Re: [Gendergap] Eligibility to vote in arbcom elections - and encouragement to do if you have not yet

Hi all - I'll be circulating this to multiple lists, in part to ensure that everyone is aware of both the importance and ability of ENWP's arbitration committee, and in part to ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote is aware that they are eligible to vote, and aware that their votes are anonymous - and aware of how significantly they can count. Although oppose votes do carry more weight than neutral votes or support votes, in our last tranche of elections (which had a steep decline in voters from previous elections,) an arbitrator was elected with only 227 support votes, and a total of only 593 votes cast in relation to that arb in general. The arbitration committee has, for all practical purposes, binding decision making ability on all matter that come before the English Wikipedia. For members of that committee to have been elected on the basis of only 227 support votes seems (sorry to the arb in question for using him as an example) absolutely bizarre to me. The arbitration committee is the body ultimately responsible for ensuring the health of ENWP's community, including on issues of gender, harrassment, and everything else. I'm not going to suggest who you vote for (especially because another three weeks of nominations are coming in,) but if you are concerned about the state of ENWP's community, please take the minimal time necessary to scrutinize candidate statements and cast your anonymous votes according to those candidates who you believe are most likely to represent your interests. In comparison with the 227 positive votes and the 593 total votes that an arbitrator was actually elected with last year, this list alone has over 400 members, most of whom are eligible to vote in arbcom elections. Again, I'll be circulating this (or a very similar message) around to multiple other lists, and won't be making direct suggestions or endorsements of candidates on-list, although I may compile a voter candidate guide on-wiki when all nominations are in. If you meet the fairly minimal requirements to ote, please take the fairly minimal time out of your day once elections start to cast your anonymous votes in favor of the candidates who best supports your interests and the interests of the community - and I know that even on this list, there are certainly people who will disagree with me about what candidates will be represent the interests of the community, and am totally fine with that - vote how you want to vote. But vote! ENWP's final ruling body shouldn't be determined by a small fraction of eligible voters who will all be effected by the decisions our next arbcom makes: These are literally the only requirements to vote in the English Arbcom's upcoming elections: "(i) has registered an account before 28 October 2015 (ii) has made at least 150 mainspace edits before 1 November 2015 and,(iii) is not blocked from the English Wikipedia at the time of their vote. (iii) is not blocked from the English Wikipedia at the time of their vote." If you meet those requirements, please consider the candidates and their position statements and their answers to questions, and vote for whatever candidates best think represent how you would like the future of ENWP's community to be. Best, Kevin Gorman