Northeast Assembly Thread

[Napoleon]

I offer my name for recommendation for the position of Lt. Governor.

Uh, and give up being Senator?

No but this nonbinding recommendation ought to be ended as quickly as possible and no one seems intent on throwing a name out there. After a name is recommended, Governor Winfield can appoint whoever he likes. I want to give him the opportunity to do so as quickly as possible.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I offer my name for recommendation for the position of Lt. Governor.

Uh, and give up being Senator?

I don't think we have any rule forbidding it so it's a legitimate recommendation.

The Constitution does forbid dual office holding. There was a past court case against a member that tried to be Lt. Governor and Assemblyman at the same time, and he was forced to step down from one of those positions. I imagine the same conclusion would be reached with trying to be Lt. Governor and Senator at the same time.

[Napoleon]

I offer my name for recommendation for the position of Lt. Governor.

Uh, and give up being Senator?

I don't think we have any rule forbidding it so it's a legitimate recommendation.

The Constitution does forbid dual office holding. There was a past court case against a member that tried to be Lt. Governor and Assemblyman at the same time, and he was forced to step down from one of those positions. I imagine the same conclusion would be reached with trying to be Lt. Governor and Senator at the same time.

I'm not trying to be Lt. Governor, if another name comes up for someone who wants the job then go for it but the legislature needs a name to give before the Governor can proceed.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Fair enough, fair enough. Just felt like pointing that out before you guys moved forward or anything.

[Napoleon]

I'll add this: while the former Vice President has shown humility and regret for his actions unmatched by others, I think Dallasfan has a chance to truly serve his region in this position. I therefore request him to change his mind.

[Cincinnatus]

I'll add this: while the former Vice President has shown humility and regret for his actions unmatched by others, I think Dallasfan has a chance to truly serve his region in this position. I therefore request him to change his mind.

I would very much like that as well even if he told me no

Also, I would have known the obvious had I just read this;

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[#CriminalizeSobriety]

I'll add this: while the former Vice President has shown humility and regret for his actions unmatched by others, I think Dallasfan has a chance to truly serve his region in this position. I therefore request him to change his mind.

If Winfield calls upon me, I will accept this time, although I would like the Representatives to bear in mind my situation is rather.. precarious, and you may find yourselves holding another recommendation vote soon.

[homelycooking]

I'll add this: while the former Vice President has shown humility and regret for his actions unmatched by others, I think Dallasfan has a chance to truly serve his region in this position. I therefore request him to change his mind.

If Winfield calls upon me, I will accept this time, although I would like the Representatives to bear in mind my situation is rather.. precarious, and you may find yourselves holding another recommendation vote soon.

We have no other viable names at this point.

Also: Aye on the bill.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Aye.

[homelycooking]

On the previous question the ayes are three; the nays are zero. The bill is hereby passed.

The House will now consider the next bill in the queue.

Write-in Votes Act

I. Any person who wishes to accept write-in votes cast at an election for himself or herself must declare, in the Candidate Declaration Thread, that he or she will accept write-in votes at least twenty-four hours before the opening of a regional election.
II. No candidate shall be declared elected to any office of the Northeast who has neither declared his acceptance of write-in votes in the manner prescribed in section I of this Act nor secured a place on a regional ballot by declaring his candidacy at least seven days before the opening of a regional election.
III. All write-in votes cast for persons who have neither declared his acceptance of write-in votes in the manner prescribed in section I of this Act nor secured a place on a regional ballot by declaring his candidacy at least seven days before the opening of a regional election shall be considered null and void.
IV. A write-in vote, cast for a candidate who has secured a place on a regional ballot by declaring his candidacy at least seven days before the opening of a regional election, shall not be construed to have not been cast for that candidate.
V. A person's casting of a write-in vote for himself or herself at a regional election shall not be construed to constitute acceptance of write-in votes, unless that person has already declared his acceptance of write-in votes in accordance with section I of this Act.

Debate will last 48 hours - until midnight Thursday night.

As the sponsor of this bill, I will speak to its merits tomorrow (today, after I get some sleep)

[tpfkaw]

I see no reason why restricting choice in elections is a good idea.  I will therefore vote nay on this bill.

[Napoleon]

I see no reason why restricting choice in elections is a good idea.  I will therefore vote nay on this bill.

I couldn't agree more.

[Free Palestine]

I see no reason why restricting choice in elections is a good idea.  I will therefore vote nay on this bill.

[homelycooking]

I do not believe that this bill restricts voters' choice in an election. Indeed, sections II, III and IV merely clarify the status of write-in votes and write-in candidates and ought not to be controversial by themselves. The major advance that I think this bill makes is to prevent candidates from being elected merely by writing themselves in.

I believe that an election ought to be decided by every voter, rendering his individual judgment on the people who have placed themselves before the electorate as candidates. Nothing should be done to make it more difficult for candidates to run for office, which is why I'd support making chronological limits on candidacy declaration much more lenient. I do not think, however, that our Region should sanction the oft-employed mechanism by which a candidate not having previously declared his desire to serve the Region in one of our various offices is elected to office by the vote of himself. This arrangement actually hinders voters' ability to choose their own assemblymen, for if there are a great number of excess seats that could not be filled by declared candidates, as is currently the case in elections for this body, any voter can write himself in and subvert the processes of debate and deliberation that are so crucial to democracy. The only choice, therefore, that my bill restricts in an election is a voter's choice to write himself in on a ballot and become elected to a seat that reasonable democratic principles would suggest he does not deserve.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Aye.

[Cincinnatus]

Aye.

We are currently in debate for 48 hours so your vote will have to wait.  Any comments in favor/opposition, amendments, motions, ect can be made at this time.

I can agree that we need to have people declare, but the only way we filled the seats this session were from write-ins.  If I remember correctly, the only one's to actually declare last regional election were wormyguy, HC, and myself. 

[Lincoln Republican]

I wish to address the issue of the Write-In Voters Act.

There can be little doubt but what this bill was precipitated by my election as Lieutenant Governor and Representative, and of some others election as Representatives, as write in candidates in the most recent election.

I do agree with two previous statements on this issue, that being this bill is indeed restrictive.  I see no harm in write in candidates seeking election, simply by indicating their willingness to accept the office by voting for themselves as a write in candidate.  Why should they have to declare their intentions beforehand? 

To my knowledge, and correct me if I'm wrong, no other region has these restrictions.

Atlasia elections are meant to be as all encompassing as possible, and restricting them by disallowing straight write in candidates as now allowed, could lead to less interest in seeking office. 

I see no good reason for changing the current voting system and urge members of this Assembly to defeat this bill.

[Cincinnatus]

This really isn't a bill designed to respond to your rise as Governor.  It has to do with a recommendation from the CJO in response to a question about the election of redcommander;

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=134826.msg2936168#msg2936168

[homelycooking]

It is my firm conviction that someone who wishes to serve the people of the Northeast owes them at the very least to announce in some form before the election that he or she will be a candidate. The goal of this bill is not to eliminate write-in candidacies - it is to eliminate the possibility of a person becoming elected who received no vote excepting his own.

To the points of Governor Winfield:

There can be little doubt but what this bill was precipitated by my election as Lieutenant Governor and Representative, and of some others election as Representatives, as write in candidates in the most recent election.

I do agree with two previous statements on this issue, that being this bill is indeed restrictive.  I see no harm in write in candidates seeking election, simply by indicating their willingness to accept the office by voting for themselves as a write in candidate.  Why should they have to declare their intentions beforehand?  

A candidate should have to declare his intentions beforehand because the people of the Northeast deserve to know before they cast their ballot which of their fellow citizens are seeking office, so that they can vote accordingly to help elect or defeat their favorite or least favorite candidates. Why should certain candidates have the privilege of not needing to concern themselves with the electorate's judgment?

Atlasia elections are meant to be as all encompassing as possible, and restricting them by disallowing straight write in candidates as now allowed, could lead to less interest in seeking office.  

I disagree that this bill will lead to less interest. Perhaps it will frustrate those who were hoping to win election by their vote alone, but if they desired to honestly serve the people of the Northeast, they would declare their candidacies before the election. In a legislature such as ours with so many seats and so few candidates willing to fill those seats, under a system where one's decree is sufficient to win election to an office, why should candidates bother to declare their intentions at all if they can write themselves in and get elected?

Note: "those" is purely abstract. I am not referring to anyone in this region by that word. Even if certain elected officials emulate "those" by their actions, I have no right to judge their intentions.

[Lincoln Republican]

As an aside, if we want to discuss real electoral reform, I would recommend eliminating the 20 minute time frame in which one can change or nullify their vote.  Once a vote is cast, it should remain as is, with no option to change it.   

[homelycooking]

As an aside, if we want to discuss real electoral reform, I would recommend eliminating the 20 minute time frame in which one can change or nullify their vote.  Once a vote is cast, it should remain as is, with no option to change it.   

I could agree to that. But that's another matter for another debate.

[Lincoln Republican]

As an aside, if we want to discuss real electoral reform, I would recommend eliminating the 20 minute time frame in which one can change or nullify their vote.  Once a vote is cast, it should remain as is, with no option to change it.   

I could agree to that. But that's another matter for another debate.

Yes, I realize that.  That's why it is an aside.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I fail to see any reason why this harms democracy. How hard is it to simply post in the declaration thread?

[Napoleon]

I fail to see any reason why this harms democracy. How hard is it to simply post in the declaration thread?

The Assembly was designed to elect Representatives proportionally as opposed to through special elections. This law would exacerbate our problems by essentially guaranteeing that all declared candidates win, even if voters prefer a late entry write in.

[Lincoln Republican]

What if nobody declares their intention to seek an office, e.g. Lieutenant Governor?

If nobody declares their intention either as a candidate on the ballot or that they will be a write in candidate, does that office simply have no candidate, and the office is vacant?

At least if there are no declared candidates or no candidates declaring they will be write in candidates, if general write ins are allowed, as under current law, that office would be filled.