Ballot SC035: Cleanups and Clarifications

Ballot outcome and purpose

• Ballot SC035: Cleanups and Clarifications was voted on by Certificate Issuers and Certificate Consumers.
• The ballot page states the voting period has ended and the Ballot has Passed.
• Purpose: fix typographical and editorial issues identified in SCWG documents (spring cleanup), including incorrect section references, expired effective dates, and spelling/grammar mistakes.
• Purpose also includes guidance and clarification for language viewed as ambiguous, multiple, or conflicting.
• The page instructs CAs to carefully review each change to ensure no normative impact upon CA operations and practices that may have resulted from ambiguities and consistency issues.

What the ballot modifies

• Baseline Requirements for the Issuance and Management of Publicly-Trusted Certificates (based on Version 1.7.1) via a referenced redline/compare link.
• EV Guidelines (based on Version 1.7.3) via the same referenced redline/compare link.
• The ballot proposes two Final Maintenance Guidelines.

Voting results and bylaw validation

• Certificate Issuers: 21 total votes including abstentions; 21 Yes, 0 No, 0 Abstain; 100% voted in favor.
• Certificate Consumers: 7 total votes including abstentions; 7 Yes, 0 No, 0 Abstain; 100% voted in favor.
• Bylaw 2.3(f) requirements:
  • A yes vote by two-thirds of Certificate Issuer votes and 50%-plus-one Certificate Consumer votes for approval was met for both groups.
  • At least one Certificate Issuer and one Certificate Consumer Member voted in favor; this requirement was also met.
• Bylaw 2.3(g) quorum:
  • Quorum was 11 votes because half of currently active Members as of the start of voting was 10.
  • Quorum was met.

Examples of specific changes shown in the linked diff artifact

• Baseline Requirements and related definitions updates include:
  • CAA definition updated from RFC 6844 to RFC 8659.
  • References to RFC 6844 updated to RFC 8659 in multiple places.
  • DNS CAA contact section references adjusted (e.g., section vs Section).
  • A change stating CAs SHALL NOT perform validations using a method after June 3, 2020.
  • Changes to CAA processing and related requirements to align with RFC 8659.
  • Formatting/heading level adjustments (e.g., section numbering/heading markers).
• The diff also includes changes related to CAA record processing instructions and wording updates tied to RFC 8659.

Discussion and voting timeline (as listed on the ballot page)

• Discussion start time: 2020-08-25 17:00 UTC.
• Discussion end time: 2020-09-02 19:30 UTC.
• Voting start time: 2020-09-02 20:00 UTC.
• Voting end time: 2020-09-09 20:00 UTC.