GA 219 - Voting Process Must Be Corrected or This Could Be A Flawed GA

One of the most serious concerns for the 219th GA is the wireless voting system.

Tonight, during the Moderatorial election, there were multiple issues with the voting system. At one point it was noted that more that 160 votes were not being registered properly.

The GA played and worked with the voting system and finally got to a place where we were reasonably sure that most of the votes were being registered. However, there was still not total confidence that the system was registering all the votes.

Here's the reason why this is a GIGANTIC PROBLEM, one that can make this a flawed General Assembly.

If all the issues coming up for this General Assembly had a margin of vote difference as the Moderator's race, then it would not be a problem to be off by a couple of dozen votes out of roughly 720 votes.

However, there are multiple controversial issues coming up for vote in this General Assembly that could be quite close - PC(USA)'s stance on the Israel/Palestinian issues, definition of marriage and civil unions, ordination of homosexuals, the new proposed Form of Government to name a few.

In recent General Assemblies, issues as controversial as the ordination of homosexuals were decided by single digit vote differences between for and against. And if we continue to be off by several dozen votes, and if the commissioners have no confidence in the accuracy of the votes, this could be a nightmare.

Should the voting be as close on controversial issues as it has been in the past, the losing side will challenge and contest the vote of the General Assembly.

The only solution to the computer glitches in voting is to go to paper ballots in the most controversial issues. But this GA has so many critical issues before it that it could lead to multiple marathon sessions.

It is all our prayer that God's will be done.

And it is my prayer and earnest plea with the Office of General Assembly or whoever is in charge of the voting mechanism to this voting system fixed so that the church can have confidence in the decisions that this General Assembly takes.

If the commissioners and observers at this GA cannot have full confidence that the vote tallies are the actual correct tallies this will be a flawed GA.