Forum Affairs Reform Act [LAW'D]

[Peter]

I come at this from a different angle from Senator Fritz and arrive at the same end result - the HAEV in its present form should be shut down.

Whilst I find the Senators reasoning somewhat shadey (how can a Senator vote in favour of operating procedures, describe the committee's work as "admirable", and yet call our processes "morally repulsive" and say he was "sickened" to watch our work?), he is essentially correct.

The distillation of the Court's opinion is that the only activity requirements we could enforce are wholly objective ones. e.g. We can delete voters who have attained fewer than 25 posts in the last 2 months, and there is no room for "case-by-case review" or any introduction of a subjective feeling, except arguably the possibility of notified absence. Certainly asking 3 people to make a judgement on the voting patterns of posters is totally out of the question.

There is no value in having the HAEV if all that can be passed is strict, objective standards - if we are to have several strict standards, then perhaps we need to consider splitting the Forum Affairs brief into a Federal Elections and Census Bureau department as had been proposed in the past.

I certainly haven't found the HAEV's work easy - it has been a tight rope to walk between two camps intent on attacking the HAEV. I didn't like our method of review and I said so at the time, and I even predicted the Court's method of attack (equal protection). Nonetheless, I think that the best that could be done within the case-by-case review system that was crafted. Whilst I did not always agree with my colleagues decisions, I do not think we ever endangered an active members registration.

[Peter]

I looked over the 2006 debate on a similar measure. I think that the following bill should cover everything.

Forum Affairs Reform Act

Section 1: The HAEV
1. The HAEV Act is repealed.
2. The members of the HAEV are discharged from their duties.

Section 2: Division of Department of Forum Affairs
1. The Department of Forum Affairs is divided into:
   a) The Census Bureau, presided over by the Registrar General
   b) The Department of Federal Elections, presided over by the Secretary of Federal Elections
2. Both the Registrar General and the Secretary of Federal Elections shall have Cabinet rank, and are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Section 3: The Census Bureau
The duties of the Census Bureau, performed by the Registrar General shall be:
1. To update and maintain the Registered Voter Roll of those eligible to vote in Federal Elections.
2. To remove persons from the Registered Voter Roll when required by legislation.
3. To publish revisions to the Registered Voter Roll for public use at least once every two weeks.
4. To provide any officer of the Federal Executive or Federal Judiciary, or any Regional official responsible for Regional elections, with a copy of a section of the Registered Voter Roll as required for their duties.
5. To maintain historical statistics related to the Registered Voter Roll.
6. Carry out any duties previously incumbent on the Secretary of Forum Affairs related to the 20th Amendment.
7. To maintain a list of organized political parties for the purposes of Article V, Section 1, Clause 8

Section 4: The Department of Federal Elections
The duties of the Department of Federal Elections, performed by the Secretary shall be:
1. To act in most cases as the Administrator of any federal voting booth and absentee voting booth, including for elections to the Presidency, Vice-Presidency, Senate, and any nationwide federal poll, excepting Impeachment Trial polls.
2. To administer the declaration of candidacies for federal elections.
3. To represent the Federal Government in any federal election dispute, with such assistance from the Attorney General as shall be expedient.
4. To provide consultancy to the Regions on matters of electoral administration and federal electoral precedent when requested by a Regional official responsible for elections.
5. To administer a Regional election when requested by a Region, but only with the consent of the President, and with possibility of review by the Senate within 5 days.

Section 5: Deputy Secretary of Forum Affairs (DSoFA)
1. The Deputy Secretary of Forum Affairs is a non-Cabinet rank executive post, appointed by the President, without confirmation by the Senate, but reviewable by the Senate within 5 days of the appointment. The President shall have power to dismiss the DSoFA.
2. The DSoFA shall assist the Registrar General and Secretary of Federal Elections as directed by those Officers, with any dispute over workload or conflicting instructions decided exclusively by the President.
3. In the event of a vacancy in the position of the Secretary of Federal Elections or Registrar General, or absence of one month or greater thereof, the DSoFA shall assume the duties of that officer, but does not attain cabinet rank when acting for said officers.

Section 6: Miscellaneous and Transitional Provisions
1. The Secretary of Forum Affairs in office upon passage of this Act shall be appointed as either Secretary of Federal Elections or Registrar General as determined by the President without recourse to a Senate confirmation.
2. Any residual duties of the Department of Forum Affairs not assigned to the Census Bureau or Department of Federal Elections in this Act shall be assignable by the President by executive order.
3. Any Law determining the line of succession to the Presidency shall expire 30 days after the passage of this Act due to the restructuring required to take account of this Act and the Cabinet Restructuring Act which created the office of Secretary of Internal Affairs.
4. The Deputy SoFA Act is repealed

[Peter]

What exactly does that do and what exactly does that address?

It splits the Forum Affairs dept into a Dept of Elections and a Census Bureau responsible for the electoral rolls. It addresses the fact that the voter rolls are not maintained regularly (presently the last update was in February!) which makes life difficult for any Regions using the federal rolls, and in the event that the SoFA disappears (as has happened a couple of times) means the successor doesn't have hell getting one up to date. Also I think we need to start using the rolls to compile some statistical history - party registration over time etc., because what knowledge we have is communicated through the oldies like myself and by those who choose to read the old threads.