Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Rules: Difference between revisions

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{{KidsIntro|A vote is only fair if the rules are clear before it starts: who can vote, how long it lasts, who counts the votes, and what to do if someone thinks the count is wrong. This page lists the rules WikiDeal would like to use. Most small things never need a vote at all; these rules are for the rare times when a real vote is needed.}}

{{ExpertIntro|These rules apply only when a decision actually reaches a formal vote. Most decisions are intended to be settled earlier by lighter tools (direct action, revert, discussion), with voting reserved for ~~complex or contested~~ questions that ~~need a large~~ consensus or a ~~clear~~, ~~settled adoption~~. Proposed rules of procedure for WikiDeal votes, adapted from Wikimedia and Debian election practice: voter eligibility based on one user one vote with light anti-abuse requirements, secret ballot for elections of people and public votes for editorial decisions, advance announcement and a minimum voting period (durations expressed as X weeks, with example values borrowed from Wikimedia practice as working hypotheses), a quorum, an independent election committee, independent verification of results, challenges through mediation then arbitration, and durable public logs. Status: proposal, to be adopted; every rule is a first hypothesis to be validated by the steering committee and then by the community.}}

{{ExpertIntro|These rules apply only when a decision actually reaches a formal vote. Most decisions are intended to be settled earlier by lighter tools (direct action, revert, discussion), with voting reserved for questions whose stakes call for it: the initial hypothesis is that consensus requirements follow the degree of stakes, and that the degree of stakes is expressed by the number of people who raise a question, in the spirit of the Swiss popular initiative and referendum. Proposed rules of procedure for WikiDeal votes, adapted from Wikimedia and Debian election practice: voter eligibility based on one user one vote with light anti-abuse requirements, secret ballot for elections of people and public votes for editorial decisions, advance announcement and a minimum voting period (durations expressed as X weeks, with example values borrowed from Wikimedia practice as working hypotheses), a quorum, an independent election committee, independent verification of results, challenges through mediation then arbitration, and durable public logs. Status: proposal, to be adopted; every rule is a first hypothesis to be validated by the steering committee and then by the community.}}

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== When a formal vote is warranted ==

These rules describe how a vote would run, not when to vote. The initial hypothesis of this portal is that most decisions never reach a ballot: they are settled by direct action, by a simple revert when a contribution can be undone, or by discussion when a revert is contested. A formal vote is reserved for questions that discussion could not settle and ~~that need~~ a ~~large consensus or a clear, settled adoption~~ (see the [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Main#ladder-of-tools|ladder of decision tools]] on the portal main page).

These rules describe how a vote would run, not when to vote. The initial hypothesis of this portal is that most decisions never reach a ballot: they are settled by direct action, by a simple revert when a contribution can be undone, or by discussion when a revert is contested. A formal vote is reserved for questions that discussion could not settle and whose stakes, expressed by the number of people who raise them, call for a broadly supported decision (see the [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Main#ladder-of-tools|ladder of decision tools]] and the [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Main#stakes-by-popular-voice|Swiss-inspired expression of stakes]] on the portal main page).

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These rules would themselves be adopted by vote: first a validation by the founding steering committee, then a confirmation by the community once the [[Market/en/Portal:Soft-Transmission/Main|soft transmission]] makes it possible. Until then, this page remains a documented proposal.

'''See also:''' [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Main|Voting at WikiDeal]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Methods|Voting methods]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Research|Voting research and experience]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Meta/Licensing-and-Credits|Licensing and credits]]

'''See also:''' [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Main|Voting at WikiDeal]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Methods|Voting methods]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Research|Voting research and experience]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Voting/Condorcet-History|Condorcet history and results]] · [[Gov/en/Portal:Meta/Licensing-and-Credits|Licensing and credits]]

[[Category:Migration June 2026]]