Green Party of the United States - National Committee Voting

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Ranked Choice Vote Details

Ranked Choice Vote ID	299
Ranked Choice Vote	Election of a Green Party Animal Mascot
Type	Open Ballot
Number of Seats	6
Ranked Choice Vote Administrator	Holly Hart
Phase	Closed
Discussion	06/18/2007 - 07/01/2007
Voting	07/02/2007 - 07/09/2007
Result	Results
Presens Quorum	33 0.6666
Candidates	Bee Dolphin Dove Frog Otter Owl Polar bear Turtle Whale Wolf NOTA No Green Party Animal Mascot at all

Background

The Republicans have the elephant; the Democrats have
the donkey. It's about time for the Green Party to
enjoy its own animal mascot. Initially, such a mascot
will help us visually promote the Party to the public
through media attention, merchandise sales, and
increased web traffic. Over time, the Green Party
Animal Mascot will reinforce qualities that are
consistent with the ten key values and become a 'face'
for the Party. The Green Party Animal Mascot will be a
complement to, not a replacement of, our logo the
Earthflower. Adding this Green Party Animal Mascot to
the existing Green symbols (the Sunflower and the
Earthflower) will help the Party increase its
visibility and symbolic recognition in the political
landscape of our nation and beyond. It's important
that the Party select a mascot in 2007, so that we
will be ready for the 2008 campaigns.

As part of the Outreach Committee's efforts to engage
and involve the general public with Green thinking and
vision, the Committee wishes to lead the search for a
Green Party Animal Mascot. The Committee believes that
the process for finding an appropriate animal mascot
can serve both as an internal reflection on Green
imagery for the Party itself, and also as a means to
get public attention through a component of public
participation in the process.

While seemingly a small measure, this effort can help
with the outreach and branding of the Party to the
millions who have yet to hear, understand, embrace, or
support our message. By including the public along
with Greens in this process we will get input from
those to whom we are reaching out.

The proposed process:

1. Nominations process. Put out a call to the National
Committee and state party lists asking for nominations
for the Green Party Animal Mascot. Nominees will send
their ideas to mascot@gp.org by May 15, 2007. The
Outreach Committee will tabulate the top 10
nominations, with discretionary power to combine
entries (e.g. river otter, sea otter = otter) and to
veto entries not consistent with the ten key values.
[This step complete.]
2. NC vote to narrow list to top six. The OC will
bring the top 10 nominees to the NC for an IRV vote
narrowing the choice to the top six. NOTA will be an
option; should the NC choose that option, it will be
interpreted as a veto to the entire process. [NB:
PLEASE SEE LIST OF TOP 10 NOMINATIONS RESULTS UNDER
"PROPOSAL" BELOW.]
3. Online public poll. The Party will invite the
public to participate by showing their preference from
the top six Green Party Animal Mascot nominees through
an online and/or printed campaign. The top six from
the NC vote will be placed online for IRV voting by
the public. Online voting will be announced at the
National Meeting in Reading in July and will conclude
on October 1, 2007.
4. Professional input. The Outreach Committee will
convoke a Green Ribbon Panel to examine the preference
of the NC and the public. This panel will consist of
up to seven national figures with professional
experience in political culture, campaigning,
marketing and messaging, history and symbolism and
should include public figures and Greens (such as
officeholders, campaign managers, or committee chairs)
who will make a critical examination of the top four
choices remaining in the list, and, upon discussion
and deliberation, offer their recommendations listed
in order of preference accompanied by written
rationales about how they believe each mascot might
best enhance (or detract) from our Party goals of
outreach and growth. The Green Ribbon Panel will have
the month of October to review the online poll and
will culminate in a telephone conference call. Both
the recommendation and minutes from the discussion
will be made available for the NC's review.
5. Final Choice. The process then returns to the NC,
which will make the final choice after examining the
public vote and studying the professional preference
and justification. Recommendations from the public and
the Green Ribbon Panel will be presented to the NC the
first week of November for discussion and then voting.
The NC will make a final decision in December.

Notes:
About the nominations results and the Top 10 List:
* 58 distinct animal mascots were nominated
(including three humans, such as Robin Hood and a bike
rider).
* Seven Green Party plant mascots were
nominated, such as the sunflower, tree, and green
leaf.
* Most animal mascot nominees received one or
two nominations; all of those on the Top 10 list above
received no fewer than four nominations.
* One popular animal nomination not included was
the buffalo/bison; due to its affiliation with the
American Reform Party, the Outreach Committee agreed
to eliminate it as an option.

Candidate Information

Bee
None.

Dolphin
NA

Dove
NA

Frog
NA

Otter
NA

Owl
NA

Polar bear
NA

Turtle
NA

Whale
NA

Wolf
NA

NOTA
None of the Above choices.

No Green Party Animal Mascot at all
N/A

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