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Re: AMPAS moves to Electronic Voting

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:24 am
by dbensics
Will electronic voting be used only for the final ballots or for the nominating ballots, as well?

Does this type of system allow voters to change their votes if they change their minds before the final cutoff time? Unlike a postal ballot which is "final" would revisions be permissible? Should they be?

Since a computer could calculate nominees and winners instantly, the normal 7-10 day lagtime between when ballots must be received and nominees announced or the Oscar show itself could be cut down to a mere day, as there would be no more time consuming hand counting, double-checking, envelope sorting and membership crosschecking.

If AMPAS's goal is to move the Oscar show to January then this makes logistical sense.

Take this year for example.

You could have the Oscars on Sunday, January 29th...perfect for the football off-week before the Super Bowl.

Announce the nominees on Tuesday, January 10th...the electronic voting deadline could be the day before (Monday the 9th). This is only 5 days earlier than the actual 2012 voting cutoff date of Friday, Jan. 13th.

The final voting cutoff date could be the Saturday (Jan 28th) before the show.

There is still plenty of time for actors to plug their movies on the talk shows and three weekends for filmgoers to sample the nominees in theaters before the show.

The Globes and the SAGs could still go on in January a week or two earlier than they do now.

AMPAS moves to Electronic Voting

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:10 am
by Okri
Source

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has partnered with Everyone Counts, Inc to implement an electronic voting system for next year's Academy Awards.

Everyone Counts will work with PwC, the Academy's accounting firm of record, whose role in tabulating Academy members' votes will remain unchanged. Over the next year, the Academy will undertake a rigorous security and user-acceptance testing process.

"This is the first of many steps that we'll be taking toward developing a secure and convenient electronic voting system, beginning with next year's ballot," said Academy Chief Operating Officer Ric Robertson, in a statement. "We're excited to have found great partners in the people who do this best."

The selection of Everyone Counts is the result of an 18-month search conducted by the Academy. The company's other clients include the United States Department of Defense; the United Kingdom's Ministry of Justice; the state of New South Wales, Australia; and the states of Oregon, Florida, and Washington.

"We are honored to have earned the trust of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in bringing online voting to the Oscars starting next year," said Lori Steele, Chairman and CEO of Everyone Counts Inc. "Our company was founded to set a new standard of security, accessibility, and transparency in elections. We're proud to be working with the Academy, an organization that also represents the highest standards in its field."

"We look forward to working with Everyone Counts for next year's 85th Academy Awards and beyond," said Brad Oltmanns, balloting leader, PwC. "We are excited about the new electronic voting system, which will enable us to conduct the tabulation process with the same high level of precision, trust and integrity that we have for the past 78 years."