SENY AREA 49 · ROSTER49
Voting This Year
What to Expect and How to Participate
Live session — slides run alongside a real example you can try yourself
AGENDA
What We'll Cover
01
Why This Isn't a Big Change
Four simple things we're asking of you
02
How Voting Works
The 2/3 majority, round by round
03
Checking In & Your Ballot
Both paths, tried live
04
Language & Accessibility
English/Spanish, text size, high contrast
05
Common Situations
Yellow tags, locked ballots, what changes
06
Resources
Where to go for more
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Set Up for This Session
This deck runs alongside a separate, fully interactive tool — not embedded in these slides.
The file: https://election-home.intoservice.info/mock-election
A live web page — no install needed, but requires an internet connection. Open the link in a new browser tab or window.
1
Open two windows
This deck in one, the sample sign-in open in a browser in the other — side by side, or on two screens.
2
Watch for the amber banner
“▶ TRY IT” marks every moment to switch over and click through it yourself.
3
Nothing you do here counts
It's a sample — refresh the page any time to start over. No real vote is ever cast.
SECTION 01
Why This Isn't a Big Change
Same assembly, same voice for your group — just a few things to prepare ahead of time
SECTION 01
Four Things We're Asking of You
1. Register
Check that your info is accurate — before the assembly, not the day of.
2. Talk to Your Alternate
Decide together who's attending, so you both know what to expect.
3. Sign In
This is the key — you can only get your ballot if you sign in.
4. Vote Thoughtfully
Give real consideration to who you're electing.
SECTION 01 · DETAIL
Registering
Go to roster49.intoservice.info and check that your information is right.
Only registered GSRs, DCMs, DCMCs, or their alternates can sign in and vote. Please do this before the assembly — not the day of.
Use your personal email to check your info — this lookup is separate from signing in to vote, and requires personal email specifically to keep it confidential.
Over the last two weeks, emails went out to everyone to confirm position and group status. If you haven't responded yet, please do.
SECTION 01 · DETAIL
Talk to Your Alternate Beforehand
You and your alternate are responsible for your group's voice.
Just decide together who's attending, so you both know what to expect at check-in — and so the rare cases needing staff help stay rare.
This matters everywhere in the system — online, in person, and if anything comes up mid-assembly, which we'll cover in Section 05.
SECTION 01 · DETAIL
Signing In Is the Key
You can only get your ballot if you sign in — online or in person.
Either your personal or service email works for signing in — whichever you have handy.
Just like the last assembly, in-person sign-in uses a QR code. We also intend to allow signing in ahead of time, so you're not rushing the moment the assembly starts.
If you'd rather not use your phone, Analog/Sign-In volunteers will be right there to help — same as always.
SECTION 01 · DETAIL
Give Real Thought to Who You're Electing
In his essay Leadership in AA: Ever a Vital Need, found in our Service Manual, Bill W. asks us to give careful consideration to electing our trusted leaders.
Since there's no single perfect question that captures everything you'd want to know, we're allowing 3 minutes for questions from the floor for each candidate — just like the special election.
aa.org/twelve-concepts-concept-ix
SECTION 02
How Voting Works
Third Legacy Procedure — the mechanics behind every contested position
SECTION 02
The 2/3 Majority — Always a Real Vote Count
Never a percentage. Calculated by doubling the total, dividing by 3, and always rounding up.
47 total votes
47 × 2 ÷ 3 = 31.33
32 needed
20 total votes
20 × 2 ÷ 3 = 13.33
14 needed
Your vote counts as soon as it's cast — the majority itself is only checked once every vote, paper and online, is fully in for that round.
SECTION 02
Round by Round
1
Straight vote
Nobody eliminated if no majority
2
Under 1/5 dropped
Top two + any tie for 2nd protected
3
Under 1/3 dropped
Same protections apply
4
Lowest dropped
Only the single lowest vote-getter
5
5th ballot (as needed)
Floor motion + simple majority to even open — or straight to the hat
Most positions resolve well before Round 5 — it's a contingency, not something to expect.
SECTION 03
Checking In & Your Ballot
Both paths, tried live
SECTION 03
Two Paths, Same Outcome
Attending Online
Check in, then get one email with everything you need — a link to join the assembly, plus your ballot links.
Attending In Person
Check yourself in with a QR code, or a volunteer checks you in on their laptop if you'd rather not use your phone.
▶ TRY IT — open https://election-home.intoservice.info/mock-election
Choose in-person or online, and walk through check-in exactly as a voter would.
SECTION 03
If You're an Alternate
You'll be asked one question at check-in, either path: “Is your primary attending today?”
Yes
Your primary votes. You attend, but don't vote today.
No
You're promoted — you vote in their place.
Not sure
Recorded as-is. More on this in Section 05.
You're never the one who picks the color — the app computes it from your answer.
SECTION 03 · REAL SCREEN
Your Ballot Request
/vote — what you see when you follow your emailed link
REAL SCREENSHOT
Your eligibility check and your ballot are stored separately — nothing connects your name to your choice.
SECTION 03
One Email, the Whole Day
You get one email at check-in with a link for every round of every contested position — you never need a second one.
Not open
That round hasn't started yet
OPEN NOW
Click through and vote
Closed
You voted, or the round ended
Your link is unique to you — not shared with anyone else — and works exactly once, ever. That's what keeps this both simple and secure.
▶ TRY IT — open https://election-home.intoservice.info/mock-election
Open your ballot email and cast a vote in the sample round.
SECTION 04
Language & Accessibility
Real controls, on every public page
SECTION 04 · REAL SCREEN
The Accessibility Button
Every public page — floating button, bottom-right corner
REAL SCREENSHOT
Tap to open the accessibility menu — shown on the next two slides.
SECTION 04 · REAL SCREEN
English / Spanish, One Tap
/vote — the whole page translates; your choice is remembered on that device
REAL SCREENSHOT
SECTION 04 · REAL SCREEN
Accessibility Menu
Two controls: text size (4 steps) and high contrast — shown here in Spanish
REAL SCREENSHOT
SECTION 04 · REAL SCREEN
Your Settings, Everywhere
Both persist across pages and visits — set once, stays on
REAL SCREENSHOT
“Muy grande” text size
High contrast on
▶ TRY IT — open https://election-home.intoservice.info/mock-election
Open the accessibility menu yourself — try a text size and high contrast.
SECTION 05
Common Situations
What to expect if something isn't the routine case
SECTION 05 · SITUATION
You Answered “Not Sure”
1
Recorded as-is
No follow-up email, no automatic re-check. Once issued, that's it.
2
Paper: a person decides
If you're voting on paper, a human on the floor decides before the round is counted — not the system.
3
Online: one live check
If you request an online ballot, the system only blocks it if your primary is actually checked in at that exact moment.
4
Best fix: talk beforehand
This is exactly why Section 01 matters — confirming with your primary in advance avoids this entirely.
SECTION 05 · SITUATION
Your Ballot Is Locked
If you're an alternate and your primary is attending (or unknown), your online ballot stays locked by default.
There is no button anywhere — for you or your primary — to unlock it yourselves. If your primary genuinely isn't attending, contact Digital Sign-In; they verify and move it for you.
▶ TRY IT — open https://election-home.intoservice.info/mock-election
Check in as an alternate whose primary is attending, then see the locked ballot screen.
SECTION 05 · SITUATION
If Something Changes Mid-Assembly
A primary stuck in traffic, someone who has to step out — life happens.
No self-service
Neither of you can move eligibility yourselves — by design, and it's meant to be rare.
Staff handle it
Speak with staff directly (Self Serve Snag Table in person, Digital Sign-In online) and they'll take care of it — that's their job, not yours to figure out.
Rest of the day
Once resolved, it generally stays that way — not something renegotiated round by round.
RESOURCES
Where to Go for More
The Voter Guide
A fuller written walkthrough of everything in this deck
The Quick Guide
One page, the short version, with the same links
Sample Sign-In
Try the real check-in and ballot flow yourself, anytime
Your Analog/Sign-In Table
In person, on the day — real people, ready to help
Questions any time — that's what these sessions are for.