| [DRAFT] Totally Not Controversial Election Reform |
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Okay, so I have electoral reform on my mind and want to gauge where people stand on a ban on campaigning during voting periods in elections.
Amendment to the Criminal Code Wrote:
Revisions have been made in the form of two bills that could be voted on sequentially.
Part I
Amendment to the Criminal Code Wrote: Part II
Amendment to the Criminal Code Wrote:
I am interested in hearing your rationale for why these proposals are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of democracy in our region (I don't oppose them, I'm undecided and so your response will help guide my thinking)
Former Associate Justice of the High Court of the South Pacific (4 December 2019 to 5 February 2021)
(05-20-2020, 12:23 AM)Nat Wrote: I am interested in hearing your rationale for why these proposals are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of democracy in our region (I don't oppose them, I'm undecided and so your response will help guide my thinking) Well, as discussed on #legislators-lounge, I believe this legislation is needed to prevent unfair campaign tactics, which includes but is not limited to buying an election by buying telegram stamps, preventing influencing during the voting period (let each campaign thread/dispatch speak for themselves during this period). Now, as I am reviewing the legislation that we have on the books, I have since discovered that mass TGs for the aforementioned purpose is already prohibited, which brings me to my hope of prohibiting campaigning during the voting period, believing this to be an unfair tactic of influencing people while they're casting their vote. Our Elections Act lays out three periods: nominations and declarations, campaign and debate, and voting. Plain and simple, I believe that campaigning should stop when the voting period begins. Revised proposal
Amendment to the Criminal Code Wrote: Addendum 1 Amendment to the Regional Communications Act Wrote:
Thank you for your reply. I am still unsure why you think that campaigning during the voting period is problematic. I am genuinely interested to hear your reasons though
Former Associate Justice of the High Court of the South Pacific (4 December 2019 to 5 February 2021)
(05-20-2020, 01:00 AM)Nat Wrote: Thank you for your reply. I am still unsure why you think that campaigning during the voting period is problematic. I am genuinely interested to hear your reasons though As I stated in my previous post, I believe it to be an unfair campaign tactic to try to influence people while they're voting. It's almost like a candidate in real life holding everyone's hands and going into the voting booth with them to make sure they vote for them. I hope this sufficiently answers your question. (05-20-2020, 01:05 AM)Jay Coop Wrote: As I stated in my previous post, I believe it to be an unfair campaign tactic to try to influence people while they're voting. It's almost like a candidate in real life holding everyone's hands and going into the voting booth with them to make sure they vote for them. I hope this sufficiently answers your question. Thanks again for answering my questions. I don't agree with your analogy. I would imagine the situation is more akin to a political candidate offering you their campaign material as you walk into the polling place (which is quite a different tenor to what you described). If that is the case, I find it difficult to see how that is unfair. However, maybe there is something I have overlooked.
Former Associate Justice of the High Court of the South Pacific (4 December 2019 to 5 February 2021)
(05-20-2020, 01:26 AM)Nat Wrote: Thanks again for answering my questions. I don't agree with your analogy. I would imagine the situation is more akin to a political candidate offering you their campaign material as you walk into the polling place (which is quite a different tenor to what you described). If that is the case, I find it difficult to see how that is unfair. However, maybe there is something I have overlooked. At the end of the day, it is a matter of opinion and interpretation as what could be characterized as "unfair". I just hold the opinion that it is.
Regional Communications act only applies to Regional Officers communication powerrs, not to stamps, btw. So unless mass telegram campaigns are illegal due to another law, I don't think they're illegal.
We've debated stuff like this several times. And, part of it is that it's almost impossible to determine what is and isn't a campaign post. Like ... is it simply "Vote for me!"? Or could any good deed then be called campaigning?
In any case, I'm not quite opposed to this, but generally these type of things have been a bit DOA.
-tsunamy
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