1) Background for the Public Prize
2) Why is it important to vote?
3) Vote now and win...
4) What do I have to do to vote? Voting requirements
5) Which cases can I vote for? Where can I find them?
6) Until when can I vote?
7) Check your votes on "My Profile"
8) The Online Voting Committee
9) Announcement of the Public Prize winner
10) Questions?
Download the online voting rules here. Participation in the online vote for the Public Prize entails the acceptance of these rules.
1) Background for the Public Prize
Practicing what they preach, the European eGovernment Awards, ePractice.eu and the European Commission invite members of the ePractice.eu community to vote for their favourite cases from among the 52 European eGovernment Awards 2009 finalists.
There are four categories for the European eGovernment Awards 2009, including the Public Prize. The themes of the categories are in line with the European Union’s framework and reflect the priorities of the fifth Ministerial eGovernment Conference. As in 2007, category 4 is the Public Prize and therefore not subject to expert evaluation.
The 4th European eGovernment Awards Public Prize is awarded to the finalist receiving the highest number of votes.
2) Why is it important to participate in the voting process?
The Public Prize is based on a vote by ePractice.eu members for the best case from among the 52 shortlisted finalists. As such, the Public Prize represents a unique opportunity to be part of the process, help the European Commission to select the best practices and support your preferred finalists in winning one of the prestigious European eGovernment Awards.
In addition, registered members can provide comments and enrich the discussion about the 52 exemplary real-life cases.
Cast your votes for the Public Prize by 18 October 2009 and you might be one of the five lucky portal members to receive free admission to the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference in Malmö. In addition, all voters who cast their votes before 11 November 2009 - the final online voting deadline - will have a chance at winning some of our other prizes: USB phone chargers and computer screen cleaners.
The winners will be chosen randomly in two separate draws: One for free admission to the Ministerial eGovernment Conference and one for our other prizes. All winners will be notified by e-mail. All portal members who vote online for their three favourite cases from among the 52 finalists will be eligible for the draw, excluding European Commission and ePractice.eu staff and contractors.
If a winner of the free admission to the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference fails to confirm his/her attendance within five working days after being notified, the invitation will be offered to another voter. Note that the invitation includes admission to the conference only, i.e. all costs regarding travel and accommodation will NOT be covered.
The 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference will be held on 19-20 November 2009 in Malmö (Sweden). This high-level conference offers a unique learning and networking opportunity, bringing together more than 1000 prominent public and private decision-makers and experts from across Europe and beyond. This is a unique opportunity to be granted admission to this high-profile event: attendance is limited and by invitation only!
4) What do I have to do to vote? Voting requirements
Votes can be cast only online, using the voting facility on the ePractice.eu site. In order to vote, you must be a registered member of ePractice.eu (membership open to all) and have the minimum required user profile. This means that:
- Your profile must be made public
- Your profile must have a picture
- Your profile must contain sufficient information (it must be at least 70% complete)
- You must have a minimum of 150 kudos to demonstrate your activity OR you must have registered as a member prior to 1 September 2009.
If you have two or more profiles on the site, you may use only one of these to vote; otherwise, you will be disqualified.
You can register here to become a member of the ePractice.eu community.
5) Which cases can I vote for? Where can I find them?
Voting is restricted to the 52 European eGovernment Awards 2009 finalists.
To cast a vote, login at the portal, go to the case description of your chosen finalist case (see the list of finalists here) and click on “Vote for this case”. Your vote will be registered immediately.
Important note: Voters are asked to cast votes for three finalists from at least two countries to strengthen the European dimension of the Public Prize. If you vote for three cases from the same country, your votes will be disqualified.
Online voting closes on 11 November 2009 at 18:00 CET.
7) Check your votes on "My Profile"
You can view your votes on your personal profile page "My Profile". You can change your votes at any time before the deadline. The last three cases voted for will be included in the final count.
8) The Online Voting Committee
An online voting committee has been established to oversee the entire process and validate the outcome. The committee is made up of members of the European eGovernment Awards Consortium and an external expert. The committee will:
- Validate the winner, based on the case that receives the most votes (excluding those finalists that may win one of the four other awards);
- Set up a decision mechanism should two or more cases score the same number of public votes;
- Track and monitor the fairness of the overall process;
- Exclude votes submitted through fraudulent means or that are not compliant with the abovementioned rules.
9) Announcement of the Public Prize winner
The winner of the Public Prize will be announced together with the winners of the other three categories at the awards ceremony on 19 November 2009 in Malmö. The awards ceremony is the highlight of the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2009 hosted by the European Commission and the Swedish EU presidency.
Should you have any questions or problems related to the online voting, please contact us at: awards@epractice.eu
