Online voting proves major success in Club election

An overwhelming majority of voters cast their ballots online rather than on paper in the first National Press Club election to allow members to use computers rather than pens to mark their choices.

Of the 195 ballots cast by Journalist members, 153 were online. Communicators cast 75 of their 84 ballots online. Paper ballots, including a voting station on the day of the election, remained in place for those members who did not want to log into the Club's website to vote.

The idea of online voting first was broached by the Board of Governors more than a decade ago when the Club's election rules were rewritten. At the time, the bylaws were amended to give the Board the authority to move to online voting when proven feasible.

The idea gained momentum in recent years when Alison Bethel, a former Board member now working abroad, expressed concern that she could not vote in a competitive Club election because it would take too long for her to receive an absentee ballot and return it by the deadline.

Club Secretary Joel Whitaker, who oversees elections, led a new effort to revise the Club's election rules, including the move to online voting at the Club. With help from the Club staff, the technology was put in place for the 2013 elections.