[Announcement] Election Reform Passed

[Dominion of Compassion]

Esteemed directors, deputies,

It is my honor to announce that the Co9 have passed the Election Reform Bill, which you can read for yourself below:

Political parties must put no less than three candidates up for election each year, leaving the parties open to decide who will run for what senate or delegate seat up to the respective parties. Should one or more party fail to meet this standard, the party or parties in question may be considered inactive and closed at the discretion of the NRS senator.

This bill was passed in the hopes that soon, we can return to the golden age of the political party systems, when there were not only two, but multiple candidates running for senate seats, when voter turnout was the highest in the region, and when uncontested elections were the product of overactive imaginations. Serving in the Co9 is one of the highest honors in the XKI, and by extension so is creating and managing a political party and it's time to show the XKI that we care enough to make an effort once again. An effort to reignite those golden ages we saw once before. It's time to, collectively, blow on the embers of the political system here in the XKI, until those embers are a roaring flame, lighting the way to the Council of Nine once more.

Thank you.

Dominion of Compassion
Odrin

[Paffnia]

Does year mean calendar year? And does this mean three unique nations per party per year, or does a single nation that runs twice count as two candidates?

[Dominion of Compassion]

Calendar year and no, as long as one nation per party runs for office, even for reelection, that will count towards their quota.

[Klopstock]

The Act essentially requires active parties to offer a minimum number of candidates up for election in a year. That seems straightforward enough. But some minor observations:

What does 'put them up for election' mean? Qualified candidates who make the poll? Or just someone who declares in the submission thread?

What is a 'candidate' under this law? Say the nation Awesome TITO Knight John Smithland creates a new party of just himself. Can he run 3 times for the same seat and qualify under the law? Or does he need 2 other nations to run in addition to himself?

DoC addressed the stricken text.

[Dominion of Compassion]

Jul 22, 2016 19:30:54 GMT -5 Klopstock said:

The Act essentially requires active parties to offer a minimum number of candidates up for election in a year. That seems straightforward enough. But some minor observations:

What does 'put them up for election' mean? Qualified candidates who make the poll? Or just someone who declares in the submission thread?

What is a 'candidate' under this law? Say the nation Awesome TITO Knight John Smithland creates a new party of just himself. Can he run 3 times for the same seat and qualify under the law? Or does he need 2 other nations to run in addition to himself?

DoC addressed the stricken text.

To qualify for the quota the nation must make the poll, meaning they have to be listed as able to vote for in the voting booth thread. Also, one nation cannot make a party, rendering the stricken text moot on two fronts

[Elite]

When is this in effect? When does the law apply? Is it only at the end of the year, or at any given point you need to have had 3 candidates in the previous 12 months?

[Dominion of Compassion]

Jul 23, 2016 8:57:35 GMT -5 Elite said:

When is this in effect? When does the law apply? Is it only at the end of the year, or at any given point you need to have had 3 candidates in the previous 12 months?

It's in effect now, and can you specify what you mean by your last question?

[Elite]

As in, if after this election, a party hasn't offered 3 candidates in the past year, would this law be acted on then and for every election from now on? Or would it only happen on an annual basis?

[Dominion of Compassion]

Jul 23, 2016 11:09:52 GMT -5 Elite said:

As in, if after this election, a party hasn't offered 3 candidates in the past year, would this law be acted on then and for every election from now on? Or would it only happen on an annual basis?

This isn't a retroactive law. What happened in the past happened in the past, and can't be fixed and certainly won't be punished. However, from now on, the law is in effect. The law will officially begin counting next election.

[Hahiha / USSR]

Do you think that this could have a side-effect of stifling the creation of new political parties?
How strict/lenient do you intend to be on the rule of 1 year? Say after 1 year, a party has only had a total of two people who ever ran during the year; would you delete their party or would you give them more time to run for election? How much more time would you be willing to give them?

[Dominion of Compassion]

Jul 24, 2016 5:21:10 GMT -5 Hahiha / USSR said:

Do you think that this could have a side-effect of stifling the creation of new political parties?
How strict/lenient do you intend to be on the rule of 1 year? Say after 1 year, a party has only had a total of two people who ever ran during the year; would you delete their party or would you give them more time to run for election? How much more time would you be willing to give them?

No, this won't stifle the party creation system in any way. This is simply a measure to make sure that political parties are living up to their end of the bargain and that they aren't just becoming social clubs with no interest in the political sphere.

If a party only has two people who have run for office after the year is up, i'd be more inclined to be lenient and give them a grace period, one last chance to run in an election, before I take the action against the party described in the bill. However, if a party is grossly under the bar, clearly not invested in the system, and just not doing their job or even attempting to do their job, then I have no sympathy at that point.