The Basics of Balloting

The IEEE-SA Sponsor Ballot process is a formal process in which a ballot group votes on and makes comments on a draft standard. Each member of the ballot group can approve, disapprove or abstain and can make comments. "No" votes must be accompanied by comments indicating the reasons for the no vote and making concrete suggestions for changes that would satisfactorily address the issues. For a vote to be valid, 75% of the ballot group must respond. For a vote to be considered successful, 75% of those responding must approve.

After the ballot, a ballot resolution committee considers the comments and resolves them by making suggested changes, making other changes, or not making changes and stating why no changes were made. Following ballot resolution, one ore more recirculation ballots may be held during which members of the balloting group have the opportunity to change their votes and to make further comments with the important restriction that only comments and changes made during the ballot process may be taken into consideration.

The Ballot Group

Ballot groups are formed by the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) with guidance from Working Group chairs. There are rules concerning the balance of interests on ballot groups. Members of ballot groups must either be members of the IEEE-SA (the usual case), individuals who have paid a fee to ballot a specific standard (more expensive than joining the IEEE-SA) or invited experts (whose presence must be justified). Once the Ballot Group is formed and balloting commences, the ballot group is closed. This means that you must join the ballot group prior to the official opening of a ballot. Note that if you do join a ballot group, you should be prepared to participate. The process depends on ballot group members reading, commenting on and voting on the standard.

Joining the IEEE-SA - What it costs

There are two ways to join the IEEE-SA. One way is as a member of the IEEE or an IEEE Society. Joining the IEEE Computer Society currently costs $102 per year. To join in this way please go to http://www.computer.org/join/). Once you have joined the Computer Society, you can add IEEE-SA membership. The current cost is $36 per year. Alternatively, you can join the IEEE-SA without being a member of the IEEE or an IEEE Society. The cost is currently $186 per year. See http://standards.ieee.org/sa-mem/join.html for information on joining the IEEE-SA.

NOTE: There is no requirement to be a member of the IEEE LTSC to participate in IEEE-LTSC ballots. However, we certainly appreciate your support ($25 per year) which helps pay for our Web site and other services. See http://ieeeltsc.org/about/Participate/Membership for a membership form.

Joining a Ballot Group

When you sign up for IEEE-SA membership you will have a chance to check boxes for those standards committees for which you would like to receive balloting invitations. If you check the Learning Technology box, you will automatically receive invitations each time the IEEE LTSC initiates a ballot process.

If you join the IEEE-SA after a ballot process has been initiated (but before the actual balloting has started), you must notify the chair that you wish to join the ballot group. The chair of DREL is Magda Mourad (magdam@us.ibm.com).

• Robby Robson, Chair, IEEE LTSC (robby@computer.org). -