[Ponte Alto] POLLING IS IN THE MAIL....

[Cindy Halstead]

Okay, I have to do this.  I'm a rules geek, I have to deal with this all 
the time, I can't stop myself.  Cassandra, I'm not picking on you - you are 
just the most recent person to have said this.  Everyone feel free to 
ignore the rest of this post if you're not interested in interpretations of 
law.



A polling is NOT a vote.  A polling is solely intended to provide 
information to the Monarchs on the opinions of the person responding to the 
question being asked.  The final decision is COMPLETELY in the hands of the 
Monarchs.  If They choose, They could pay no attention to the responses on 
the polling and make a decision based on whether they like the color of 
Belphoebe's eyes.  There are no voters in a baronial polling.



Thank you, I feel better now.

Having made the speech, I will now expound and bore you all with 
minutia.  A polling is an expression of opinion, and that's all it is.  The 
SCA isn't a democracy, and no one gets to vote on anything, with the 
exception (in Atlantia, at least) of choosing the Principals of the various 
polling orders.  The monarchy decides who their representatives (aka the 
baronage) will be.  The only requirement in law is that TRM have to poll 
the group in question - in this case, the SCA members of the barony.  They 
don't have to go by "majority rules", only on Their own opinions.  Now, 
frequently, that opinion is *very much* influenced by the commentary from 
the polling responses - I've never heard of any Crown removing baronage 
with substantial support, or of picking baronage with virtually no 
support.  But it doesn't ultimately matter what the numbers are, because 
the monarchs are not bound to make a decision based on the numbers.  It's 
important that everyone keep that distinction in mind.  When anyone uses 
the term "vote", it implies that the decision is made by the people 
participating, and that is distinctly NOT what happens in a baronial polling.

I would also point out that, while it sounds like TRM have said They will 
accept commentary from people who play in Ponte Alto but are not members 
who reside within the ZIP codes of the barony, They are not obliged even to 
review this commentary if They choose not to.  The only official polling 
responses are the ones on paper, sent out by the seneschale to the members 
of the Society resident in the barony, and returned to TRM directly.  Given 
that They have said such responses can be submitted, I expect TRM will 
review them, but they don't have to.

Logically, based on what I said before about "no one gets to vote on 
anything" it also follows that groups don't get to elect officers either, 
but that's a completely different can of worms that Ponte Alto doesn't tend 
to open.  I'll stop boring everyone now. :-)

Caitlyn
Wearing the Regional Seneschale hat





At 03:42 PM 9/19/2005, you wrote:
>I think Mary means just those of us who play with Ponte Alto but don't live
>in Ponte Alto, and therefore don't receive a polling, should email her if
>we send one in on our own.  Like, all those officers who live in Sterling,
>VA, which is technically Stierbach.  :)  That way Mary has a better idea of
>the total numbers of voters, just for fun.
>
>Cass
>
>At 03:19 PM 9/19/2005 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >>
> >>   Make note that this is for the Ponte Alto Polling of
> >>   Confidence. Also, Please notify me via e-mail
> >>   (mariatheresapontoon at yahoo.com) as an FYI. That way
> >>   I can send this information on to their Magesties
> >>   and the Kingdom Seneschal.
> >
> >Um, notify you of what? That we've received the polling or
> >that we've sent it back to Their Majesties? And I'm curious
> >as to why do you need to send that information to them if
> >we're sending our pollings back anyway? Please clarify.
> >
> >Grazie!
> >--Giuliana
> >_______________________________________________
> >Ponte-Alto mailing list
> >Ponte-Alto at atlantia.sca.org
> >http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/ponte-alto
> >
> >
> >
>Signora Cassandra Arabella Giordani
>Web Minister, Barony of Ponte Alto
>Deputy Clerk of Precedence, Kingdom of Atlantia
>cassandra at jordanclan.net
>
>_______________________________________________
>Ponte-Alto mailing list
>Ponte-Alto at atlantia.sca.org
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