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I'm not entirely sold on it myself, but here is a proposal to reform voter eligibility. It draws upon some of the ideas previously proposed by Jay and Comfed, but also introduces some new proposed changes to the debate as well.
This proposal seeks to streamline the process by which South Pacificans can become eligible to vote by allowing any South Pacifican to apply to become a registered voter. Gaining and maintaining that status is contingent upon passing and continuing to pass a standard security check, similar to our current system with legislatorship. However, there are no activity requirements to maintain that status.
Under this system, South Pacificans will no longer be required to participate in our legislature in order to vote for members of the executive. While all South Pacificans who pass the security check will remain eligible to participate in the Assembly, they will not be required to participate regularly in order to maintain their status. This may lead to many inactive members of the Assembly, but I believe it will decrease the number of uninformed voters who vote simply in order to keep their status. Instead, I believe Assembly debate and votes will be driven simply by those with an interest in it and who choose to continue participating.
A security check also necessarily means that elections will be conducted on the forums; most importantly, there will be no second round in Delegate elections conducted by regional poll. In order to vote, South Pacificans must register to vote. In our current system, the Assembly votes first on the forums and then the region as a whole votes by regional poll. In this proposed system, all interested South Pacificans — not just the Assembly — may register to vote, and then a single round of voting is conducted. To alleviate concerns that players who do not use the forums frequently may feel disenfranchised, this proposal codifies a system similar to that employed for this Great Council. Advance notice is provided to all South Pacificans through in-game mechanics, and those interested may submit a voter registration application. Unlike the current system, they will not need to worry about losing that status if they do not check the forum often following the election.
THE CHARTER OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Table of Contents
Preamble
The Assembly of the Coalition of the South Pacific, representing our diverse community, convenes to establish this fundamental law of our region, to uphold democratic principles and rights, and provide for the security of our unified community both on the forums and in the game.
I. CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS
Defining the supreme laws of our community.
(1) Laws that form the foundation of our community, are considered fundamental to governance, or otherwise are considered of great importance by the Coalition, are to be known as “constitutional laws” and marked as such.
(2) Constitutional laws passed by the Assembly hold precedence and supremacy over all other laws, regulations, and policies of all branches of government.
(3) This Charter is a constitutional law holding supremacy over all others, and defines the purpose of our government and its framework.
(4) Any constitutional law passed by the Assembly that directly affects the gameside community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also receive the consent of the gameside before coming into force, where that consent shall not require more than a three-fifths supermajority in a vote.
(5) Constitutional laws passed by the Local Council hold the same status as those passed by the Assembly, limited in their scope and force to the realms of Local Council jurisdiction, but may not contradict this Charter or any law, regulation, or policy of the Assembly, Cabinet, or Council on Regional Security.
II. SOVEREIGNTY
Outlining the sovereignty of the Coalition and the origins of legitimacy.
(1) The sovereignty of the region lies with the Coalition of the South Pacific. No other group claiming legitimacy will be recognized. The integrity of the Coalition, in its forums and the region, shall not be challenged or violated by any government official, internal dissidents, or other regions.
(2) Authority and legitimacy are held jointly by the region and the forum, and the union between the two is what defines the Coalition. No illegitimate invader or usurper of the region shall be recognized.
III. RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
Recognizing the democratic rights and freedoms of all members of the Coalition.
(1) All members of the South Pacific will enjoy the freedoms of expression, speech, assembly, and the press, limited only by reasonable moderation policies.
(2) The right to a fair trial and defense against criminal accusations will not be abridged. No member may be subject to any bill of attainder, be tried for the same crime more than once, or be tried ex post facto.
(3) No member, who had joined the region in good faith, may be banned or ejected from the in-game region without the due process of law.
(4) No member may be denied the right to vote or hold office, unless prohibited by constitutional law.
(5) No law may be passed by the Assembly that directly affects the activities of the in-game community without the consent of the in-game community.
(6) The High Court may strike down any general law or action that violates any right or freedom found in this Charter.
IV. THE ELECTORATE
Establishing the body of voters of the Coalition.
(1) All residents of the Coalition are eligible to submit a voter registration application.
(2) A standing commission of registered voters will be tasked with granting and revoking voter registration status. The composition of this commission and the manner in which it grants and reassesses voter registration status will be set by the Assembly in a law.
IV. THE ASSEMBLY
Establishing legislative authority in the Assembly.
(1) The Assembly holds supreme legislative authority in the Coalition, and is comprised of all eligible legislators.
(2) Any individual who is registered to vote may participate as a member of the Assembly.
(3)(2) The Assembly will elect one of its membersa legislator as Chair for a term lasting four months. The Chair is responsible for maintaining order and decorum, and helping guide Assembly debate into the creation of bills. If a Chair is recalled, is no longer a member of the Assemblyloses legislator status, or is otherwise not in office, a new Chair will be elected for a new term lasting four months. The date, time, and manner of electing the Chair will be set by the Assembly in a law.
(4)(3) The Chair may appoint a deputy or deputies, to whom the Chair may publicly delegate any powers, responsibilities, or special projects of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. The Chair may dismiss such deputies.
Legislator Eligibility
(4) A standing commission of legislators will be tasked with granting and revoking legislator status. All residents of the Coalition are eligible to attain legislator status through an application. Continued legislator status requires active membership and good behaviour.
VI. THE LOCAL COUNCIL
Establishing home rule for the in-game region residents.
(1) The Local Council will be the local government of the in-game community, composed of three or more residents of the South Pacific, and will represent the interests of all players in the region, moderate the Regional Message Board, encourage activity on the gameside, and administrate itself on issues unique to the in-game community.
(2) The Local Council is entitled to self-administration within its jurisdiction on local issues, but may not pass laws or regulations that contradict this Charter or constitutional laws passed by the Assembly. To that end, the Assembly may not enact any law, nor the Cabinet deliver any directive, that is solely related to an issue local to the in-game community, except as done under the terms of this Charter.
(3) The Local Council may not be denied the authority to run regional polls, create and pin Dispatches, and to suppress messages on the Regional Message Board according to a standard moderation policy. However, it may not alter the regional flags or tags, and may not send out mass telegrams, without the approval of the Delegate.
(4) To help promote inter-governmental relations, the Local Council may send a representative to the Assembly whose term must not exceed the Local Council’s. The method of selection will be decided by the Local Council.
VII. THE EXECUTIVE
Establishing an executive branch consisting of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
(1) The Prime Minister will be the head of government and the leader of the Cabinet. They will be responsible for the overall coordination of executive activities, being a liaison between the government and the community, and protecting the Coalition.
(2) The Cabinet will consist of ministers with the following portfolios: Foreign Affairs, Culture, Engagement, and Defense.
(3) As leader of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister is responsible for overseeing a collective Cabinet agenda, and may give directions and instructions to the ministers. Disputes within the Cabinet are subject to the majority decision and collective responsibility; where there is no majority the Prime Minister’s vote shall be the deciding one.
(4) The Office of World Assembly Legislation will be a permanent executive office, which will be led by a Director, responsible for coordinating the Coalition's activities in the World Assembly, providing assistance in drafting resolutions, and issuing voting recommendations on World Assembly proposals. At the start of each Cabinet term, the Director will be appointed by the Prime Minister for a term coinciding with the Cabinet's. In any vacancy, a new Director will be appointed by the Prime Minister to serve the remainder of the term.
(5) Members of the Executive are required to be registered votershold legislator status.
Elections
(6) Executive elections will be held every four months, where the Prime Minister and all Cabinet positions will be up for election.
(7) The date, time, and manner of elections will be set by the Assembly in a law.
Minister of Culture
(8) The Minister of Culture will be responsible for supporting the roleplay community and organizing regional cultural activities, events, and exchanges.
Minister of Engagement
(9) The Minister of Engagement will be responsible for recruiting and integrating new players into the Coalition's government and community, maintaining public infrastructure such as dispatches and other guides, setting unified presentation standards, and providing graphics to the government and citizens of the Coalition.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
(10) The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be the Coalition’s chief diplomat. They will be responsible for establishing the government’s foreign policy program, communicating with allies, and coordinating with the military on foreign policy priorities when necessary.
(11) The Minister of Foreign Affairs holds the sole power to initiate treaty negotiations with other regions, groups, and organizations, but may designate officers to handle those negotiations. Upon completion of a treaty negotiation, the Minister must present it to the full executive for majority approval, before submitting it to the Assembly for ratification.
(12) The Minister of Foreign Affairs will be responsible for establishing standards for the creation and maintenance of consulates and embassies.
Minister of Defense
(13) The Minister of Defense will be the civilian leader of the armed forces of the Coalition, the South Pacific Special Forces. In conjunction with a group of Generals, the Minister of Defense will be responsible for the defense of the Coalition, building military activity, and conducting military operations.
(14) The Minister of Defense may elect to establish an intelligence office, in equal coordination with the Council on Regional Security.
Executive Authorities
(15) The executive may exercise the collective authority of executive orders, by unanimous consent among the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers. Executive orders may only be issued to address an immediate and pressing issue created by ambiguity or holes in a particular law, which will immediately have the effect of law.
(16) Upon declaring an executive order, the order will be presented automatically to the Assembly for three days of debate, followed by a vote according to legislative rules, where it will expire and its effects shall be reversed if the Assembly does not incorporate it into law.
(17) The Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, and other executive offices may elect to appoint deputies and advisors, who will be considered junior members of their respective offices, but will not have voting rights in any executive decision.
VIII. THE DELEGATE
Establishing a Head of State.
(1) The Delegate will be the head of state of the Coalition. They will be responsible for helping maintain the security of the region, promoting growth and activity, and serving as an advisor to the forum-side government. Barring reasonable circumstances, the Delegate will hold the in-game Delegate seat. No person may be Delegate if they have participated, in whole or in part and at any time, in any coup d'etat of the Coalition or any of its allies, excluding normal raiding, defending, or liberation efforts as part of an organized military.
(2) The Delegate will work with the Local Council in moderating the Regional Message Board, fulfilling Regional Officer positions, promoting gameside activities, and representing the preferences of the gameside community.
(3) The Delegate must fulfill in-game actions required by law but assigned to others if those actions can only be taken by the person holding the in-game Delegate seat.
Elections
(4) Delegate elections will be held every six months.
(5) The date, time, and manner of electing the Delegate will be set by the Assembly in a law, but must include the participation of the gameside community.
VIIIX. THE HIGH COURT
Creating a supreme judicial authority for the Coalition.
(1) The High Court will consist of one Chief Justice and a number of Associate Justices, and will hold exclusive judicial authority in the Coalition.
(2) The procedure for the appointment of the justices will be defined in a law by the Assembly.
(3) Procedures for the conduct of criminal trials and civil cases will be defined in a law by the Assembly.
Powers
(4) The High Court has the power to declare any general law, regulation, directive, determination or any other official act of government, in whole or in part, void upon a determination that it violates the terms of this Charter or any other constitutional law.
(5) The High Court may reconcile contradictions within the Charter, constitutional laws, general laws, Cabinet directives, and Local Council laws and regulations, maintaining the least amount of disruption to the intended purposes of the contradictory parts.
(6) The High Court may clarify and interpret provisions of law when presented with a Legal Question about them.
(7) The High Court holds the sole power to conduct a criminal trial.
IX. THE COUNCIL ON REGIONAL SECURITY AND CORAL GUARD
Establishing a central authority for protecting the Coalition’s security.
(1) The Council on Regional Security will be composed of experienced and trustworthy members of the Coalition, and will be responsible for monitoring and responding to regional security issues. The Council will choose a Chair as needed, who will fulfill all secretarial requirements of the Council that may arise.
Membership of the Council on Regional Security
(2) The minimum qualifications for membership in the Council on Regional Security are: maintaining a nation in the South Pacific and having served at least six consecutive months as a registered voterlegislator or two terms in the Local Council.
(3) Eligible members may become members of the Council on Regional Security via two methods, either application to the Council itself, or nomination by the Delegate and Prime Minister.
(4) If applying directly to the Council, applicants should explain why they are well suited to protect regional security. Applications will remain private. The Council will review the application and determine whether or not the applicant is well suited. If the application is approved, the Council will forward the nomination to the Assembly for approval via a three-fifths majority vote.
(5) The Delegate and Prime Minister may jointly nominate any person meeting the requirements for membership and who are well suited to protect regional security. Prior to the nomination, the Delegate and Prime Minister will consult with the Council for their advice. To ensure collegiality and prevent dysfunction, if two-thirds of the members of the Council object to the prospective nominee’s membership, the nomination will not move forward. If no such objection exists, then the nomination will be submitted to the Assembly for approval via three-fifths majority vote.
(6) If a majority of the Council deems a member to be a threat to regional security, they will be suspended from the Council pending an official investigation and report to the Assembly. Following the investigation, the Assembly must vote on whether to remove or reinstate the member.
(7) Participation, in whole or in part and at any time, in any coup d’etat or invasion of the Coalition or any of its allies will disqualify a prospective or sitting member from membership in the Council on Regional Security immediately and permanently. Participation in normal raiding, defending, or liberation efforts as part of an organized military will not be considered a violation of this clause.
Powers of the Council on Regional Security
(8) The Council on Regional Security will be responsible for establishing an appropriate cap on endorsements, ensuring that such a cap is not detrimental to the growth of the region. Enforcement of the endorsement cap should be done with leniency if a violator does not pose a significant risk to regional security.
(9) During a coup d’etat, whether committed by outside forces, infiltrators, or duly elected officials, the Council on Regional Security may declare a state of emergency, until such a time that a legitimate government is restored. All necessary measures may be taken to defeat a coup d’etat or hostile invasion, except that the legitimate Assembly may not be suspended.
(10) The Council on Regional Security, the Prime Minister, and the Delegate will establish a line of succession for the Delegate seat.
(11) The Council on Regional Security shall designate an individual as Intelligence Coordinator, who must be notified of and approve all intelligence and counter-intelligence operations. The Intelligence Coordinator will be responsible for disseminating any and all intelligence to the Council on Regional Security and other bodies as needed. The Intelligence Coordinator and the Minister of Defense will maintain a regional intelligence classification system as necessary for ensuring information security.
Establishing an authority for maintaining influence and endorsements to defend the region.
(12) The Coral Guard will be composed of trusted members of the Coalition, and will be responsible for maintaining high endorsements and influence levels. The Coral Guard will choose a Chair as needed, who will fulfill all secretarial requirements of the Coral Guard that may arise.
Membership of the Coral Guard
(13) The minimum qualifications for membership in the Coral Guard are: maintaining a World Assembly member nation in the South Pacific; having served at least six consecutive months as a registered voterlegislator or two terms in the Local Council; and meeting requirements for influence and endorsements which are set and published by the Council on Regional Security.
(14) Eligible members of the Coral Guard may submit an application directly to the Council on Regional Security in which they describe why they should be trusted with the ability to maintain high endorsement and influence levels and why they are capable of maintaining such high endorsement and influence levels.
(15) Continued membership in the Coral Guard is predicated upon meeting eligibility requirements. Should any member of the Coral Guard fail to meet those requirements, they will lose membership and all the powers and privileges that come with it if they do not meet the requirements within a week of notification.
(16) Members of the Coral Guard may be removed at any time by a majority vote of the Council on Regional Security or recall by the Assembly.
Powers and Responsibilities of the Coral Guard
(17) Members of the Coral Guard are responsible for maintaining high levels of endorsements and influence in the region as well as promoting a growth-oriented endorsement culture in the region, subject to the limitations of the endorsement cap set by the Council on Regional Security.
(18) During a state of emergency, the Coral Guard will be required to execute any and all directives by the Council on Regional Security in order to restore the legitimate government of the region. When nations must be ejected or banned from the region, the Council on Regional Security will have the power to order any member of the Coral Guard to do so.
(19) The Coral Guard will have the power, subject to the limitations of the endorsement cap set by the Council on Regional Security, to build infrastructure and conduct events to promote the growth of endorsements in the region, particularly among the Council on Regional Security and Coral Guard.
XI. THE MILITARY
Creating an official military for the purposes of regional defense, war, and gameplay.
(1) The South Pacific Special Forces will be the official military forces of the Coalition. Their responsibilities will be to enact the government’s military policies abroad, foster activity for the region, and serve as a representative of the Coalition’s power and influence.
(2) The military will be led by the Minister of Defense, along with a corps of generals appointed by the Minister and approved by the Assembly. The Minister and general corps may establish further hierarchy, create programs, and appoint deputies as they see necessary.
(3) The military will have the support of the Coalition in conducting operations to protect innocent regions from attack and oppression and promote legitimate, native democratic institutions across the world. The military may not colonize or annex any region without the express permission of the Cabinet and the Assembly, by majority vote of both chambers. Nor may the military attack, subjugate, purge, destroy, or vandalize any regions, excepting those regions which espouse hateful ideologies and those regions against which the Coalition has declared an official state of war.
(4) The Minister of Defense will coordinate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to ensure that no military activities harm the government’s diplomatic affairs or public relations.
XII. RECALLS AND MOTIONS OF NO CONFIDENCE
Establishing a method to hold government officials to account.
(1) Any official of the Coalition may be recalled by an Assembly resolution passed with a three-fifths majority of those voting.
a. Recalls should only be initiated for dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, or violations of the law, and not for purposes of political rivalry.
b. Upon initiation, recall resolutions must be debated for three days and receive a motion and second before being put to vote.
c. Upon passage, the recalled official will immediately be removed from office.
(2) A Motion of No Confidence may be initiated by the Assembly if the members have lost faith in the effectiveness and activities of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Motions of No Confidence must be debated for three days and receive a motion and a second before being moved to vote. Passage requires three-fifths majority support of those voting, and triggers a special election for all Cabinet offices.
XIII. THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM
Creating an independent, apolitical body to manage off-site communications.
(1) The Off-Site Administration Team will be responsible for the technical maintenance of the region's Discord servers, forums, and the integrity of the database. Administrators will not be given responsibilities of a political nature.
(2) The Off-Site Administration Team will be responsible for the appointment and removal of its own members, except when an administrator is removed from the position following a guilty verdict in a fair trial for abuse of administrative powers. Additionally, new administrators must be approved by a majority of the Assembly before being granted administrator permissions.
(3) The Off-Site Administration Team must create standard administration and moderation policies. These policies will be submitted to the Assembly for a one-week review and comment period before going into effect.
(4) While the Off-Site Administration Team may appoint global moderators if needed, individual Ministers, the Chair of the Assembly, and roleplay moderators primarily will be responsible for the moderation of their dedicated Discord servers and forums.
XIVII. AMENDMENT PROCESS
Setting a procedure for amendment of the Charter and constitutional laws.
(1) The Assembly may amend any provision of the Charter or constitutional laws passed by the Assembly with a three-fifths supermajority. These amendments must be constitutional in nature, and amendments to the Charter must address the structure or framework of government. Bills that may exist as general laws, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, should not be placed in the Charter or constitutional laws.
(2) Any amendment to the Charter or constitutional laws that directly affects the gameside community or its home governance, as determined by the Chair of the Assembly, must also receive the consent of the gameside community before coming into force, where the consent shall not require more than a three-fifths supermajority in a vote. Additionally, the Local Council may originate amendments to its structure in the Charter, which must receive the consent of the Assembly before coming into force.
(3) The Local Council will determine the qualifications and processes for amendments to its own constitutional laws.
XIV. GREAT COUNCILS
Setting a procedure for constitutional conventions.
(1) The Assembly may call a constitutional convention, wherein the Charter and laws of the Coalition can be rewritten or amended in a systematic manner. These conventions shall be known as Great Councils and be presided over by a chair responsible for maintaining decorum, compiling proposals, recognizing motions, and recording votes.
(2) Great Councils shall operate in parallel to the Assembly, which will still be convened under regular order. Participation in Great Councils is determined in the organizing resolution, where the Assembly may expand eligibility beyond its memberslegislators or restrict eligibility by criteria it deems fit.
(3) Great Councils may only be called once per year, unless in the intervening time the legitimacy of the Coalition has been challenged and the Assembly must reassert constitutional order.
(4) In calling a Great Council, the Assembly shall pass an organizing resolution by majority vote, naming a chair, determining eligibility requirements, and establishing an agenda and rules of order. Organizing resolutions may be altered by majority vote of the Great Council once convened.
(5) Changes or additions to the constitutional canon of the Coalition may be adopted by a three-fifths majority of the Great Council. Changes or additions to regular statutory law may be adopted by simple majority of the Great Council.
(6) Great Councils shall remain convened until a motion to adjourn sine die is adopted by simple majority.
Elections Act
An act establishing elections for office
Table of contents
- Election Commissioner
- Electoral Basics
- Office of the Delegate
- Offices of the Cabinet
- Office of the Chair
- Vacancies of Office
- Separation of Powers
- Constitutional Law
1. Election Commissioner
(1) An Election Commissioner will be appointed by the Council on Regional Security to administer all forum elections.
(2) The Commissioner will be responsible for the creation of election notices, the organization of election forums, the verification of candidate eligibility, the distribution and collection of ballots, and counting and verifying cast ballots.
(3) The Commissioner may not run for or hold an elected office during their tenure as Commissioner.
a. This does not prohibit the Commissioner from resigning to seek office via an election or finding an accepted surrogate to oversee the election in their place.
(4) The Commissioner will be a permanent position and shall be replaced as needed due to inactivity or ineligibility by the Council on Regional Security. The Assembly may recall a Commissioner for abuse of power or neglect of responsibilities through regular order.
(5) Any election-related disputes will be arbitrated by the Commissioner; should the dispute be on a matter of law, the Commissioner shall refer it to the High Court. The Commissioner will not finalize any election until all disputes have been settled.
(6) For any election or group of elections beginning at the same date and time, with the exception of elections for the Chair of the Assembly, the Commissioner must post an election notice one week prior to the beginning of the nominations period, which will be distributed by mass telegram to the region. This notice must inform readers of:
a. the offices which the upcoming election(s) will fill,
b. the date and time at which those election(s) will commence,
c. the rights of eligible members of the Coalition to register to vote, and
d. the responsibility of voters to participate and engage in good faith.
(7) The Voter Registration Committee must approve or reject all voter registration applications received during this week prior to the commencement of the nominations period for the upcoming election(s).
2. Electoral Basics
(1) For forum-based voting, voters have the option to cast either a public or a secret ballot, and may not alter it once cast. The method of casting secret ballots will be selected by the Election Commissioner. The chosen method must utilize an unaffiliated account or server, with the method and all votes remaining available for audit. Named ballots are not to be released under any circumstances.
(2) In each election, voters can, subject to limitations set for the specific voting method, vote for the Re-Open Nominations option, which shall function like a normal candidate in the election. If, under the voting method used, the option to Re-Open Nominations is a winner, the election process for the exact position won by it shall restart.
(3) To be eligible to be included on a ballot, a candidate must post a campaign in an area designated by the Election Commissioner. The campaign must prominently include a truthful declaration of all potential conflicts of interest the candidate may have within and outside of the South Pacific.
(4) To be eligible to vote in, or stand for, a forum-based election, members of the Coalitiona legislator must remain registered to vote from the beginning of the nominations period to the conclusion of the voting periodhave been accepted by the Legislator Committee before the period for nominations began for that particular election.
(5) If the voting method used in an election ties candidates, whether for elimination or winning, the Election Commissioner will select a method of arbitration, unless the tie can be resolved by special provisions set for the election in law. If the method chosen involves chance, an unaffiliated Discord bot will be used to generate a result in a public channel randomly using a coin toss or some similar set of pre-defined outcomes.
(6) Under Instant-Runoff Voting, the sole winner is determined as follows;
a. As their ballot, a voter lists any candidates they wish in descending order of preference.
b. Until a candidate has received an absolute majority of first-place preferences and thus becomes the winner, the candidate with the fewest first-place preferences is eliminated and the ballots get retallied, ignoring any eliminated candidates and discounting ballots solely listing eliminated candidates.
c. If candidates tie for elimination, all those receiving the fewest second-place preferences among them are eliminated.
(7) Under Approval Voting, winners ‒ as many as specified for the respective position ‒ are determined as follows;
a. As their ballot, a voter either indicates all candidates they approve of, or the option to Re-Open Nominations.
b. Until enough winners have been found, the most-approved candidate among the non-winners becomes a winner.
c. The option to Re-Open Nominations wins in place of the winners who have been approved on less than half of all ballots.
(8) Under Majority Voting, the sole winner is determined as follows;
a. As their ballot, a voter indicates the candidate their vote shall go towards.
b. If a candidate has received an absolute majority of votes, they are the winner; otherwise, the two candidates who have received the most votes advance to a runoff, held under the same rules as this round of voting. Should this runoff result in a tie, then the tie shall be broken according to the general tie-breaking procedure.
3. Office of the Delegate
(1) The Delegate will be elected in a two-round process constituting a single election, with the Assembly voting on a slate of nominees on the forums, and candidates advancing from that process being voted on by regional poll on-site.
(1) Elections for the position of Delegate will begin on the first of every January and July.(2) On the first of every January and July, the Assembly will convene for the first round of Delegate elections.
a. Any eligible registered voterlegislator wishing to run for Delegate may declare their candidacy, and other registered votersthe Assembly will debate the merits of their platform. Any player who has been banned from World Assembly membership will be considered ineligible and any candidate who is later discovered to be banned from World Assembly membership will be immediately disqualified. Registered votersLegislators wishing to run for Delegate must hold a number of endorsements equal to at least 80% of the existing general endorsement cap at the commencement of the election period.
b. The campaign and debate period will last one week, after which registered votersthe Assembly will vote for 3 days.
c. This round of vVoting for Delegate will use Approval Voting to determine the winnertwo winners of positions as candidates in the second round. If candidates tie for being a winner, all of those tied candidates shall be considered winners.
(3) After the winners of the first round have been determined, the second round will commence with them as candidates.
a. The Election Commissioner will create a week-long regional poll through which voters may cast their ballots. The poll must provide instructions for them on how to do so, and may only allow Native World Assembly members to participate.
b. A Dispatch containing the campaigns of all candidates will be created to aid voters in their choice.
c. Members of the South Pacific Special Forces who are on deployment at the conclusion of the regional poll are eligible to cast a ballot. The Minister of Defense shall provide a list of deployed personnel to the Election Commissioner. Members on the list can cast their ballot through a public post on the Regional Message Board which tags the Election Commissioner.
d. The winner of this round, as decided using Majority Voting, will be declared the Delegate-elect.
(3)(4) The Delegate-elect will be considered formally inaugurated upon achieving the most endorsements. Prior to inauguration, the sole responsibility of the Delegate-elect is to gather endorsements, in coordination with the incumbent Delegate and in cooperation with the Council on Regional Security. The incumbent will continue to hold the office of the Delegate and will remain responsible for all responsibilities of that office, serving out the remainder of their term, until the inauguration of the Delegate-elect.
4. Offices of the Cabinet
(1) Elections for the offices of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet will begin on the first of every February, June, and OctoberOn the first of every February, June and October, the Assembly will convene to elect the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
a. After the first 4 days of the election period, during which registered voterslegislators may declare their candidacy and campaign for only one position, and a campaign-only period of two days, where candidates may campaign and other registered votersthe Assembly will debate the merits of their platforms, registered votersthe Assembly will vote for 3 days.
b. For each position, the respective winner, as decided using Instant-Runoff Voting, will be declared the Minister-elect by the Election Commissioner.
(2) The terms for the incoming Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers will begin the week after elections. Before this inauguration, any and all election-related disputes must be settled. The outgoing Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers will maintain their offices until then.
5. Office of the Chair
(1) Eight days before the end of a Chair's term, the Assembly will convene to elect the Chair of the Assembly.
a. Any member of the Assemblylegislator wishing to run for Chair may declare their candidacy, and the Assembly will debate the merits of their platform.
b. The campaign and debate period will last 5 days, after which the Assembly will vote for 3 days.
c. The sole winner, as decided using Approval Voting, will be declared Chair of the Assembly by the Election Commissioner.
(2) The term for the incoming Chair will begin immediately following the conclusion of the election.
6. Vacancies of Office
(1) A special election will be held for vacancies arising within the Cabinet, if at least half of the term remains. If less than half of the term remains, or the position is vacant due to nobody running in its election, the Cabinet may appoint a replacement until the next regularly scheduled election.
(2) Should the office of Delegate become vacant, the next person in the line of succession will become interim Delegate until the next regularly scheduled election. If no person qualifies for the office, then a special election will be held.
(3) If a Chair is no longer in office prior to the election of a new Chair, a deputy appointed by the outgoing Chair will serve as Acting Chair to exercise all powers and responsibilities of the office of the Chair, subject to all regulations and restrictions imposed upon the Chair by law. In the event that more than one deputy was appointed, the most senior deputy according to the order of appointment and availability will serve as Acting Chair. In the event that no deputy was appointed or is available, the Cabinet will designate a member of the Assemblylegislator to serve as Acting Chair.
7. Separation of Powers
(1) Offices of the Coalition are the Delegate, the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, the Chair of the Assembly, Local Councillors, the Chief Justice, and any of their appointed deputies.
(2) It is not permitted for any individual to hold more than one office within the Coalition's government.
(3) It is permitted to seek election or appointment to a new office while holding an existing office.
(4) Election or appointment to a new office constitutes explicit resignation of an existing office.
(5) No person holding a Cabinet office or the office of the Delegate may hold any equivalent office in a foreign region or organisation.
8. Constitutional Law
(1) The Elections Act is a constitutional law, and further amendments to it must meet constitutional amendment requirements.
Legislator Committee Act
An act to establish a commission to manage legislators
Table of contents
- Scope
- Legislator Applications
- Legislator Checks
- Constitutional Law
1. Scope
(1) The Legislator Committee is the commission responsible for granting and revoking legislator status to members.
(2) The Legislator Committee comprises no less than three and no more than five legislators that have each been appointed by the Cabinet and approved by the Assembly via a simple majority vote.
(3) A member of the Legislator Committee is removed from the committee if
a. the member resigns,
b. the member loses legislator eligibility, or
c. the member is recalled by the Assembly through regular order.
(4) If there is no member of the Legislator Committee available due to vacancy or leave, and there are outstanding duties to be performed, the Cabinet may appoint an emergency member to handle any urgent matters of the committee. The Council on Regional Security may, on security grounds only, rescind the Cabinet's appointment. The emergency member's tenure will last until the Cabinet rescinds the appointment or until one week after a regular committee member is available, whichever happens sooner.
2. Legislator Applications
(1) Any member of the Coalition is eligible to attain legislator status if
a. the Legislator Committee does not opine that they are seeking membership in bad faith,
b. they have a nation in the South Pacific,
c. are not attempting to join with multiple nations or identities, and
d. are not considered by the Council on Regional Security to be a significant risk to regional security.
(2) A member of the Coalition may attain legislator status through an application with the Legislator Committee. The Committee shall confirm the reception of an application within 48 hours. The Committee will determine the eligibility of the applicant, consulting any other institutions of the Coalition as needed to inform its decision, and shall strive to accept or deny each applicant within a week.
(3) An application for legislator status must include at least
a. the current nation in the South Pacific;
b. any colloquial aliases of the individual in use within the last year, or in prominent use longer than a year ago;
c. the current World Assembly nation of the individual (in case of a floating World Assembly membership, the applicant may list multiple nations such that World Assembly membership can be traced throughout the application process); and
d. a pledge to uphold the laws of the Coalition of the South Pacific.
(4) The Legislator Committee may request additional legitimation steps from applicants, such as requesting a telegram from a World Assembly nation. An applicant may choose to publicly withhold some information and only disclose it to the Council on Regional Security in case of reasonable concerns of confidentiality.
(5) Upon acceptance or denial of an application, the Legislator Committee shall post the result (including a sufficient reason in case of a denial) both in response to the application as well as per telegram to the applicant nation.
3. Legislator Checks
(1) Continued legislator status requires active membership and good behaviour.
(2) Within the first week of each calendar month, the Legislator Committee will remove legislator status from a legislator if they failed the voting requirement in the past month, if applicable, or otherwise no longer meet the eligibility requirements as described herein. If a legislator no longer meets the eligibility requirements (not including the voting requirement), and it would be impossible for them to meet the requirements before the first week of the following calendar month, the Legislator Committee may remove their legislator status at their discretion before the appointed week. The Legislator Committee may exercise discretion and not remove legislators under reasonable extenuating circumstances.
(3) A legislator fails the voting requirement if they are absent for more than half of all votes finished in the previous calendar month, if a minimum of two votes occurred. Legislators who have an approved leave of absence from the Chair shall not be considered absent for votes in the given time frame.
(4) The Chair of the Assembly may order the Legislator Committee to suspend legislator privileges for disruptive members. Frequent suspensions may be grounds for ineligibility, if found appropriate in a fair trial by the High Court.
4. Constitutional Law
(1) The Legislator Committee Act is a constitutional law, and further amendments to it must meet constitutional amendment requirements.
Voter Registration Act
An act to establish a process for voter registration
Table of Contents
1. Voter Registration
(1) Any member of the Coalition may submit a voter registration application.
(2) Members of the Coalition are eligible to register to vote if they:
a. have a nation in the South Pacific,
b. are not attempting to join with multiple nations or identities,
c. are not considered by the Voter Registration Committee to be seeking membership in bad faith, and
d. are not considered by the Council on Regional Security to be a significant risk to regional security.
(3) Voter registration applications must include at least:
a. the current nation of the applicant in the South Pacific;
b. colloquial aliases used by the applicant within the past year, or in prominent use more than one year ago;
c. the current World Assembly nation of the applicant or, in the case of a floating World Assembly membership, multiple nations such that World Assembly membership can be traced throughout the application process;
d. a pledge to participate in good faith, including by remaining informed prior to voting; and
c. a pledge to uphold the laws of the Coalition of the South Pacific.
2. The Voter Registration Committee
(1) The Voter Registration Committee is responsible for granting and revoking voter registration status to members of the Coalition.
(2) The Voter Registration Committee must be comprised of no less than three and no more than five registered voters.
(3) Members of the Committee must be appointed by the Cabinet, and approved by a simple majority vote of the Assembly and by unanimous consent of the Council on Regional Security.
(4) Members of the Committee will lose their status if the member resigns, loses their status as a registered voter, or is recalled by the Assembly through regular order.
(5) If there is no member of the Voter Registration Committee available due to vacancy or leave, and there are outstanding duties to be performed, the Cabinet may appoint an emergency member to handle any urgent matters of the committee. The Council on Regional Security may, on security grounds only, rescind the Cabinet's appointment. The emergency member's tenure will last until the Cabinet rescinds the appointment or until one week after a regular committee member is available, whichever happens sooner.
3. Application Processing
(1) The Voter Registration Committee will confirm the reception of each application within 48 hours after it is received. The Committee will strive to make a decision on whether to approve or deny each application within a week, consulting any other institutions of the Coalition as needed to inform its decision.
(2) The Voter Registration Committee may request additional verification steps from applicants, such as requesting a telegram from a World Assembly nation. An applicant may choose to publicly withhold some information and only disclose it to the Council on Regional Security in case of reasonable concerns of confidentiality.
(3) Upon acceptance or denial of an application, the Voter Registration Committee shall post the result, including a sufficient reason in case of a denial, in both the venue in which the application was posted as well as by telegram to the applicant nation.
4. Continued Eligibility
(1) Remaining a registered voter is contingent upon continuing to meet eligibility requirements.
(2) The Voter Registration Committee will periodically perform voter eligibility checks by revoking the voter registrations of all members who no longer meet the eligibility requirements to register to vote.
a. The Committee must perform voter eligibility checks within the first week of each calendar month, but may also perform these checks at other times at its discretion.
b. If a registered voter no longer meets the eligibility requirements, and it would be impossible for them to meet the requirements before the first week of the following calendar month, the Voter Registration committee may revoke the member's voter registration prior to that week.
(3) The Chair of the Assembly may order the Voter Registration Committee to suspend the voter registration status of disruptive members. Frequent suspensions may be grounds for ineligibility, if found appropriate in a fair trial by the High Court.
(4) The Election Commissioner may order the Voter Registration Committee to suspend the voter registration status of disruptive members, if found appropriate in a fair trial by the High Court.
5. Constitutional Law
(1) The Voter Registration Act is a constitutional law, and further amendments to it must meet constitutional amendment requirements.
(This post was last modified: 07-19-2022, 05:29 PM by Pronoun.)
Reply
I prefer a citizen/registered voter naming convention over a citizen/registered citizen one (which is nonsensical). But the idea of there being no continued activity requirements is also nonsensical.
We need to actually be clear about what we’re trying to build here. You guys get far too caught up in abstracts that don’t ever matter. We want an active player base. We want a legislature that is *actually here* to write laws and be a check on the other branches of government. We want the people voting in our elections to positively contribute to the game, to be active constituents for the people elected.
If you aren’t striving for that, what the hell are we doing here? What’s the purpose of amassing 500 “registered voters” when only 25 of them are active participants? Just a desire to mimic real life law, regardless if it makes sense for the game?
The notion that this would do anything other than balloon the Assembly with uninformed non-contributors *who will certainly still vote, because you are going to constantly ping them and remind them and beg them to do so*, is just wrong. We have a decade of proof that it’s wrong.
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Like I said — I'm not sold on this idea myself. I'm in particular not married to the idea of having the same activity requirements (or lack thereof) for participating in the Assembly and voting in elections; in principle, I'm not opposed to keeping activity requirements for remaining a member of the Assembly.
Actually, I really don't like the 'voter registration' terminology that much either. It does feel, as you note, like it's driven by a desire to mimic real-life law more than by what's best for the region. While I see where you're coming from, I do think there's an alternative perspective worth considering where I disagree with you somewhat. In particular this bit:
(07-19-2022, 08:23 PM)sandaoguo Wrote: We want the people voting in our elections to positively contribute to the game, to be active constituents for the people elected.
Let's take a step back here. Who constitutes an active constituent?
Consider, for example, a newcomer to the region who discovers an interest in military gameplay. They join the SPSF, they're contributing positively to our region, and they're having a lot of fun doing it. Then we hold our next round of Cabinet elections and — whoops! Doesn't matter how many ministries you're in, if you weren't participating in legislative debates, you don't get to vote for our next Minister of Defense (let alone run for the position).
When we link legislatorship to things, like voting in Cabinet elections, that have little to do with, you know, legislating, we only build up more inactivity in the Assembly. It creates a direct incentive for some players who aren't actually interested in legislating to apply for legislatorship. What are the chances that those players will be active in the Assembly? And does that exclude them from being active constituents? Active participation can come in different forms, and the Assembly is certain one of them, but I don't see why it should be the only form.
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