For intensities more than 30 dB above the threshold of hearing for noise and sinusoids, the just noticeable difference (JND) is on the order of 0.5–1.0 dB ( Miller, 1947 Jestaed et al., 1977) for ideal conditions of listening over headphones. Some perceptual studies are available for loudness discrimination between pairs of sounds. The anecdote stimulated the lead author of this paper to raise some questions about the accuracy of a voice vote and how it can be shored up. Apparently, the voice vote defaulted to a ratification rather than a binding vote. As it turned out, the outcome was a fait accompli because the result was already posted on the chairman's prompter prior to the last vote. A two-thirds majority was expected and announced as the final outcome, but many in the audience (and those listening over broadcast media) had to stretch their perceptive imagination to confirm any kind of majority. The vote, in the form of an “aye” or “no,” was judged inconclusive twice but passed in the affirmative the third time. The chairman of the convention, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, brought the issue to a voice vote in the large convention hall with several thousand delegates and media personnel in attendance. The issue at hand was a change in the party's platform on whether a reference to “God-given talents” and “Jerusalem is and will remain the capitol of the State of Israel” should be re-inserted into the platform document after having been removed in an earlier version.
The convention was held in the 20 000 seat Time–Warner Cable Arena. As a dramatic example, the voice vote was put to a test on September 5 in the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC.
Its accuracy has always been somewhat suspect, however, for determining a simple majority. It is efficient because it does not rely on counting raised hands, standing individuals, or written ballots. A voice vote (viva voce) is one of several legitimate ways of determining a majority opinion according to Robert's Rules of Order ( Robert, 1915, 2000).
0 kommentar(er)
