Secret Ballot Procedure Bill

[King]

I'm not a senator, so i dont know if im supposed to post in here, or if my opion matters, but i would like to say that i love this plan.

The Atlasian Senate isn't like those damn commies in the U.S. Congress.  We like to hear from our voters and we pay attention to what they have to say.

[King]

I'd like to make this into an amendment:

You know, if we do pass this thing, we should also order the creation of a new account that certain members of the government have access to where all the votes are sent to. Also, to prevent fraud, let's require every person who has sent in a ballot to notify that they have voted in a thread created by the SoFA so when the ballots are counted we can check to see if there where any votes deleted from the count.

Gabu, can you please tell me the current state of this bill after all the amendments so I can see what needs to be changed?

[Speed of Sound]

I'm not a senator, so i dont know if im supposed to post in here, or if my opion matters, but i would like to say that i love this plan.

The Atlasian Senate isn't like those damn commies in the U.S. Congress.  We like to hear from our voters and we pay attention to what they have to say.

they never respond to my letters. Rotten commies. lol

[Gabu]

I'd like to make this into an amendment:

You know, if we do pass this thing, we should also order the creation of a new account that certain members of the government have access to where all the votes are sent to. Also, to prevent fraud, let's require every person who has sent in a ballot to notify that they have voted in a thread created by the SoFA so when the ballots are counted we can check to see if there where any votes deleted from the count.

Gabu, can you please tell me the current state of this bill after all the amendments so I can see what needs to be changed?

Sure thing... also, come to think of it, the current amendment only needs one more "aye" vote to pass and you haven't voted yet.  Stop stalling!

[King]

Aye on any amendment I have yet to vote on.

[jokerman]

Why hasn't there been voting on my amendment?

[Sam Spade]

Why hasn't there been voting on my amendment?

Gabu struck it out from debate using the frivolous clause of the procedural resolution.

Unfortunately, the 24-hour period to challenge such a ruling and find two Senators who agree with you passed a long time ago.

[Gabu]

With five votes in favor to none against, and with only nine senators present, Colin's first amendment has passed.

Why hasn't there been voting on my amendment?

Because all it did was shift the District 4 and Southeast senators to the top of the succession list.  It was a completely pointless amendment, so I tossed it out, as I'm allowed to do.  It was also a blatant filibuster attempt, but that's an entirely different story that played no part in my throwing it out.

You had ample time to challenge my throwing it out, but you didn't do anything, so my action stands.

[jokerman]

With five votes in favor to none against, and with only nine senators present, Colin's first amendment has passed.

Why hasn't there been voting on my amendment?

Because all it did was shift the District 4 and Southeast senators to the top of the succession list.  It was a completely pointless amendment, so I tossed it out, as I'm allowed to do.  It was also a blatant filibuster attempt, but that's an entirely different story that played no part in my throwing it out.

You had ample time to challenge my throwing it out, but you didn't do anything, so my action stands.

Well it really wasn't a fillibuster, I support this bill.

[King]

Gabu, can you please tell me the current state of this bill after all the amendments so I can see what needs to be changed?

[MasterJedi]

Gabu, can you please tell me the current state of this bill after all the amendments so I can see what needs to be changed?

Nothing really needs to be changed or added on unless I've missed an amendment besides the voting thread one.

[Gabu]

The current version of this bill is as follows:

Secret Ballot Procedure Bill

Section 1

1. During any federal election, a registered voter may choose to submit their ballot or absentee ballot in secret.  This is considered an optional alternative form of voting to a public ballot.  The method of vote submission is outlined in Section 2, Clause 4 below.

2. All secret ballots must satisfy all clauses outlined in Section 1 of the Omnibus Election System, Procedure and Certification Act.

3. No registered voter may vote both publicly and secretly in the same election.  If this occurs, the Secretary of Forum Affairs will discount both votes.

Section 2

1. For the purposes of counting and validating secret ballots, an Electoral Committee will be assembled by no later than a week before the election is scheduled to begin.

2. The Committee will be comprised of three members, consisting of the Secretary of Forum Affairs, the Vice President, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

3. In the event that any of the office holders listed either are themselves candidates in the election or are not present to fulfill their duty, those in the aforementioned situation shall be replaced by the highest office holder in the following list who is not a candidate present in the election and who is present to fulfill the duty:

Secretary of State
Attorney General
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of the Treasury
District 1 senator
District 2 senator
District 3 senator
District 4 senator
District 5 senator
Mideast Regional senator
Midwest Regional senator
Northeast Regional senator
Pacific Regional senator
Southeast Regional senator

4. Identical copies of all secret ballots will be submitted for counting by the voter to each of the three members of the Committee in the form of a personal message.

5. Once voting has officially ended, the Committee will convene in a private and suitable manner.  Each member will ensure that their own collected ballots are identical to the corresponding ballots collected by the other two members.

6. In the event that any one of the three copies of a ballot does not match the corresponding copies, the ballot will be discounted.

7. All legitimate ballots will then be incorporated into the vote count and subsequent certification for the relevant election.

8. Once the election has been certified, the Committee will disband.

9. Corruption, electoral fraud, the changing of votes, and tampering with votes in any way, is hereby criminalized in Atlasia. All members of the said committee who are found guilty of any of these charges will have their voting rights striped for a maximum of one year. Trials will be conducted according to the provisions set in place by the Omnibus Criminal Law Act.

[King]

I'll post an amendment late Friday.

[MasterJedi]

I'll post an amendment late Friday.

If that's next Friday that's a terrible filibuster attempt!

[Emsworth]

Well it really wasn't a fillibuster, I support this bill.

Speaking of that amendment (which sought to place the District 4 and Southeast Senators higher), I wrote in the Legislation Introduction Thread:

"Might I suggest that we instead order Senators by seniority? The President pro Tempore would be the most senior Senator. The others would be ranked by length of service. If length of service is tied, then the tie would be broken by the order in which the oath of office was taken."

Ranking Senators by seniority for the purposes of this bill seems better than arbitrarily placing Senators on the basis of the regions and districts represented. Might I request a Senator to take up this suggestion and propose an amendment?

[Joe Republic]

I wouldn't think that'd matter all that much, as going that far down that list looking for Committee members would really be a worst-case scenario.  Still, if a senator thinks its really all that worth the trouble, I can't stop you. 

[MasterJedi]

I wouldn't think that'd matter all that much, as going that far down that list looking for Committee members would really be a worst-case scenario.  Still, if a senator thinks its really all that worth the trouble, I can't stop you. 

I just want to get this passed the way it is now, it's fine and dandy this way.

[King]

Family barbeque had to attend.  Give me until tomorrow....60% done with amendment.

[King]

Here is the amendment.  If you don't like a particular part of it, then approve of this and then amend the amendment:

King Amendment to Section 2
(a).  Section 2 shall be removed and replaced with the following:

Section 2

1.  Secret ballot votes shall be cast using the SMF Private Messaging (PM) system to a single non-posting account created by the Secretary of Forum Affairs.

2.  The password for this account shall be changed after every general election and then be distributed to the current holders of the offices of Secretary of Forum Affairs, Deputy Secretary of Forum Affairs, and a delegate from the Senate who will serve as the Committee on Private Voting to count such votes. The Senate delegate shall be selected by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or elected by a Senate vote if the President Pro Tempore is not available.

3.  If a special election is called, the Committee on Private Voting from the previous election shall administer the secret ballot votes for the special election.

Section 3

To prevent fraud in the counting of secret ballots, persons who opt to use the secret ballot shall be required to (a) send a single copy of the ballot to the official PM account and (b) post a statement in an official secret ballot signature thread created by one of the secret voting overseers in which they give a signature as notification of their secret ballot vote. If a voter fails to post their signature in the thread before voting closes, their vote shall not be disqualified from counting.

Section 4

1.  Once an election has ended, the Committee must release a list of all voters who have cast a secret ballot and whether their votes are valid or invalid.

2.  The list of invalid votes must include a reason why each vote was disqualified.

3.  If a voter who has given signature is not listed and a record of the vote can be obtained in the Inbox of the private voting account, the vote shall be legally counted.  The election shall not be certified until such votes have been counted.

4(a).  If a voter who has given signature is not listed and a record of the vote cannot be obtained, the voter shall be granted the right to file a civil case against the members of the Committee for voting fraud.

4(b).  If five or more voters who have given signature are not listed and a record of the votes cannot be obtained, the Attorney General shall be granted the right to file a criminal case against the members of the Committee for voting fraud.

4(c).  If a voter is found responsible for either offense of 4(a) or 4(b), the Attorney General shall be granted the right to file a criminal case against the voter for legal fraud.

(b). The clause "The method of vote submission is outlined in Section 2, Clause 4 below." in Section 1, Clause 1 shall be removed.

[Emsworth]

4(a).  If a voter who has given signature is not listed and a record of the vote cannot be obtained, the voter shall be granted the right to file a civil case against the members of the Committee for voting fraud.

4(b).  If five or more voters who have given signature are not listed and a record of the votes cannot be obtained, the Attorney General shall be granted the right to file a criminal case against the members of the Committee for voting fraud.

Let as assume that a few voters get together and decide to sign that they have voted without having actually sent a ballot. On what basis shall a court decide whether the fraud has been committed by the voters or by the committee members? What evidence could either side conceivably present?

[King]

4(a).  If a voter who has given signature is not listed and a record of the vote cannot be obtained, the voter shall be granted the right to file a civil case against the members of the Committee for voting fraud.

4(b).  If five or more voters who have given signature are not listed and a record of the votes cannot be obtained, the Attorney General shall be granted the right to file a criminal case against the members of the Committee for voting fraud.

Let as assume that a few voters get together and decide to sign that they have voted without having actually sent a ballot. On what basis shall a court decide whether the fraud has been committed by the voters or by the committee members? What evidence could either side conceivably present?

Whistleblowers, I guess.  Somebody saying a little too much on AIM or Teamspeak.  That is how it works in the real world.

I don't understand why a group people would throw away their vote for no reason anyway.

[Sam Spade]

I have one more amendment:

Section 10

Once a secret ballot is submitted to the three electoral comission members the Secretary of Forum Affairs shall, as soon as possible, post this ballot in the official voting booth for that election. This ballot must not include the name of the voter or any definitive markings that could compromise the anonymity of the said secret voter.  

I would like to motion for a vote on this amendment, since it has been a 24 hours without any debate on the substance of it.

[Gabu]

Okay, I hereby open voting on this amendment:

I have one more amendment:

Section 10

Once a secret ballot is submitted to the three electoral comission members the Secretary of Forum Affairs shall, as soon as possible, post this ballot in the official voting booth for that election. This ballot must not include the name of the voter or any definitive markings that could compromise the anonymity of the said secret voter.  

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".

[Joe Republic]

For what it's worth, I strongly urge the Senate to vote against the current amendment, as it completely undermines the anti-tactical voting intent of the bill.

[Gabu]

I'm going to have to vote nay, for the reasons I've already said in this thread.