convenienced by the new system and will vote for the first time this year." It's encouraging to see candidates approaching an election with greater concern for democratic integrity than personal gain. It reminds me that the political value of the Internet lies not in its expedience as a tool for fund raising, organizing or outreach. The real value of the Internet is its promise to revitalize democracy by bringing it back to its core meaning: government by the people. Government by the people involves more than just voting for representatives -- whether that vote is cast on screen or on paper. Government by the people means the people need to be involved in deliberating over key issues, reaching major decisions and ensuring fair and effective implementation. E-democracy means using technology to facilitate public involvement in all these aspects of government. Electronic voting is just the first step in this direction.

Mountain Coop's web election a bold climb toward revitalizing democracy