Uncontested Election Process

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Lyubov
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Uncontested Election Process

Post by Lyubov »

The recent call for candidates for the Chancellor and RA for the 33rd term produced exactly enough candidates to fill all available seats. This is not an unusual circumstance in CDS. In a situation where seats are uncontested, the candidates are acclaimed into office without conducting a campaign or polling. In cases where the number of declared RA candidates is less than the number of available seats, the SC will call up to one by-election in an attempt to fill any open seats. These processes have been a matter of tradition, not codified into law.

I propose that we update NL 12-1 STV Quota Bill to specifically state that candidates for uncontested RA seats may be acclaimed into office and that in the event that there are not enough declared candidates to fill all available seats, the SC will hold one by-election in an attempt to fill any seats that remain open. Similarly, I propose that CDSL 13-05 Chancellor Election Act be updated to state than an uncontested candidate may be acclaimed into office. The full text of the current laws is below, with proposed updates in blue.

Some additional housekeeping: CDSL 13-05 notes that, "This bill is null and void if the Chancellor Direct Election Constitutional Amendment Act is not passed.". This has in fact passed, there is active code CDSL 13-04 Chancellor Direct Election Constitutional Amendment Act. This reference in CDSL 13-05 may be deleted and is marked in red.

NL12-1 STV Quota Bill

The CDS Constitution specifies that the electoral system will use the Single Transferable Vote method to allocate seats to the Representative Assembly following an election. The CDS will use the ‘Droop quota’ to determine the minimum number of votes a candidate needs in order to be elected.

Droop quota is understood to mean: without the decimal part.

In the event that the number of declared candidates for the Representative Assembly is equal to the number of seats, the declared candidates shall be acclaimed into office without a campaign period or polling.

In a case where the number of candidates declared for the Representative Assembly is less than the number of seats, the Scientific Council may call for a by-election in an attempt to fill any available seat(s). Seats that remain open after one by-election shall remain vacant for the balance of the term.

CDSL 13-05 Chancellor Election Act

  1. Chancellors are elected for a 6-month term and can hold at most two terms in succession.

  2. Chancellor terms start simultaneously with the Representative Assembly terms.

  3. Any citizen may become a candidate by declaring themselves by a message to the Dean of the Scientific Council, two weeks before the voting booths open. On the next day, all applicants will be listed by the Dean of the Scientific Council, and campaigning begins one week before the voting booths open. Elections shall be held over a 168 hour period beginning at noon SLT on the Saturday before the 16th of the month prior to the new Chancellor taking office. In the event of a server outage which prevents citizens from casting ballots and which lasts more than 12 hours, the Dean of the Scientific Council has the authority to adjust or extend the election schedule.

  4. In the event that there is only one declared candidate for Chancellor, the declared candidate shall be acclaimed into office without a campaign period or polling.

  5. In case the Chancellor leaves office or is removed from it mid-term, a special Chancellor by-election will be called for by the Scientific Council which will open new applications on the day notice was given and close applications after a week.

  6. Voting methodology will follow the same method as for the Representative Assembly election or Single-Transfer Vote if the current method for the Representative Aseembly election does not work for single candidate elections.

  7. This bill is null and void if the Chancellor Direct Election Constitutional Amendment Act is not passed.

  8. Any other legislation applicable to candidate eligibility and elections in general will also apply to the Chancellor election.

  9. In the event that the elected Chancellor resigns after less than half the term, a citizen who fills that term will be limited to that term plus one additional term.

Last edited by Lyubov on Sun May 03, 2020 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Rosie Gray
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Re: Uncontested Election Process

Post by Rosie Gray »

I like this, Lyubov. It's always been understood that if there are only enough candidates to fill the seats that we don't have to actually campaign and hold a vote - because there's no point in doing so. But if we have to spell it out in law then this fills the bill.

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Tanoujin Milestone
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Re: Uncontested Election Process

Post by Tanoujin Milestone »

Good! In fact all this is less self-explanatory than we tend to think, just because we are used to it.
In the context of the german industrial relation law there is an election if the number of candidates equals the available seats of the workers’ council, and there will be no workers’ council at all if there are not enough candidates - a nice chance for the bosses to switch back to feudal style. I am glad the relations in our community are less hostile :)

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Almut Brunswick
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Re: Uncontested Election Process

Post by Almut Brunswick »

[mention]Lyubov[/mention] : Thank you so much for these proposals to change/update the existing laws and that you take my concerns seriously! I prefer written regulations instead of common law regulations, because they have a certain bytaste of arbitrariness even when they might be well-proven throughout the years. Formally fixed laws are so much more transparent (not only) for new citizens than what is just existing in the minds of long-serving veterans.

The only addition I would like to propose is to rename the Constitution article NL12-1 to Representative Assembly Election Bill (STV Quota Bill). I was going through the Constitution and simply didn't guess at first glance that this bill has something to do with the RA polling.

We all, however, should be aware that acclaiming into office is just a makeshift to keep things running, so to say. That should also be communicated to the CDS people. The regular way should remain to call an election in order to have a contest between candidates and also to legitimate the elected representants by people's vote whenever the circumstances make this possible.

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Lyubov
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Re: Uncontested Election Process

Post by Lyubov »

At Tuesday's RA meeting, it was agreed to repeal the current NL 12-1 STV Quota Bill and create a new CDSL 32-1 Election Bill (STV Quota) containing the proposed text. The RA also approved of the proposed language for CDSL 13-05 Chancellor Election Act. The full proposed text of these two laws is presented below for public comment. The RA will vote on these two bills at the next RA meeting, scheduled for 18 May.

CDSL 13-05 Chancellor Election Act

  1. Chancellors are elected for a 6-month term and can hold at most two terms in succession.

  2. Chancellor terms start simultaneously with the Representative Assembly terms.

  3. Any citizen may become a candidate by declaring themselves by a message to the Dean of the Scientific Council, two weeks before the voting booths open. On the next day, all applicants will be listed by the Dean of the Scientific Council, and campaigning begins one week before the voting booths open. Elections shall be held over a 168 hour period beginning at noon SLT on the Saturday before the 16th of the month prior to the new Chancellor taking office. In the event of a server outage which prevents citizens from casting ballots and which lasts more than 12 hours, the Dean of the Scientific Council has the authority to adjust or extend the election schedule.

  4. In the event that there is only one declared candidate for Chancellor, the declared candidate shall be acclaimed into office without a campaign period or polling.

  5. In case the Chancellor leaves office or is removed from it mid-term, a special Chancellor by-election will be called for by the Scientific Council which will open new applications on the day notice was given and close applications after a week.

  6. Voting methodology will follow the same method as for the Representative Assembly election or Single-Transfer Vote if the current method for the Representative Aseembly election does not work for single candidate elections.

  7. Any other legislation applicable to candidate eligibility and elections in general will also apply to the Chancellor election.

  8. In the event that the elected Chancellor resigns after less than half the term, a citizen who fills that term will be limited to that term plus one additional term.

CDSL 32-1 Election Bill (STV Quota)

The CDS Constitution specifies that the electoral system will use the Single Transferable Vote method to allocate seats to the Representative Assembly following an election. The CDS will use the ‘Droop quota’ to determine the minimum number of votes a candidate needs in order to be elected.

Droop quota is understood to mean: without the decimal part.

In the event that the number of declared candidates for the Representative Assembly is equal to the number of seats, the declared candidates shall be acclaimed into office without a campaign period or polling.

In a case where the number of candidates declared for the Representative Assembly is less than the number of seats, the Scientific Council may call for a by-election in an attempt to fill any available seat(s). Seats that remain open after one by-election shall remain vacant for the balance of the term.

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Almut Brunswick
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Re: Uncontested Election Process

Post by Almut Brunswick »

That all sounds very thoughtful and like a real improvement! I would like to propose this little addition to CDSL 13-05:

6. Voting methodology will follow the same method as determined in the CDSL 32-1 Election Bill (STV Quota) for the Representative Assembly election or Single-Transfer Vote if the current method for the Representative Aseembly election does not work for single candidate elections.

For the farther future, I would like to propose establishing a constitutionally legitimated Vice Chancellor or Vicegerent (for instance the elected RA Leader) in a new law. That could avoid the need to call a Chancellor by-election in the case that the Chancellor resigns or has been removed mid-term. In this case, CDSL 13-05 would need to be updated once again. But that would be another discussion and I don't want to be regarded as a revolutionist :)

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