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The Unity08 official presidential process has begun. Since I am a registered delegate to Unity08, the registered corporation has sent me a personalized link to complete the first round of voting on what they call “the American Agenda” — the list of issues that are considered “critical” by members.

The way Unity08 has asked which issues are “critical” is very, hmm, interesting, and I’ll talk about that in a little while. But first I’d like to talk about process. Because Unity08 has now commenced with its procedure to select a presidential and a vice presidential candidate, with initial voting beginning already, it has become important to know how and with what security and safeguards Unity08 is proceeding.

It’s not just me saying that Unity08 has started off with its presidential decision-making procedure; Unity08 says so itself. Its e-mail inviting delegates to follow their individualized links reads, “It’s time for your voice to be heard. Welcome to the very first opportunity for you, as a Unity08 member, to help determine the Unity08 agenda. This is not just research for a couple hundred - it is an actual vote of all Unity08 members. You and all members can directly shape Unity08 priorities on issues, candidate qualifications, and even Unity08 operations. There are no criteria for who can participate and we hope that every single member participates!” And Unity08 Vice President Bob Roth himself terms it “The First Vote for the American Agenda.” The determination of which issues are “crucial” will set the parameters according to which the Unity08 candidates will be examined and chosen. Much earlier than for the Democratic and Republican parties, the Unity08 presidential selection has begun. This means it is crucial for the integrity of its process that Unity08 has all its ducks in a row, and that it protects the security of its votes and the integrity of its process, whatever that process is.

Over on the Unity08 boards, Dachannien and em43ny have asked two questions about safeguards for the voting procedure:

1. What steps have been taken, if any, to prevent sockpuppetry (aka, where one person creates a bunch of different accounts to influence the results unfairly)?

2. How do you know people who desire to be delegates are US citizens qualified to vote?

These are reasonable questions. As a delegate, I have not been asked for any verification of my citizenship or my voter registration status, and yet I have been allowed to vote in this first round. Also, for purposes of exploration I have indeed been able to create a second account that could be used for “sockpuppetry.” Although I have not and will not use this second account for ethical reasons, my “sockpuppet” account has been invited to vote.

Although Unity08 representatives have answered multiple other non-critical questions on the page where Dachannien and em43ny posted their questions, no one from Unity08 has answered their questions as of now.

There are other questions that have not been addressed by Unity08 regarding this first vote as well as future votes. We know from experience that Unity 08 Vice President Bob Roth and Unity08 Chief Operating Office Anya T. Harris pop by this website — and I know from experience that my posts at Unity08.com have been deleted and edited — so I’ll ask my questions here, adding to those by Dachannien and em43ny:

3. Are votes and other responses personally identifiable by Unity08 staff or other individuals? That is, is it possible for someone to determine who voted how? If so, who has access to this information? If not, how is the anonymity of a vote protected while maintaining vote security?

4. Will the voting procedure be audited for security and accuracy? If so, by whom?

5. In the text for its first round of voting, Unity08 refers to itself as a “good, grass roots movement.” Grass roots movements are open. Will aggregated responses to each question from this first vote be publicly posted?

6. Will a multivariate data file consisting of responses to all questions, organized by case, be made publicly available for analysis? If so, how will personal identifying information be protected? If not, by what means can results be verified?

If you have any questions about the process Unity08 has implemented now that rounds of voting have begun, please post them here. I’d like to say I’m sure that Unity08 corporate leadership is sure to answer those questions, “in the spirit of transparency which is sorely lacking in politics today,” to quote Unity08 in 2006. But Unity08 deleted that text, and I can’t say for sure how dedicated to transparency Unity08 actually is. The actions of Unity08 corporate leaders will let us know.