[odf-discuss] Germany is going to vote "Yes" to OOXML

[Jean Hollis Weber]

Ian Lynch wrote:
> On Wed, 2007-08-22 at 16:13 +0100, Ian Lynch wrote:
>> On Wed, 2007-08-22 at 16:44 +0200, Daniel Carrera wrote:
>>> Fortunately it looks like some other countries are voting "No". Wasn't 
>>> Poland voting "No"?
>> Yes, I think so. - how many no votes are needed? is it a matter of a
>> simple majority?
> 
> Reply to myself! I think I recall its 75% majority needed so if 25% of
> those that have taken an active part vote no its dead?

Rob Weir explains it in this blog post, 
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/02/merely-flesh-wound.html

"During the 5-month ballot, approval of OOXML will require that 
two-thirds of the voting P-Countries approve, as well as that no 
more than one-quarter of all votes cast are negative. This 
requirement for two-thirds approval from P-Countries is what 
makes them so critical.

"One-third of 30 P-Countries is 10. Add 1 to get 11, the magic 
number. If 11 P-Countries vote against OOXML during the 5-month 
ballot, then OOXML will fail. If some countries abstain, then 
this magic number goes proportionately down. Since some NB's have 
a consensus voting procedure for determining their vote in JTC1, 
the lack of consensus could lead them to abstain from the 5-month 
ballot, just as it may have lead some NB's to abstain from the 
contradiction ballot. So this magic number will likely be less 
than 11 because of these abstentions."

See also my other post about Andy Updegrove's report on countries 
upgrading their status on the JTC1, which will change the numbers.

--Jean