[WikiEN-l] arbcom election results for dummies

[Tony Sidaway]

These election announcements, with their talk of "tranches" and
whatnot, are often a little confusing.  Because this can be exploited
for the purpose of increasing fear, uncertainty and doubt about
Wikipedia, I thought I'd reply to a post depicting the election as
"stolen" and Wikipedia as an incipient fascist state on Wikipedia
Review as follows.  I forward it here with minor editing because it's
the clearest explanation of the voting process and the results I've
yet seen.

http://wikipediareview.proboards78.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=1138056178&page=1#1138066561


Well I'm not sure how much attention you paid to the election process,
or whether you're aware of arbcom's history and function.


Jimbo has always claimed the right to appoint candidates, and regards
the elections as a form of approval or endorsement of potential
candidates. (see Signpost article: Election procedure poll). For the
latest elections, Jimbo made two alternative proposals to the old
method and held a straw poll to let the community indicate their
preference between the old approval voting method and either of the
two alternatives. The first alternative was for Jimbo to propose
candidates and the community to indicate their approval or disappoval
of each one with a 50% vote required to pass. The second alternative
was a hybrid: the community could also put up candidates, with the
same method of voting and the same 50% vote required to pass.

After discussion and straw polling, the second alternative was chosen.

This means that Jimbo effectively had a free choice from all
candidates who made 50% or more in the poll. There were twenty-two
such candidates. You will be pleased that the method was successful in
weeding out candidates without wide community approval: Kelly Martin,
Snowspinner and I are as controversial in the Wikipedia community as
we are here and failed to make the necessary 50% approval.

For the Alpha tranche of four arbcom seats, to be re-elected in 2008,
Jimbo chose the top four candidates by percentage of votes cast for
and against:

New Alpha tranche appointees

    * Filiocht 93%
    * Mindspillage 92%
    * Charles Matthews 89%
    * Morven 88%



Of the four gamma tranche arbcom seats, to be re-elected in 2007,
Raul654 and Neutrality remain and their seats were not up for
re-election this year. The other vacant places went to the two next
highest polling candidates by votes cast:

New Gamma tranche appointees

    * SimonP 87%
    * Dmcdevit 82%



Of the Beta tranche arbcom seats, to be re-elected in 2006, The Epopt
and Theresa Knott remain and their seats were not up for re-election
this year. The two vacant places went to the two next highest polling
candidates by votes cast:

New Beta tranche appointees

    * Sam Korn 78%
    * Mackensen 77%



This completely fulfilled the replenishment of the existing committee
and all eight available places were appointed by Jimbo according to
the approval of the community, as he had promised. Those who got the
highest proportion of the vote got the seats with the longest remainng
terms.

Jimbo then announced the appointment of one additional arbitrator to
each tranche, as allowed by the hybrid proposal, as follows.

And then in the interests of expanding the committee and maintaining
continuity, I'm also making the following appointments (all candidates
met with community approval, percentages listed below):

Additional direct appointees (all approved)

    * Alpha: JamesF 75.42%
    * Gamma: Fred Bauder 73.61%
    * Beta: JayJG 69.75%



On IRC last night, Jimbo explained his thinking on the new appointees:

"Yes, I looked at all the different factors, total number of votes,
percentages but I was also concerned about experience on the arbcom
and so for the 3 new seats, I thought: hmm, reappoint the experienced
who were approved by the community to give continuity."

Fred Bauder, JamesF and JayJG are experienced arbitrators who were all
up for re-election and had all gained well over the 50% approval
threshold. The new seats will be up for re-election according to their
tranche: JayJG in late 2006, Fred Bauder in 2007 and JamesF in 2008.