Post by Cormac on Jan 5, 2019 11:26:40 GMT -5
Election Administration Act
Section 1. Election Administration
(1) Elections for President and Vice President will be administered by the Speaker of the Regional Congress. Elections for any other elected office will be administered by the President or Vice President.
(2) In the event that an election administrator is standing for office in an election they are designated to administer or the office of the election administrator is vacant, administration of that election will pass to the most senior citizen who is not standing for that office and is available to serve as election administrator.
(3) The Chief Justice may not administer an election, and no election administrator may be appointed as an Associate Justice for any criminal trial or legal review related to the election they administered.
Section 2. Election Procedure
(1) The election period for any elected office will begin with a three day period for nominations, followed by a two day period for additional campaigning, followed by a five day period for voting. Candidates may campaign throughout an election period.
(2) An election period will begin ten days before the expiration of an elected official's term, if applicable, or in the case an elected office is vacated with no other constitutional procedure for filling the vacancy, as soon as practical following the vacancy.
(3) Should an election period for any reason be delayed, the incumbent official will continue to hold office until conclusion of the election period, without regard for any mandated length of term.
(4) In any election, voting citizens must rank all eligible candidates, or tickets in the case of elections requiring joint tickets, and the option to reopen nominations from most to least preferred on their ballots. Ballots will be publicly cast in the designated voting thread.
(5) The option to reopen nominations will be included in all elections. Should the reopening of nominations receive majority support at the conclusion of voting, the election period will be restarted.
(6) The candidate/ticket elected to office in any election will be the candidate/ticket who receives majority support in the election. If no candidate/ticket or the option to reopen nominations receives majority support in the first count, instant run-off voting will be conducted.
(7) Instant run-off voting will be conducted by eliminating the choice ranked first on the fewest ballots, then transferring the vote(s) of any citizen(s) who ranked that choice first to their next preferred choice, as indicated by their ballot. This process will be repeated until a candidate/ticket or the option to reopen nominations receives majority support, or until there is a tie between two choices.
(8) In the event of a tie between two choices, the tie will be broken in favor of the incumbent official(s), if applicable, or in favor of the most senior citizen remaining as a candidate or head of ticket. If the tie is between a candidate/ticket and reopen nominations, nominations will be reopened.
(9) In the event that a circumstance arises that is not covered by the procedure in this Act, the election administrator will adopt such procedure as they see fit, provided such procedure does not contradict other laws of Pacifica.
Section 3. Definitions
(1) Most senior citizen is defined as the citizen who has maintained citizenship for the longest continuous period of time.
(2) Elected official is defined as an official designated by the Constitution of the Republic of Pacifica as an elected official.
(3) Elected office is defined as an office held by an elected official, as defined by this Act.
(4) Majority support is defined as an absolute majority of votes cast in an election.
(5) These definitions will apply only for the purposes of this Act and may not apply to other uses.
(1) Elections for President and Vice President will be administered by the Speaker of the Regional Congress. Elections for any other elected office will be administered by the President or Vice President.
(2) In the event that an election administrator is standing for office in an election they are designated to administer or the office of the election administrator is vacant, administration of that election will pass to the most senior citizen who is not standing for that office and is available to serve as election administrator.
(3) The Chief Justice may not administer an election, and no election administrator may be appointed as an Associate Justice for any criminal trial or legal review related to the election they administered.
Section 2. Election Procedure
(1) The election period for any elected office will begin with a three day period for nominations, followed by a two day period for additional campaigning, followed by a five day period for voting. Candidates may campaign throughout an election period.
(2) An election period will begin ten days before the expiration of an elected official's term, if applicable, or in the case an elected office is vacated with no other constitutional procedure for filling the vacancy, as soon as practical following the vacancy.
(3) Should an election period for any reason be delayed, the incumbent official will continue to hold office until conclusion of the election period, without regard for any mandated length of term.
(4) In any election, voting citizens must rank all eligible candidates, or tickets in the case of elections requiring joint tickets, and the option to reopen nominations from most to least preferred on their ballots. Ballots will be publicly cast in the designated voting thread.
(5) The option to reopen nominations will be included in all elections. Should the reopening of nominations receive majority support at the conclusion of voting, the election period will be restarted.
(6) The candidate/ticket elected to office in any election will be the candidate/ticket who receives majority support in the election. If no candidate/ticket or the option to reopen nominations receives majority support in the first count, instant run-off voting will be conducted.
(7) Instant run-off voting will be conducted by eliminating the choice ranked first on the fewest ballots, then transferring the vote(s) of any citizen(s) who ranked that choice first to their next preferred choice, as indicated by their ballot. This process will be repeated until a candidate/ticket or the option to reopen nominations receives majority support, or until there is a tie between two choices.
(8) In the event of a tie between two choices, the tie will be broken in favor of the incumbent official(s), if applicable, or in favor of the most senior citizen remaining as a candidate or head of ticket. If the tie is between a candidate/ticket and reopen nominations, nominations will be reopened.
(9) In the event that a circumstance arises that is not covered by the procedure in this Act, the election administrator will adopt such procedure as they see fit, provided such procedure does not contradict other laws of Pacifica.
Section 3. Definitions
(1) Most senior citizen is defined as the citizen who has maintained citizenship for the longest continuous period of time.
(2) Elected official is defined as an official designated by the Constitution of the Republic of Pacifica as an elected official.
(3) Elected office is defined as an office held by an elected official, as defined by this Act.
(4) Majority support is defined as an absolute majority of votes cast in an election.
(5) These definitions will apply only for the purposes of this Act and may not apply to other uses.