Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Initiative

[Peter]

Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Initiatitve

Section 1: Definition of Crime
1. It shall be a crime against the Mideast Region for any Mideast citizen who may be called upon to make a determination as to the validity of a ballot cast in a Mideast election, including but not limited to the voting booth administrator, to instruct or encourage a voter who has already cast his or her ballot to take an action that would have the effect of invalidating the ballot.
2. For the purposes of this statute, Mideast election shall extend to (but is not limitied to) any election for Mideast Governor or Lieutenant Governor, any vote on a Proposition, Initiative, Recall, Regional Constitutional Amendment, or Federal Constitutional Amendment.
3. The instruction or encouragement of a voter shall be interpreted to include any action which indicates the possibility of invalidating a vote to affect a Mideast election.

Section 2: Trial and Punishment
1. Trial of this crime shall be by jury in the Superior Court of the Mideast Region.
2. The Judge may admit evidence of the crime at his own discretion.
3. Sentencing of the crime shall be by the Judge; He may use any combination of the following as punishment, depending upon the severity of the offense:
         (i) Up to a four month ban from voting in any Mideast elections.
         (ii) Up to a two month ban from holding any office under the Mideast Region.
4. Appeals to a Federal Court shall only be allowed where there is a matter of federal law involved.
I sign my own initiative

X Peter

I am unsure as to the present citizen count for the Mideast, so I am not sure as to te required number of signatures.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Initiatitve

Section 1: Definition of Crime
1. It shall be a crime against the Mideast Region for any Mideast citizen who may be called upon to make a determination as to the validity of a ballot cast in a Mideast election, including but not limited to the voting booth administrator, to instruct or encourage a voter who has already cast his or her ballot to take an action that would have the effect of invalidating the ballot.
2. For the purposes of this statute, Mideast election shall extend to (but is not limitied to) any election for Mideast Governor or Lieutenant Governor, any vote on a Proposition, Initiative, Recall, Regional Constitutional Amendment, or Federal Constitutional Amendment.
3. The instruction or encouragement of a voter shall be interpreted to include any action which indicates the possibility of invalidating a vote to affect a Mideast election.

Section 2: Trial and Punishment
1. Trial of this crime shall be by jury in the Superior Court of the Mideast Region.
2. The Judge may admit evidence of the crime at his own discretion.
3. Sentencing of the crime shall be by the Judge; He may use any combination of the following as punishment, depending upon the severity of the offense:
         (i) Up to a four month ban from voting in any Mideast elections.
         (ii) Up to a two month ban from holding any office under the Mideast Region.
4. Appeals to a Federal Court shall only be allowed where there is a matter of federal law involved.
I sign my own initiative

X Peter

I am unsure as to the present citizen count for the Mideast, so I am not sure as to te required number of signatures.

Last I heard it was 5 (as the Governor informed me.  Before that, Gabu had told me 6).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

A.C.Widdershins

[HappyWarrior]

• Governor HappyWarrior

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Just curious, how does this not violate Section 8 of Article 5 of the Mideast Constitution?

[Peter]

I thought long and hard about this whilst drafting the Initiative - ultimately I decided it would have been very hard to issue a blanket ban against all citizens from doing this.

However, voting booth administrators are in a unique position in that they get to determine whether a vote is valid, and whilst in charge of the booth, they are principally an officer of the government as opposed to a private citizen, and so whilst they are in charge of the booth, any communications they give can easily be interpreted as endorsed by government as opposed to the communications of a private citizen. Thus it is certainly a governmental interest that these types of communications can be regulated.

Also, if an administrator chooses to nullify votes on very tenuous grounds after lobbying strongly for changes in votes, it does cast some suspicision on the process as being democratic if the people running it appear to be campaigning towards a potentially corrupt end.

[Sensei]

-Senator Sensei

[Јas]

I would be interested in seeking to bring something similar to this to my own region.

I would though wonder about how likely it would be that a full and suitable jury could be convened for such a trial.

[Peter]

Given our present numbers, constituting an acceptable jury would be something of a challenge, however, I would hope that the mere illegality of the practice would be sufficient to deter it. Certainly a breach would be grounds for recall, and no jury would be required for that.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Given our present numbers, constituting an acceptable jury would be something of a challenge, however, I would hope that the mere illegality of the practice would be sufficient to deter it. Certainly a breach would be grounds for recall, and no jury would be required for that.

Actually, I didn't even think of that, but the involvement of a jury goes against the constitution as well, in my interpretation of it anyway, but it'd be up for debate.

[DownWithTheLeft]

[ X ] Fmr. Sen. and Lt. Gov. DWTL

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Did this make it?  Last I asked Gabu, we had 27 citizens, which means it's 1 short of the requirement - but I know people have moved - so HappyWarrior, you're going to have to do a count today because the ballot has to be open by 12:01 A.M. tomorrow.

[Joe Republic]

X
   

[MAS117]

This is a very good bill, I will introduce it for the Northeast in our next round of props.