Wikipedia:Requests for comment/Arbitration Committee Elections December 2019

2019 Arbitration Committee Elections

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Status as of 04:59 (UTC), Sunday, 3 November 2024 (Purge)

  • Thank you for participating in the 2019 Arbitration Committee Elections. The certified results have been posted.
  • You are invited to leave feedback on the election process.
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The purpose of this request for comment is to provide an opportunity to amend the structure, rules, and procedures of the December 2019 English Wikipedia Arbitration Committee election and resolve any issues not covered by existing rules. 21:02, 31 August 2019 (UTC)

Background: In the case of proposals that change existing rules, or that seek to establish new ones, lack of consensus for a change will result in the rules from the 2018 election remaining in force. Some issues are not covered by the existing rules but will need to be decided one way or another for the operation of the election, in those cases it will be up to the closer to figure out a result, even if there is no clear consensus, as they have had to in the past.

ACERFC decisions to date [prior to this 2019 request for comment]


  • Election: There will be 13 arbitrators, six seats on "Tranche Alpha" from the 2018 elections and seven seats on "Tranche Beta".[1] A maximum of seven 2-years term are up for elections each year,[2] with the seventh seat switching tranche if necessary.[3] Any additional vacancies which open before voting begins[4] will be filled by a 1-year term.[2] A minimum 50% support is required to be elected for a 1-year term, and a minimum 60% support is required for a 2-years term.[5] Successful candidates with the lowest support percentages are given the 1-year term if any.[6] If there are more vacancies than candidates with the required minimum, the extra seats will remain unfilled.[α][7]
  • Candidates: Registered account with 500 mainspace edits,[β] editor in good standing "that is"/"and is"[γ] not under block or ban, meets Foundation's Access to nonpublic personal data policy,[δ] and has disclosed alternate accounts (or disclosed legitimate accounts to Arbcom).[8][9]
  • Electoral Commission: A RFC to appoint 3 Electoral Commission officials who will solve disputes and problems during the election.[10] Commission should only intervene when there is a problem that needs resolving, and either discussion isn't working, the rules are unclear, or there isn't time.[11] Open to anyone who is over 18, meets Foundation's Access to nonpublic personal data policy,[δ] and otherwise be eligible to vote.[12] Appointments to the Commission should be confirmed by the Arbitration Committee per the CheckUser policy.[δ][ε][12]
  • Timeline:
    • ACE RFC: (30 days of September)
    • Electoral Commission RFC: 7 days nominations, 7 days evaluation, selection by 7 days after close of evaluation.[ζ][12] (October)
    • Nominations: 2nd Sunday of November (10 days)[13]
      • Nomination is hard deadline for creation and transclusion of nomination statement. How to handle any site-wide disruption is at the discretion of the Electoral Commission[14]
    • Fallow period: (5 days)[13]
    • Voting period: (14 days)[13]
    • Scrutineering: No deadline for releasing or announcing the results.[15]
  • Guides: Allowed but with some strong suggestions.[16] Must be allowed reasonable visibility.[17]
  • General Guide: Wikipedia:5 Minute guide to ArbCom Elections created and advertised.[18]
  • Voting: A voter needs 150 mainspace edits by 1 November and registered an account before 28 October,[η][19] not currently blocked at the time of voting.[19][20] Voting system of (Support/Abstain/Oppose) will be used[21] with percentages calculated via Support/(Support + Oppose).[22] Secret ballots[23] via SecurePoll will be used.[θ]
  • Scrutineering: 3 functionaries[ι] from outside en.wiki as scrutineers.[24]
  • Ordering: The order of candidates are software randomised on the candidate page, and on the ballot.[25]
  • Warning: Potential candidates are warned of risks from standing for election with message similar to that on WP:CUOS2015 to be incorporated into the candidate instructions page.[26]
  • Questions: No standard questions for every candidates.[27] No limits on the number of questions, but candidates are not obligated to answer every question.[28] Electoral Commission (as a group not individually) have the discretion to remove offensive (eg. WP:POLEMIC-style statements) or off-topic questions from question pages, following discussion among the Electoral Commission members. While other editors can obviously remove clear vandalism, egregious personal attacks, etc., the determination of what is inappropriate or off-topic is clearly to be left to the Commission.[29]
  • Advertising: Traditional notices posted to various community noticeboards,[30] watchlist notice and/or central notice banner[31][32] for election in general (not individual candidates),[31] Mass Message - eligible voters, have edited last 12 months before nominations.[33] Extra care should be taken in wordings of advertising to make sure it's neutral.[34]
  • Blocking: Blocking policy applies normally, but a candidate shouldn't be disqualified for being blocked (except for sockpuppetry) after nominating him/herself.[35]
  1. ^ De facto carried over from pre-2012.
  2. ^ Transcription error from 2011 to 2012 election. De facto since. Consensus against proposed changes in 2016.
  3. ^ Changes during transcription from 2010 to 2011 elections.
  4. ^ a b c WMF's requirement.
  5. ^ Not in practice.
  6. ^ De facto community evaluation from start of nominations.
  7. ^ Left-field supervote on account registration date.
  8. ^ De facto since 2009.
  9. ^ Stewards de facto since pre-2012

References

  1. ^ 2018#Number of arbitrators
  2. ^ a b 2013#Length of terms
  3. ^ 2013#Handling of the 8th Vacant Seat
  4. ^ 2012#How should vacancies be handled?
  5. ^ 2018#Percentage support needed for appointment
  6. ^ 2012#How many seats should be 2-year terms, and how many 1-year terms?
  7. ^ 2011#Fundamental mechanics
  8. ^ 2012#What should the requirements be for candidates to run for the election?
  9. ^ 2014#Disclosure of Previous/Alternate Accounts of the candidates
  10. ^ 2012#How should we deal with unforeseen problems?
  11. ^ 2013#Role of the Election Commission
  12. ^ a b c 2014#How should the selection of the election commission be conducted?
  13. ^ a b c 2013#Schedule
  14. ^ 2015#How should nomination deadlines be handled?
  15. ^ 2012#Deadline for releasing the results
  16. ^ 2012#How should voter guides be handled for the election?
  17. ^ 2014#Should voter guides be included in the official template?
  18. ^ 2018#Write a short general guide to voting
  19. ^ a b 2012#What should the requirements be to vote in the election?
  20. ^ 2011#What should the requirements be to vote in the election?
  21. ^ 2013#Voting procedure: proposing change "No vote" to "Abstain"
  22. ^ 2012#What should the method of voting be?
  23. ^ 2012#Secret balloting?
  24. ^ 2015#Should adjustments be made to expedite the election results?
  25. ^ 2016#Should the names of candidates appear in randomized order, and if not, how should they be ordered?
  26. ^ 2016#Should we warn the candidates about the risks involved?
  27. ^ 2014#The standard questions
  28. ^ 2014#Should there be a limit to the number of questions posed to candidates?
  29. ^ 2017#Should election committee members be allowed to remove questions where appropriate?
  30. ^ 2012#Advertising
  31. ^ a b 2015#Should there be a change in the methods of publicity for the election?
  32. ^ 2016#Should we continue or modify the practice of notifying eligible voters by mass message?
  33. ^ 2018#Mass message
  34. ^ 2014#Should the site notice be changed when voting begins?
  35. ^ 2013#Blocking candidates

Structure: This RfC is divided into portions, each of which contains a discussion point for the community. The standard RfC structure will be used, in which any user may make a general statement that other users may endorse if they so agree. The points will be listed in the table of contents below, along with the users who have made statements.

Per the consensus developed in previous requests for comment, the electoral commission timetable is as follows:

  • Nominations: Saturday 00:00, 5 October – Friday 23:59, 11 October (7 days)
  • Evaluation period: Saturday 00:00, 12 October – Friday 23:59, 18 October (7 days)
  • Commission selection: completed by Friday 00:00, 25 October

Per the consensus developed in previous request for comments, the arbitration committee election timetable is as follows:

  • Nominations: Sunday 00:00, 3 November – Tuesday 23:59, 12 November (10 days)
  • Setup period: Wednesday 00:00, 13 November to Sunday 23:59, 18 November (5 days)
  • Voting period: Tuesday 00:00, 19 November to Monday 23:59, 2 December (14 days)
  • Scrutineering: Begins Tuesday 0:00, 3 December

Anyone is free to raise any new topics that they feel need to be addressed by adding them as level two headers.

Duration: In order to preserve the timeline of the election (see above), we should aim to close this RfC as soon as 30 days have passed, i.e. on or after September 30, 2019. The results will determine the structure, rules, and procedures for the election.

Use the following format below; post a new statement at the BOTTOM of the section in which you want to make a statement. Endorse by adding a hash symbol (#) and your signature. 

===Statement #N by [[User:USERNAME|USERNAME]]===
Comment ~~~~

==== Users who endorse statement #N: ====

#~~~~

Users should only edit one summary or view, other than to endorse.