Academy Award organizers plan to move voting online, replacing the current mailed ballot system. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has contacted its members asking for e-mail addresses, so they can cast their votes electronically.
The approximately 6,000 academy members determine Oscar nominees, with a vote traditionally made in late December, and then the winners, with a vote cast after the finalists are named in January. They usually are given three weeks to mail in their ballot.
No timetable is yet determined for the change to electronic voting, according to academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger. The request for e-mail addresses is just a first step, she said.
Electronic voting could speed up the process of determining the winner, and lead to the Oscar gala being moved forward. That could affect the timing of other award galas, including the Golden Globes, second only to the Academy Awards in Hollywood glitz. Next year's Oscar ceremony is already set for Feb. 26, 2012.